How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Franklin WV

How to Pick an Esthetician School near Franklin West Virginia

Franklin WV esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Franklin WV, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Franklin home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Franklin WV Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Franklin WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names 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 already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those conducting 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 be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Franklin WV esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Franklin WV business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Franklin WV Online esthetician programs are convenient for Franklin WV students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school 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 area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Franklin WV models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Franklin home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure 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 securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 26807 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Franklin WV businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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 regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Franklin WV salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing 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 frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a Franklin WV 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology 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 academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that she or he gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Franklin WV employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

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

Attending Esthetician School Near Franklin WV?

Perhaps you live in the Franklin West Virginia 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.

Franklin, West Virginia

Franklin is a town in Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 721 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pendleton County.[6] Franklin was established in 1794 and named for Francis Evick, an early settler.

The Town of Franklin is situated in the Allegheny Mountains on the eastern edge of the Monongahela National Forest and along the South Branch of the Potomac River. This region was populated by Native American cultures for centuries prior to the arrival of English immigrants in the mid-18th century. During the French and Indian War, conflict between the early settlers and Native American populations included two battles at frontier fortifications at Upper Tract and Fort Seybert in 1758, both ten miles distant from the future location of Franklin. The land on which Franklin was laid out was first patented by brothers Francis and George Evick in 1769.[7]

Pendleton County was divided from parts of August, Hardy, and Rockingham Counties (Virginia) by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in 1787.[8] The earliest court sessions in the new county were held at the home of Captain Zeruiah Stratton near the present-day village of Ruddle until Francis Evick offered a part of his land to become a county seat around 1789.[9] Additional lots were divided off of Evick's land to form the new town. On December 19, 1794, the Virginia General Assembly chartered the town of Franklin and recognized it as the seat of Pendleton County.[10] Franklin grew steadily over the first half of the 19th century, becoming a local center of commerce and industry. In 1834, there were two stores, two tanneries, three saddlers, two carpenters, two shoemakers, two blacksmiths, one gunsmith, one tailor, one hat-maker, and one cabinet-maker listed among the town's residents.[11]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics Training Program near Franklin WV

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce 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 prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Franklin WV.