How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Ortonville MI

How to Choose an Esthetician College near Ortonville Michigan

Ortonville MI esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Ortonville MI, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Ortonville residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within 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 Ortonville MI Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Ortonville MI beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by 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 earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Ortonville MI esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Ortonville MI business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Michigan Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected 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 Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Ortonville MI Online esthetician programs are convenient for Ortonville MI students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet 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.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Ortonville MI models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Ortonville home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician college 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 48462 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 Ortonville MI employers will not recruit 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 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 references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Ortonville MI salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Michigan 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 Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on 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 desire is to open a Ortonville MI beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring 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 assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Ortonville MI employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you determine what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Ortonville MI?

Perhaps you live in the Ortonville Michigan 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.

Ortonville, Michigan

Ortonville is a village in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is within Brandon Township, although some development near the village lies within adjacent Oakland county, Groveland township and Lapeer County, Hadley township. The population was 1,442 at the 2010 census.[7] Ortonville lies on the northern edge of Metro Detroit and is approximately 41 miles north of Downtown Detroit.

Ortonville, a northern rural village in Oakland County, was founded in 1848 by Amos Orton, who built a dam across Kearsley Creek to furnish water power for his gristmill. The town was platted in 1866 and incorporated as a village in 1902. It is located about halfway between Pontiac and Flint.

Ortonville's primary public schools are Brandon Schools,[8] in Brandon Township. Students are mostly Brandon, Groveland Township and Hadley Township residents with a few from surrounding areas of northern Clarkston and eastern Oxford. Brandon High School is the home of the Blackhawks. The athletic teams compete in the Flint Metro League.

Select the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Ortonville MI

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer 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 confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Ortonville MI.