How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Concord NC

How to Enroll In an Esthetics Program near Concord North Carolina

Concord NC 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 Concord NC, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more about 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 Concord residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Concord NC Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really 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 mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Concord NC 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, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and work 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 most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Concord NC esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Concord NC 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 go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve 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 select in the next section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Concord NC Online esthetician schools are convenient for Concord NC students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Concord NC models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Concord home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 28025 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Concord NC businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Concord NC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, 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. And finally, contact the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition 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 start a Concord NC beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out 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 allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that he or she gets aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Concord NC businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Offered? 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 office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Concord NC?

Perhaps you live in the Concord North Carolina 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.

Concord, North Carolina

Concord (/ˈkɒn.kord/) is a city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 79,066,[4] with an estimated population in 2016 of 89,891.[5] It is the county seat and the largest city in Cabarrus County.[6] In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second-largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area and is the eleventh largest city in North Carolina.[7]

Concord, located in today's rapidly growing northeast quadrant of the Charlotte metropolitan area, was first settled about 1750 by German and Scots-Irish immigrants. The name Concord means with harmony. This name was chosen after a lengthy dispute over where the county seat should be located between the German Lutherans and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians.[citation needed] By United States standards, Concord is considered an old town, as it was incorporated in 1806. Today, markers identifying the original town limits can be seen in the downtown area.

As county seat, Concord became a center of trade and retail for the cotton-producing region, especially on court days. The downtown would be crowded with farmers and townfolk, in addition to lawyers and their clients. During the antebellum era, wealth was built by planters through the cultivation of cotton as a commodity crop; the work was done by enslaved African Americans.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician School near Concord NC

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect 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 contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Concord NC.