How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Greenwood MS

How to Enroll In an Esthetics Course near Greenwood Mississippi

Greenwood MS esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Greenwood MS, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Greenwood residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing 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 talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Greenwood MS Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Greenwood MS beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many 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 formerly mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Greenwood MS esthetician client with face mask There are basically two pathways available to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Greenwood MS business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Mississippi Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, 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 Greenwood MS Online esthetician programs are convenient for Greenwood MS students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training needed 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 be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Greenwood MS models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Greenwood home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

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 acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 38930 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Greenwood MS businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Greenwood MS salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Mississippi 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 Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 Greenwood MS beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that she or he gets help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Greenwood MS businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Greenwood MS?

Perhaps you live in the Greenwood Mississippi 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.

Greenwood, Mississippi

Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi,[2] located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta, approximately 96 miles north of the state capital, Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of the riverport of Memphis, Tennessee. It was a center of cotton planter culture in the 19th century.

The population was 16,087 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Greenwood Micropolitan Statistical Area. Greenwood developed at the confluence of the Tallahatchie and the Yalobusha rivers, which form the Yazoo River. Throughout the 1960s, Greenwood was the site of major protests and conflicts as African Americans worked to achieve racial integration, voter registration and access during the civil rights movement.

The flood plain of the Mississippi River has long been an area rich in vegetation and wildlife, fed by the Mississippi and its numerous tributaries. Long before Europeans migrated to America, the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian nations settled in the Delta's bottomlands and throughout what is now central Mississippi. They were descended from indigenous peoples who had lived in the area for thousands of years. The Mississippian culture had built earthwork mounds in this area and throughout the Mississippi Valley, beginning about 950CE. Their culture thrived for hundreds of years.

Find the Right Esthetics School near Greenwood MS

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Greenwood MS.