How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Pierce City MO

How to Choose an Esthetics Course near Pierce City Missouri

Pierce City MO esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Pierce City MO, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Pierce City home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding 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.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Pierce City MO Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with 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 basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Pierce City MO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional 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 earlier mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Pierce City MO esthetician client with face mask There are essentially 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in 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 manage a parlor or other Pierce City MO business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Missouri Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Pierce City MO Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Pierce City MO students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Pierce City MO models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Pierce City residence, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 65723 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Pierce City MO employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Pierce City MO salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints 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, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that specializes in 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 launch a Pierce City MO beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining 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. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Pierce City MO employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Pierce City MO?

Perhaps you live in the Pierce City Missouri 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.

Pierce City, Missouri

Pierce City, formerly Peirce City, is a city in Lawrence and Barry counties, in southwest Missouri. The population was 1,292 at the 2010 census. In 2010, the town annexed property along Route 97 into Barry County to a point just north of U.S. Route 60.

It is notable for its white residents having driven out virtually all of its 300 black residents in 1901, after a lynch mob killed three black men who were suspects in a murder of a white woman. Whites took over the land and property left by the blacks, and the events were treated as secret for decades. The city has remained overwhelmingly white in population.

There was once a small village called St. Martha about two and a half miles west of Pierce City. It was surveyed for William Robert Wild on Section 30, Pierce Township, May 9, 1870. Wild committed suicide there on June 8, 1870.[6] Nothing remains of the village.[7]

Pick the Right Esthetics Program near Pierce City MO

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on 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 sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address 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 selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Pierce City MO.