How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Northumberland PA

How to Choose an Esthetics College near Northumberland Pennsylvania

Northumberland PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Northumberland PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further regarding that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Northumberland home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Northumberland PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Northumberland PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example 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

Northumberland PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options 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 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Northumberland PA 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 course you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Northumberland PA Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Northumberland PA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Schools

Northumberland PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Northumberland home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want 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 several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician school 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 17857 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Northumberland PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Northumberland PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to open a Northumberland PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Northumberland PA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing 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 also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Northumberland PA?

Perhaps you live in the Northumberland Pennsylvania 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.

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania

Northumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 94,528.[1] Its county seat is Sunbury.[2] The county was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties and named for the county of Northumberland in northern England. Northumberland County is a fifth class county according to the Pennsylvania's County Code.[3]

Among its famous residents, Joseph Priestley, the Enlightenment chemist and theologian, left England in 1796 due to religious persecution and settled on the Susquehanna River. His former house (originally purchased by chemists from Pennsylvania State University after a colloquium that founded the American Chemical Society[4]) is a historical museum.[5]

Before European settlement the area was inhabited by the Akhrakouaeronon or Atrakouaehronon, a subtribe of the Susquehannock. By 1813 the area once comprising the sprawling county of Northumberland had been divided over time and allotted to other counties such that lands once occupied by Old Northumberland at its greatest extent are now found in Centre, Columbia, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Union, Clearfield, Clinton, Montour, Bradford, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Tioga, Potter, McKean, Warren, Venango, Snyder, and Schuylkill Counties.

Select the Right Esthetics Program near Northumberland PA

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, 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 right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Northumberland PA.