How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Longboat Key FL

How to Select an Esthetics Course near Longboat Key Florida

Longboat Key FL esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Longboat Key FL, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Longboat Key residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Longboat Key FL Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Longboat Key FL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 earlier mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Longboat Key FL esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered 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 generally take 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Longboat Key FL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Florida Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetics Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Longboat Key FL Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Longboat Key FL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Longboat Key FL models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Longboat Key home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 34228 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Longboat Key FL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Longboat Key FL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted 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 Florida school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden 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 sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a Longboat Key FL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires 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 site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s imperative that she or he receives support in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Longboat Key FL employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Longboat Key FL?

Perhaps you live in the Longboat Key Florida 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.

Longboat Key, Florida

Longboat Key is a town in Manatee and Sarasota counties along the central west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, located on and coterminous with the barrier island of the same name. Longboat Key is south of Anna Maria Island, between Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is almost equally divided between Manatee and Sarasota counties. The town of Longboat Key was incorporated in 1955 and is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town's population was 6,888 at the 2010 census,[5] down from 7,603 at the 2000 census.

Longboat Key was originally inhabited by Native Americans. The area what is now Longboat Key was scouted by Juan de Añasco who was the first known European to explore the key and Hernando De Soto's scout. He spent about 2 months attempting to find a landing site, he was also most likely the first man to see and explore Sarasota Bay, Boca Ceiga Bay and the Manatee River.[6] According to local legend he believed the Indians were hostile and when they reached land on the island and fled leaving their Longboat in a bayou. Pirate Jean Lafitte was said to have been shipwrecked near or on Longboat Key.[7] For the next 304 years it was ignored.

It has been known that there were Cuban and Spanish fisherman and along with squatters had made a camp and made a trading post on the northern part of the island before 1842. At the time the area was referred to on maps as "Saraxola" and "Zarazote". There is little know about the island after 1848. It has been known though that an early settler of Sarasota and its first post master, Charles Abbe had a plantation for citrus and pineapples on an unknown location on the island.[6]

Enroll in the Right Esthetician College near Longboat Key FL

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Longboat Key FL.