How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Bellevue WA

How to Pick an Esthetician Course near Bellevue Washington

Bellevue WA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Bellevue WA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bellevue residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Bellevue WA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Bellevue WA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences 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 previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Bellevue WA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered to receive 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 typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, 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. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Bellevue WA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Washington Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Bellevue WA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Bellevue WA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Bellevue WA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Bellevue home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial 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 choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 98004 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Bellevue WA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Bellevue WA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Bellevue WA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that she or he receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Bellevue WA businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of 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. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Bellevue WA?

Perhaps you live in the Bellevue Washington 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.

Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue (/ˈbɛlvjuː/ BEL-vyoo) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. As the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area, Bellevue has variously been characterized as an edge city, a suburb, boomburb, or satellite city.[4][5] Its population was 144,444 in a 2017 census estimate.

Prior to 2008, downtown Bellevue underwent rapid change, with many high rise projects under construction, and was relatively unaffected by the economic downturn. The downtown area is currently the second largest city center in Washington state with 1,300 businesses, 45,000 employees and 10,200 residents.[6] Based on per capita income, Bellevue is the 6th wealthiest of 522 communities in the state of Washington.[7] In 2008, Bellevue was named number 1 in CNNMoney's list of the best places to live and launch a business,[8] and in 2010 was again ranked as the 4th best place to live in America.[9] In 2014, Bellevue was ranked as the 2nd best place to live by USA Today.[10] More than 145 companies have been located in Bellevue. Current companies with headquarters in Bellevue include Expedia, T-Mobile and Valve Corporation.

Bellevue was settled in 1869 by William Meydenbauer and Aaron Mercer, who claimed homestead tracts several miles apart. Prior to the opening of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge in 1940, Bellevue was a rural area with little development. Although it was small, developers were pushing to change that; in the 1920s, James S. Ditty predicted that it would become a city with a population of 200,000.[12] He envisioned plans that included the bridging of Lake Washington and an area filled with golf courses and airports.[13] His map with these visions was published in 1928.[13]

Pick the Right Esthetician College near Bellevue WA

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Bellevue WA.