How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Monroeville PA

How to Find the Right Esthetics Course near Monroeville Pennsylvania

Monroeville PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Monroeville PA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit 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 kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Monroeville home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective 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 various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about 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 Monroeville PA 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 numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Monroeville PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Monroeville PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered 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 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 all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Monroeville PA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including 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 Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Monroeville PA Online esthetician classes are convenient for Monroeville PA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Monroeville PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Monroeville residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 15146 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Monroeville PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Monroeville PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Monroeville PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Monroeville PA employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Monroeville PA?

Perhaps you live in the Monroeville Pennsylvania 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.

Monroeville, Pennsylvania

Monroeville is a borough with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located about 10 miles east of Pittsburgh, Monroeville is a suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments. As of the 2010 census, Monroeville was home to 28,386 people.[3]

Named for Joel Monroe, the area's first postmaster, Monroeville was settled in the mid to late 18th century. The area was incorporated as Patton Township in 1849 before becoming the borough of Monroeville on January 25, 1951.[4] Monroeville became a Home Rule Charter Municipality on May 21, 1974.[5]

Monroeville has nine borders, including Plum to the north, Murrysville in Westmoreland County to the east, Penn Township in Westmoreland County to the southeast, Trafford in Westmoreland County to the south, North Versailles, Wilmerding and Turtle Creek to the southwest, Wilkins Township to the west, and Penn Hills to the northwest. Also, the borough of Pitcairn is entirely situated inside Monroeville in the south-southwest area.

Pick the Right Esthetician College near Monroeville PA

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Monroeville PA.