How to Pick the Best Aesthetician College Near Wheeling West Virginia
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Wheeling WV, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Wheeling residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Wheeling West Virginia 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 accommodating for Wheeling WV students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Wheeling home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Wheeling WV employers 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? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Wheeling WV salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the West Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 goal 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 vision is to start a Wheeling 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? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she gets support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Wheeling WV businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.
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Enroll in the Right Wheeling Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Wheeling West Virginia.
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