How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Renton WA

How to Find the Right Esthetician Training Program near Renton Washington

Renton WA 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 Renton WA, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit 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 type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Renton home. Tuition will also be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the best option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Renton WA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most 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. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Renton WA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As earlier stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Renton WA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to obtain 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 generally take 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 main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Renton WA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, 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 imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Washington Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Renton WA Online esthetician schools are convenient for Renton WA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Renton WA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Renton home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably 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 narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick 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 meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 98055 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Renton WA 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? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. 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, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Renton WA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Washington school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 dream is to start a Renton WA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s imperative that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Renton WA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering 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 confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Renton WA?

Perhaps you live in the Renton Washington 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.

Renton, Washington

Renton is a city in King County, Washington, and an inner-ring suburb of Seattle. Situated 11 miles (18 km) southeast of downtown Seattle, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington, at the mouth of the Cedar River.

After a long history as an important salmon fishing area for Native Americans, Renton was first settled by people of European descent in the 1860s, and its early economy was based on coal mining, clay production, and timber export. Today, Renton is best known as the final assembly point for the Boeing 737 family of commercial airplanes, but it is also home to a growing number of well known manufacturing, technology, and healthcare organizations, including Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division, Paccar, Kaiser Permanente, IKEA, Providence Health & Services, and Wizards of the Coast. As of 2016, the population in Renton is 101,300,[5] up from 90,927 at the 2010 census. Renton currently is the eighth-largest city in Washington and is the fourth largest in King County. The National Football League's Seattle Seahawks have a training facility in Renton, which is the second-largest facility in the NFL at 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2).

Among the first European settlers in the present-day Renton area were Henry Tobin and his wife Diana. The town of Renton was accessed via the Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad, the first railroad to be built to Seattle, and was in the vicinity of several coal mines that attracted entrepreneurs like Erasmus M. Smithers, who is credited with the founding and establishment of the town in 1875.[6] Smithers named Renton in honor of Captain William Renton, a local lumber and shipping merchant who invested heavily in the coal trade.[7] Smithers discovered coal there and brought in Charles D. Shattuck as the coal mine operator.

Pick the Right Esthetics Program near Renton WA

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Renton WA.