How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Florence OR

How to Choose an Esthetics Training Program near Florence Oregon

Florence OR esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Florence OR, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Florence home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Florence OR Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word 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 go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Florence OR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 previously mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Florence OR esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options available 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 generally take 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 trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Florence OR business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Oregon Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Florence OR Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Florence OR students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Florence OR models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Florence residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 97439 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Florence OR businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school 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. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Florence OR salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the Oregon school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 start a Florence OR beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s essential that she or he receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Florence OR employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many esthetician schools offer 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 get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Florence OR?

Perhaps you live in the Florence Oregon 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.

Florence

Florence (/ˈflɒrəns/ FLORR-ənss; Italian: Firenze [fiˈrɛntse] ( listen))[2] is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 383,084 inhabitants in 2013, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.[3]

Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.[4] It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages".[5] A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions.[6] From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy[7] due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.

The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the Historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.[8] The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics.[9] Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.[10]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics School near Florence OR

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain 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. Make certain to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Florence OR.