How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Winter Park FL

How to Pick an Esthetics Course near Winter Park Florida

Winter Park FL esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Winter Park FL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit further concerning that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Winter Park residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Winter Park FL Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Winter Park FL 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, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specializations 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 have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Winter Park FL esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues offered to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Winter Park FL business. More advanced degrees are not common, 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 imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Florida Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Winter Park FL Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Winter Park FL students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Winter Park FL models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Winter Park home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 options 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 compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 32789 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Winter Park FL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Winter Park FL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Florida school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition 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 desire is to launch a Winter Park FL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search 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 receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Winter Park FL employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Winter Park FL?

Perhaps you live in the Winter Park 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.

Winter Park, Florida

Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 27,852 at the 2010 United States Census.[6] It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Winter Park was founded as a resort community by northern business magnates in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its main street includes civic buildings, retail, art galleries, a private liberal arts college (Rollins College), museums, a park, a train station, a golf course country club, a historic cemetery, and a beach and boat launch.

The Winter Park area's first human residents were migrant Muscogee people who had earlier intermingled with the Choctaw and other indigenous people. In a process of ethnogenesis, the Native Americans formed a new culture which they called "Seminole", a derivative of the Mvskoke' (a Creek language) word simano-li, an adaptation of the Spanish cimarrón which means "wild" (in their case, "wild men"), or "runaway" [men].[7] The site was first inhabited by Europeans in 1858, when David Mizell Jr. bought an 8-acre (32,000 m2) homestead between Lakes Virginia, Mizell, and Berry. A settlement, called Lake View by the inhabitants, grew up around Mizell's plot. It got a post office and a new name—Osceola—in 1870.

Select the Right Esthetician Training Program near Winter Park FL

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start 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 ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Winter Park FL.