How to Choose the Right Esthetician School near Los Gatos California
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Los Gatos CA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more regarding 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 Los Gatos residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of 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, almost all states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Los Gatos CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional 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 must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. 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.
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Esthetician Degrees
There are primarily two avenues available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Los Gatos CA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.
Online Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Los Gatos CA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required 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 profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Los Gatos home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 95030 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Los Gatos CA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Los Gatos CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on 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 dream is to start a Los Gatos CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Los Gatos CA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 accessible to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be available.
Colleges That Offer Esthetics Courses Los Gatos California
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. You originally came to this website due to an interest in Colleges That Offer Esthetics Courses and wanting more information on the topic Aesthetician Classes. However, if you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Los Gatos CA.
More Beauty Spots in Los Gatos California
Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos (US: /loʊs ˈɡɑːtoʊs, lɔːs-/;[8][9] Spanish for "The Cats") is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 30,391 according to the 2013 United States Census Bureau.[10] According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Los Gatos is ranked the 33rd wealthiest city in the United States.[11] It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, with a population of 41,544 as of 2017[12] . Los Gatos is part of Silicon Valley, with several high technology companies maintaining a presence there. Notably, streaming and content creator Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos and has developed a large presence in the area. It was in Los Gatos that The Bean Spray Pump Company was founded, which later became the FMC Corporation.
Los Gatos is Spanish for "The Cats".[13] The name derives from the 1839 Alta California land-grant that encompassed the area, which was called La Rinconada de Los Gatos, ("Cat's Corner"), where "the cats" refers to the cougars and bobcats that are indigenous to the foothills in which the town is located. The pronunciation is often anglicized to /lɔːs ˈɡætəs/ lawss-GAT-əs,[14] although one also hears pronunciations truer to the original Spanish, /loʊsˈɡɑːtoʊs/ lohss-GAH-tohss[citation needed].
The town's founding dates to the mid-1850s with the building of a flour-milling operation, Forbes Mill, by James Alexander Forbes along Los Gatos Creek. The mill's two-story stone storage annex has been preserved as a museum just off of Main Street.
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