How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Bellevue Washington
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Bellevue WA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bellevue residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the right option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of courses are offered.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing. More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.
Esthetician Job Description
Estheticians (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Bellevue Washington spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Bellevue WA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Bellevue residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Bellevue WA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Bellevue WA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to start a Bellevue WA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Bellevue WA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Bellevue
Enroll in the Right Bellevue Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Bellevue Washington.
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