How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Bar Harbor ME

How to Pick an Esthetician School near Bar Harbor Maine

Bar Harbor ME 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 Bar Harbor ME, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a little bit more about that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Bar Harbor home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Bar Harbor ME Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Bar Harbor ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel 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 the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Bar Harbor ME esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options available to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Bar Harbor ME business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Bar Harbor ME Online esthetician classes are convenient for Bar Harbor ME students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Bar Harbor ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Bar Harbor residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician training program 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 may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 04609 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Bar Harbor ME businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college 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 references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Bar Harbor ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete 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, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important 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 aspiration is to launch a Bar Harbor ME 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 seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s important that she or he gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Bar Harbor ME employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Bar Harbor ME?

Perhaps you live in the Bar Harbor Maine 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.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a popular tourist destination in the Down East region of Maine and home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory, and MDI Biological Laboratory (Salisbury Cove village). Prior to a catastrophic 1947 fire, the town was a famous summer colony for the super-affluent elite. Bar Harbor is home to the largest parts of Acadia National Park, including Cadillac Mountain, the highest point within twenty-five miles (40 km) of the coastline of the Eastern United States.[4] The town is served by the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, which has flights to Boston, Massachusetts, as well as seasonal flights to Newark, New Jersey, and Portland, Maine.

The town of Bar Harbor was founded on the northeast shore of Mount Desert Island, which the Wabanaki Indians knew as Pemetic, meaning "range of mountains" or "mountains seen at a distance." The Wabanaki seasonally fished, hunted and gathered berries, clams, and other shellfish in the area. They spoke of Bar Harbor as Man-es-ayd'ik ("clam-gathering place") or Ah-bays'auk ("clambake place"), leaving great piles of shells as evidence of this abundance. In early September 1604, French explorer Samuel de Champlain ran aground on a rock ledge believed to be just off Otter Cliffs, and when he came ashore to repair his boat he met local natives. Champlain named the island Isles des Monts Deserts, meaning "island of barren mountains"—now called Mount Desert Island, the largest in Maine.[5]

The community was first settled by Europeans in 1763 by Israel Higgins and John Thomas and incorporated on February 23, 1796 as Eden, after Sir Richard Eden, an English statesman. Early industries included fishing, lumbering and shipbuilding. With the best soil on Mount Desert Island, it also developed agriculture. In the 1840s, its rugged maritime scenery attracted the Hudson River School and Luminism artists Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, William Hart and Fitz Henry Lane. Inspired by their paintings, journalists, sportsmen and "rusticators" followed. Agamont House, the first hotel in Eden, was established in 1855 by Tobias Roberts. Birch Point, the first summer estate, was built in 1868 by Alpheus Hardy.

Enroll in the Right Esthetics School near Bar Harbor ME

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be 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 sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Bar Harbor ME.