How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Everett WA

How to Find the Right Esthetics School near Everett Washington

Everett WA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Everett WA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further regarding that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Everett home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Everett WA Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Everett WA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As earlier stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance 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.

Esthetician Degrees

Everett WA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues available to obtain 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 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Everett WA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Washington Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Everett WA Online esthetician classes are convenient for Everett WA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet 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 Esthetics Schools

Everett WA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Everett home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 98201 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Everett WA businesses will not employ 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 college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Everett WA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Everett WA 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 seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Everett WA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Everett WA?

Perhaps you live in the Everett 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.

Everett, Washington

Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located 25 miles (40 km) north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in Washington state and had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the mouth of the Snohomish River along Port Gardner Bay, an inlet of Possession Sound (itself part of Puget Sound).

American settlement on the Everett peninsula began in the 1860s, with several sawmills built to serve the area's growing timber industry. Everett was platted by a group of investors seeking to build an industrial city and named for the son of co-founder Charles L. Colby. The city was incorporated in 1893, shortly after the arrival of the Great Northern Railway, and prospered as a major industrial center. Everett's economy transitioned away from lumber and towards aviation after World War II, with the construction of Boeing's aircraft assembly plant at Paine Field in 1967. Boeing remains the city's largest employer, alongside the U.S. Navy, which has operated Naval Station Everett since 1992. Everett received an All-America City Award in 2002.

Everett remains a major employment center for Snohomish County, but has also become a bedroom community for Seattle in recent decades. It is connected to Seattle by Interstate 5 and various public transit services at Everett Station, including the Sounder commuter train, Amtrak, and commuter buses.

Select the Right Esthetician Program near Everett WA

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Everett WA.