How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Cheshire CT

How to Pick an Esthetician School near Cheshire Connecticut

Cheshire CT esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Cheshire CT, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Cheshire home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Cheshire CT Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Cheshire CT beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Cheshire CT esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Cheshire CT business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Connecticut Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Cheshire CT Online esthetician schools are convenient for Cheshire CT students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Cheshire CT models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Cheshire home, together with 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the 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 recognized 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 06408 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Cheshire CT businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers 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 together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Cheshire CT salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, consult the Connecticut school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as 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. If your goal 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 launch a Cheshire CT beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that he or she gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Cheshire CT employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering 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 verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with 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 each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Cheshire CT?

Perhaps you live in the Cheshire Connecticut area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Cheshire, Connecticut

Cheshire (/ˈtʃɛʃər/), formerly known as New Cheshire Parish,[3] is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Cheshire was 29,261.[4] The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire.[5]

Cheshire, Connecticut was first settled in 1694 as part of Wallingford, Connecticut. It was then known as New Cheshire Parish. After many attempts in securing their independence from Wallingford, New Cheshire Parish was granted secession and was later incorporated as a town in May 1780 as Cheshire.[6] The name is a transfer from Cheshire, in England.[7]

During a July 23, 2007 home invasion in Cheshire (see Cheshire, Connecticut, home invasion murders), a mother and her two daughters were murdered, leaving the father of the family as the sole survivor. The murder and the aftermath was featured in a segment that aired on the NBC-TV news magazine show Dateline NBC on October 5, 2010.[9]

Choose the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Cheshire CT

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on 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 filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Cheshire CT.