How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Clinton MA

How to Enroll In an Esthetician School near Clinton Massachusetts

Clinton MA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Clinton MA, the task starts to locate 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 selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Clinton home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Clinton MA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance 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 you are licensed, the work settings include not only Clinton MA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Clinton MA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Clinton MA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Clinton MA Online esthetician schools are convenient for Clinton MA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. 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 Esthetician Degree Programs

Clinton MA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Clinton home, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 01510 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Clinton MA employers will not employ 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 institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional 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. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Clinton MA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to open a Clinton MA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that he or she receives assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Clinton MA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask 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 Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Clinton MA?

Perhaps you live in the Clinton Massachusetts 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.

Clinton, Massachusetts

Clinton was first settled in 1654 as a part of Lancaster. It was officially incorporated as a separate town on March 14, 1850,[1] and named after the DeWitt Clinton Hotel in New York, a favorite place of the town's founders, Erastus Brigham Bigelow and his brother Horatio.[2]

Clinton became an industrialized mill town, using the Nashua River as a source for water power. In 1897, construction began on the Wachusett Dam, culminating in the filling of the Wachusett Reservoir in 1908. This flooded a substantial portion of Clinton and neighboring towns, which had to be relocated. A noteworthy feature of the Boston metropolitan public water service was begun in 1896 in the Wachusett lake reservoir at Clinton. The basin excavated there by ten years of labor, lying 385 ft. above high-tide level of Boston harbor, had a capacity of 63,068,000,000 gallons of water and was the largest municipal reservoir in the world in 1911, yet was only part of a system planned for the service of the greater metropolitan area.[3]

Part of the Central Massachusetts Railroad line abandoned in 1958 includes a tunnel near Clamshell Road.[4][5] Railroads came to the town to serve this industry, including the Boston, Clinton, Fitchburg and New Bedford Railroad (Fitchburg Branch of the Old Colony Railroad), the Central Massachusetts Railroad, and the Worcester, Nashua and Rochester Railroad (the last two later merged into the Boston and Maine Railroad). By 1890, Clinton was noted for its manufacturing of carpets and woven wire.[2]

Find the Right Esthetics College near Clinton MA

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Clinton MA.