How to Find the Best Esthetician Program Near Clarksburg West Virginia
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Clarksburg WV, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Clarksburg residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetician 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 Clarksburg West Virginia 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 Classes
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Clarksburg WV students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Clarksburg residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Clarksburg WV employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Clarksburg WV salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 start a Clarksburg WV beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Clarksburg WV employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Clarksburg
Enroll in the Best Clarksburg Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Clarksburg West Virginia.
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