How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools New Gloucester ME

How to Find the Right Esthetics Course near New Gloucester Maine

New Gloucester ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near New Gloucester ME, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your New Gloucester home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners New Gloucester ME Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course 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 really a cosmetic can be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only New Gloucester ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

New Gloucester ME esthetician client with face mask There are basically two pathways offered to get 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 usually call for 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other New Gloucester ME business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in New Gloucester ME Online esthetician schools are accommodating for New Gloucester ME students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Schools

New Gloucester ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your New Gloucester home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you pick 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 04260 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many New Gloucester ME employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with New Gloucester ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a New Gloucester 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with New Gloucester ME businesses that are seeking 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. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near New Gloucester ME?

Perhaps you live in the New Gloucester 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.

New Gloucester, Maine

New Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, in the United States. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, the last active Shaker village in the U.S. The town's population was 5,542 at the 2010 census.[5]

New Gloucester was established under a grant from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1736, the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony granted a 6-square-mile (16 km2) tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the Gloucester fishing village on Cape Ann. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from North Yarmouth and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744-1751 due to the heightened Indian attacks during King George's War.[6]

Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two-story, fifty-foot square blockhouse with a palisade stockade 110 feet (34 m) on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding 60 acres (240,000 m2) of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a garrison of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one scalping and two men captured. As the Indians gradually withdrew to Canada, the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.[6]

Select the Right Esthetician School near New Gloucester ME

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, 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 qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in New Gloucester ME.