How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Portage WI

How to Choose an Esthetician School near Portage Wisconsin

Portage WI esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Portage WI, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit further regarding that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Portage home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Portage WI Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Portage WI beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide range of specialties 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 must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Portage WI esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally require 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 major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Portage WI business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the Wisconsin Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Portage WI Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Portage WI students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet 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 Training Courses

Portage WI 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 in relation to your Portage residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 53901 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 Portage WI businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Portage WI salon owners or managers, or anyone 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 looked into. Finally, contact the Wisconsin 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 Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a Portage WI beauty salon, then you need 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 deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Portage WI employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all 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 may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Portage WI?

Perhaps you live in the Portage Wisconsin 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.

Portage, Wisconsin

Portage is a city in and the county seat of Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States.[6] The population was 10,662 at the 2010 census[5] making it the largest city in Columbia County. The city is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Portage was named for the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, a portage between the Fox River and the Wisconsin River, which was recognized by Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet during their discovery of a route to the Mississippi River in 1673. The city's slogan is "Where the North Begins."

The Native American tribes that once lived here, and later the European traders and settlers, took advantage of the lowlands between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers as a natural "portage". In May 1673, Jacques Marquette joined the expedition of Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer, to find the Mississippi River. They departed from St. Ignace on May 17, with two canoes and five voyageurs of French-Indian ancestry (Métis).[3] They followed Lake Michigan to Green Bay and up the Fox River, nearly to its headwaters. From there, they were told to portage their canoes a distance of slightly less than two miles through marsh and oak plains to the Wisconsin River. Later, French fur traders described the place as "le portage", which eventually lent itself to the name of the community. As a portage, this community developed as a center of commerce and trade; later, a canal was constructed to facilitate this trade. When the railroads came through, the community continued in this role.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Training Program near Portage WI

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Portage WI.