How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Great Barrington MA

How to Select an Esthetics College near Great Barrington Massachusetts

Great Barrington MA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Great Barrington MA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat confused 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 type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Great Barrington residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Great Barrington MA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through 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 actually a cosmetic may be 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 kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Great Barrington MA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch 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 professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing 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 become licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Great Barrington MA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Great Barrington MA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Great Barrington MA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Great Barrington MA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Great Barrington MA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Great Barrington residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 01230 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Great Barrington MA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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 sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Great Barrington MA salon owners or managers, or someone 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 considered. Finally, consult the Massachusetts 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 Focus? 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 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 select a school that focuses on 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 dream is to start a Great Barrington MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that she or he receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Great Barrington MA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Great Barrington MA?

Perhaps you live in the Great Barrington Massachusetts 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.

Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census.[1] Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van Deusenville and Housatonic. It is the birthplace of W. E. B. Du Bois. In 2012, Smithsonian magazine ranked Great Barrington #1 in its list of "The 20 Best Small Towns in America".[2]

The first recorded account of Europeans in the area happened in August 1676, during King Philip's War.[3] Major John Talcott and his troops chased a group of 200 Mahican Natives west from Westfield, eventually overtaking them at the Housatonic River in what now Great Barrington. According to reports at the time, Talcott's troops killed twenty-five Indians and imprisoned another twenty.[3] Today, a plaque for John Talcott marks the spot where the massacre is believed to have happened.[4]

On April 25, 1724 Captain John Ashley of Westfield, Massachusetts bought on behalf of himself and a committee of the Massachusetts General Court the land that became the towns of Great Barrington, Sheffield, Egremont, Alford, Mount Washington, and Boston Corner for £460, three barrels of "sider," and thirty quarts of rum from 21 Native American sachems headed by Conkepot Poneyote. The Konkapot River in southwestern Massachusetts is named after him.[5]

Choose the Right Esthetician School near Great Barrington MA

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology 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 sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Great Barrington MA.