How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Belfast ME

How to Enroll In an Esthetician School near Belfast Maine

Belfast ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Belfast ME, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Belfast home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing 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 discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Belfast ME Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Belfast ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As already stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Belfast ME esthetician client with face mask There are basically two options available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually 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 trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Belfast ME business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Belfast ME Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Belfast ME students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Belfast ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Belfast home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those supplemental 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 training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 04915 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Belfast ME businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. 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, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Belfast ME salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive 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 typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Belfast ME beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that he or she gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Belfast ME employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Belfast ME?

Perhaps you live in the Belfast 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.

Belfast, Maine

Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay. Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County.[4] The seaport has a wealth of antique architecture in several historic districts, and remains popular with tourists.

The area was once territory of the Penobscot tribe of Abenaki Native Americans, which each summer visited the seashore to hunt for fish, shellfish and seafowl. In 1630, it became part of the Muscongus Patent, which granted rights for English trading posts with the Native Americans, especially for the lucrative fur trade. About 1720, General Samuel Waldo of Boston bought the Muscongus Patent, which had evolved into outright ownership of the land, and was thereafter known as the Waldo Patent.[5]

Waldo died in 1759, and his heirs would sell the plantation of Passagassawakeag (named after its river) to 35 Scots-Irish proprietors from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Renamed Belfast after Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was first settled in 1770, and incorporated as a town in 1773. The village was mostly abandoned during the Revolution while British forces occupied Bagaduce (now Castine).[6] The British military burned Belfast in 1779, then held it for five days in September 1814 during the War of 1812.[7]

Choose the Right Esthetician College near Belfast ME

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Belfast ME.