How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Dyersville IA

How to Select an Esthetician Course near Dyersville Iowa

Dyersville IA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Dyersville IA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may 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 relate to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Dyersville home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Dyersville IA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look 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 Dyersville IA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known 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 earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Dyersville IA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Dyersville IA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Iowa Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Dyersville IA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Dyersville IA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Dyersville IA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Dyersville home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 52040 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Dyersville IA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Dyersville IA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Iowa school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention 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 Dyersville IA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing 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 Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he receives assistance in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Dyersville IA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Dyersville IA?

Perhaps you live in the Dyersville Iowa 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.

Dyersville, Iowa

Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware and western Dubuque counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,058 at the 2010 census, up from 4,035 at the 2000 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.64 square miles (14.61 km2), of which, 5.63 square miles (14.58 km2) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) is water.[1]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 4,058 people, 1,700 households, and 1,102 families residing in the city. The population density was 720.8 inhabitants per square mile (278.3/km2). There were 1,808 housing units at an average density of 321.1 per square mile (124.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.6% White, 0.9% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

Find the Right Esthetics College near Dyersville IA

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Dyersville IA.