How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Occoquan VA

How to Select an Esthetics College near Occoquan Virginia

Occoquan VA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Occoquan VA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference 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 speak a little bit further regarding that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Occoquan residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Occoquan VA 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 a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Occoquan VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Occoquan VA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options available to receive 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 generally call for 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 all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Occoquan VA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Occoquan VA Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Occoquan VA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering 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 imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Occoquan VA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Occoquan residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, 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 can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 22125 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Occoquan VA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding 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 placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Occoquan VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Virginia 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 expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to launch a Occoquan VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Occoquan VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Occoquan VA?

Perhaps you live in the Occoquan Virginia 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.

Occoquan, Virginia

Occoquan (/ˈɒkəkwɒn/)[4] is a town in Prince William County, Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 United States Census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge. The current mayor is Earnest W. Porta Jr.

Occoquan is derived from an Algonquian Doeg Indian word, meaning "at the end of the water".[5] Located on the Occoquan River, Occoquan was long a site of indigenous peoples' habitation. Like the British colonists after them, they relied on the river for transportation and trade, as well as fish. Early in the 1600s Capt. John Smith sailed and explored the Occoquan River.[6] In 1608, when the first European reached Northern Virginia, the Tauxenent tribe (also known by the English as the "Dogues") had its main village at the mouth of the Occoquan River. This tribe was more closely associated with neighbors such as the Piscataways (located across the Potomac River in what is now Maryland) than the other Algonquian-speaking tribes to the south. The local chief was called a Tayac, who was subservient to an "emperor" located in Prince Georges County.[7]

By 1765, Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with grist mills and tobacco warehouses. The Merchant's Mill was the first automated grist mill in the nation. It operated for 175 years until destroyed by fire.

Select the Right Esthetics Program near Occoquan VA

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be 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 get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Occoquan VA.