How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools New Milford CT

How to Choose an Esthetics College near New Milford Connecticut

New Milford CT esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near New Milford CT, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your New Milford home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners New Milford CT Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded 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 appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only New Milford CT beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 formerly mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

New Milford CT esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other New Milford CT business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Connecticut Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in New Milford CT Online esthetician classes are advantageous for New Milford CT students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion 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 outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

New Milford CT models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your New Milford home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 06776 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many New Milford CT employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might 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 exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with New Milford CT salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Connecticut school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a New Milford CT 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. 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 make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating 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 academy, it’s essential that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with New Milford CT businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near New Milford CT?

Perhaps you live in the New Milford Connecticut 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.

New Milford, Connecticut

New Milford is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, located in Western Connecticut. The town is located 14 miles (23 km) north of Danbury, on the banks of the Housatonic River. It is the largest town in the state in terms of land area at nearly 62 square miles (161 km2). The population was 28,671 according to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates.[6] Male residents are commonly referred to as "woodchucks." The town center is also listed as a census-designated place (CDP). The northern portion of the town is situated in the region considered Northwestern CT and the far eastern portions are part of the Litchfield Hills region.

New Milford is home to the Canterbury School, a well-known Roman Catholic boarding school. The school's Chapel of Our Lady features the Jose M. Ferrer Memorial Carillon. The house that inspired the 1946 novel and 1948 film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, still stands in the Merryall section of town.

Weantinock were a sub-group of the Paugussett Nation who lived the area of modern New Milford both before and during the colonial era. They were a farming and fishing culture, cultivating corn, squash, beans and tobacco, and fishing in freshwater areas. They may have also travelled to the coast to fish in summer months.[7]

Pick the Right Esthetics Vocational School near New Milford CT

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. 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 information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in New Milford CT.