How to Choose the Best Aesthetician College Near Seattle Washington
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Seattle WA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Seattle residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss 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 Seattle 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 Programs
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Seattle WA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Classes
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Seattle home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Seattle WA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Seattle WA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Washington school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Seattle WA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Seattle WA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Seattle
Enroll in the Right Seattle Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Seattle Washington.
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