How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Mattawamkeag ME

How to Select an Esthetics Training Program near Mattawamkeag Maine

Mattawamkeag ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Mattawamkeag ME, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin 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 essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Mattawamkeag residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Mattawamkeag ME Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application 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 basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Mattawamkeag ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Mattawamkeag ME esthetician client with face mask There are basically two pathways available to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Mattawamkeag ME 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 training program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Mattawamkeag ME Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Mattawamkeag ME students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive 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 choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Mattawamkeag ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Mattawamkeag home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 reduced 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 put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 04459 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Mattawamkeag ME employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Mattawamkeag ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Mattawamkeag ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that she or he gets help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Mattawamkeag ME employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations 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 Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Mattawamkeag ME?

Perhaps you live in the Mattawamkeag Maine 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.

Mattawamkeag, Maine

The European & North American Railway built a track up the Penobscot River valley from Bangor and reached Mattawamkeag in 1869. By October 1871 the line was completed from Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro, where it connected through to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Maine Central Railroad leased the Bangor-Vanceboro E&NA in 1882 and purchased it in 1955.

In 1889 the International Railway of Maine was completed between Megantic, Quebec, and Mattawamkeag, where it interchanged with the Maine Central. The parent company of the International Railway, Canadian Pacific, obtained running rights from Maine Central for Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro where it regained CPR trackage in New Brunswick. This placed Mattawamkeag on the transcontinental mainline of the Canadian Pacific, running from Saint John to Vancouver, British Columbia. In 1974, CPR purchased the Mattawamkeag-Vanceboro railway tracks from Maine Central. In 1988, CPR transferred trackage east of Megantic to its subsidiary Canadian Atlantic Railway. In 1994, Canadian Atlantic was sold, with the line running through Mattawamkeag being purchased by J. D. Irving and is now operated as the Eastern Maine Railway.

Maine Central was purchased by Guilford Transportation Industries in 1981 and became part of Guilford Rail System, which is now named Pan Am Railways. Mattawamkeag is the eastern terminus of PAR, running west to upstate New York through the states of Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Select the Right Esthetician College near Mattawamkeag ME

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Mattawamkeag ME.