How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Whiteville NC

How to Choose an Esthetics Course near Whiteville North Carolina

Whiteville NC esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Whiteville NC, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Whiteville home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Whiteville NC Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really 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 type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Whiteville NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As earlier stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. 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 Certificates and Degrees

Whiteville NC esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally 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 trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Whiteville NC business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you decide on, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Whiteville NC Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Whiteville NC students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses 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 volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Whiteville NC models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Whiteville home, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 28472 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Whiteville NC businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional 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 regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Whiteville NC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the North Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing 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 broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Whiteville NC 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands 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 allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Whiteville NC businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Whiteville NC?

Perhaps you live in the Whiteville North Carolina 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.

Whiteville, North Carolina

Whiteville is located in north-central Columbus County at 34°19′48″N 78°42′16″W / 34.33000°N 78.70444°W / 34.33000; -78.70444 (34.330096, -78.704533).[10] Combined U.S. Routes 74 and 76 bypass the city on its north side and lead east 46 miles (74 km) to Wilmington. US 74 leads northwest 32 miles (51 km) to Lumberton, and US 76 leads west 67 miles (108 km) to Florence, South Carolina. U.S. Route 701 passes through the west side of Whiteville, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Elizabethtown and southwest 44 miles (71 km) to Conway, South Carolina.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,148 people, 2,191 households, and 1,336 families residing in the city. The population density was 957.5 people per square mile (369.5/km²). There were 2,450 housing units at an average density of 455.7 per square mile (175.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.51% White, 36.67% African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 2,191 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.88.

Select the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Whiteville NC

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Whiteville NC.