How to Find the Best Esthetician School Near Des Moines Washington
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Des Moines WA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Des Moines home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of programs are available.
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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 Des Moines 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 Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Des Moines WA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed 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 industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Des Moines home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Des Moines WA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Des Moines WA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Washington school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to start a Des Moines WA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Des Moines WA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Des Moines
Enroll in the Best Des Moines Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Des Moines Washington.
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