How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Port Orchard WA

How to Select an Esthetics School near Port Orchard Washington

Port Orchard WA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Port Orchard WA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about 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 Port Orchard residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering 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.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Port Orchard WA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically 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, the majority of states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Port Orchard WA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As previously stated, in the majority of states practicing 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 working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Port Orchard WA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Port Orchard WA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Washington Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Port Orchard WA Online esthetician programs are convenient for Port Orchard WA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Port Orchard WA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Port Orchard home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 98366 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Port Orchard WA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Port Orchard WA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may 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 complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as 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 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 aspiration is to launch a Port Orchard 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 seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s imperative that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Port Orchard WA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Port Orchard WA?

Perhaps you live in the Port Orchard 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.

Port Orchard, Washington

Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States.[5] It is located 13 miles due west of West Seattle and connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth. It is named after Port Orchard, the strait that separates Bainbridge Island from the Kitsap Peninsula.[citation needed]

The first European-Americans to settle in what is now Port Orchard were Wiliam Renton and Daniel Howard, who set up a saw mill there in 1854.[6] The town that was to become Port Orchard was originally platted in 1886 by Frederick Stevens, who named the new location after his father, Sidney. The town of Sidney was incorporated September 15, 1890, and was the first in Kitsap County to be both platted and incorporated. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy sought a suitable location for another installation on the west coast, and found it with the assistance of Sidney's residents in Orchard Bay (this installation would later become the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard).

The county seat was originally in Port Madison, but moved after a popular vote to Sidney in 1892. In December of that same year, the residents of Sidney petitioned both the state legislature and the Post Office Department to rename the city to "Port Orchard." The legislature refused, as Charleston (now West Bremerton) had also requested that name. The Post Office Department, however, went through with the name change, and as a result the Port Orchard post office ended up in Sidney, and the Charleston post office ended up in Port Orchard. It wasn't until 1903 that local politician Will Thompson convinced the state legislature to correct this confusing situation, and relocated the Charleston post office to Charleston, at the same time renaming Sidney to "Port Orchard," as it is known today.

Pick the Right Esthetics College near Port Orchard WA

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down 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 qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Port Orchard WA.