How to Find the Best Esthetician Course Near Seattle Washington
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Seattle WA, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Seattle home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics Training Programs
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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Seattle Washington clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Training
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Seattle WA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Seattle home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically 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 final benefit, numerous Seattle WA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Seattle WA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Seattle 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 ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he gets aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Seattle WA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Seattle
Enroll in the Right Seattle Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. 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. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Seattle Washington.
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