How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Taconic CT

How to Select an Esthetician Program near Taconic Connecticut

Taconic CT esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Taconic CT, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit more regarding that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Taconic residence. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the best option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding 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 available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Taconic CT Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Taconic CT beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Taconic CT esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Taconic CT business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s important 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 reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Taconic CT Online esthetician schools are convenient for Taconic CT students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Taconic CT models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Taconic home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 additional 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 decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 06079 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Taconic CT businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Taconic CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Connecticut school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive 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 commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on 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 vision is to launch a Taconic CT beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that he or she receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Taconic CT businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Taconic CT?

Perhaps you live in the Taconic 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.

Salisbury, Connecticut

Salisbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States of the New York metropolitan area. The town is the northwest-most in the State of Connecticut. The MA-NY-CT (Massachusetts-New York-Connecticut) Tri-State Marker is located just on the border of Salisbury. The population was 3,977 at the 2000 census.

Salisbury was established and incorporated in 1741,[1] and contains several historic homes, though some were replaced by larger modern structures in the late 20th century. Salisbury was named for Salisbury, a city in England.[2] Historian Ed Kirby tells us that traces of iron were discovered in what was to become Salisbury in 1728, with the discovery of the large deposit at Old Hill (later Ore Hill) in 1731 by John Pell and Ezekiel Ashley. Beginning before the Revolution, during the Federal period, and until around 1920, Salisbury was the seat of an important iron industry.[3]

Additional iron mines were opened, mostly in the Western end of the township, although historian Diana Muir dismisses them as "scarcely big enough to notice," with the further disadvantage of not being near a river large enough to ship iron to market at a reasonable cost. The solution, according to Muir, was to pour labor into the iron, working it into a quality of wrought iron so high that it could be used even for gun barrels. This fetched a high price and made Salisbury iron the celebrated choice of Connecticut's early nineteenth-century arms industry[4] as well as the preeminent source of cast iron railroad car wheels until they were superseded by steel wheels. Peter P. Everts, an agent of the mid-19th-century mines, however, stated the quality of Salisbury iron varied.[5] The iron industry in Salisbury became inactive following World War I, a plan to revive it during World War II was never implemented, and the mines remain under water.[6]

Select the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Taconic CT

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Taconic CT.