How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Oak Park CA

How to Find the Right Esthetician Training Program near Oak Park California

Oak Park CA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Oak Park CA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit more about that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Oak Park residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example 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 types of training programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Oak Park CA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Oak Park CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after 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 are known by many names 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 earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those conducting 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 become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Oak Park CA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available to obtain 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 call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Oak Park CA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Oak Park CA Online esthetician classes are convenient for Oak Park CA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Oak Park CA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Oak Park home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 91377 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Oak Park CA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Oak Park CA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Oak Park CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative 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 essential that he or she gets assistance in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Oak Park CA businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Oak Park CA?

Perhaps you live in the Oak Park California 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.

Oak Park, California

Oak Park is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, United States. When developed in the Simi Hills in the late 1960s, a single road provided the only access to the community from Agoura Hills, California, in neighboring Los Angeles County. As of the 2010 census, Oak Park had a population of 14,266, down from 14,625 at the 2000 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Oak Park as a census-designated place (CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.

Oak Park is the biggest unincorporated community in Ventura County. Residents of the community have through votes declined to set up an independent city, and also declined to be annexed into neighboring Thousand Oaks.[3]

Oak Park has had human occupation from about 5500 B.C. to the present day. It lies within a zone including the early Millingstone Horizon and inland Chumash Indians. Indians camped throughout the area as they collected acorns, yucca, and other food. The sites in the area include major villages, smaller camps and several rock shelters.[4] Chumash people lived here for thousands of years prior to European contact. They lived off of trading, gathering and hunting. The Chumash originally settled in Oak Park due to an abundance of natural resources, including fresh water, acorns and rabbit-hunting.[5] It is one of the oldest occupied places in California.[6]

Select the Right Esthetics School near Oak Park CA

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the appropriate 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 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 good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter 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 launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Oak Park CA.