Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Los Gatos CA

How to Enroll In a Cosmetology College near Los Gatos California

nail technicians training at Los Gatos CA beauty school Once you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Los Gatos CA, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled 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 talk a bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Los Gatos home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Los Gatos CA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can 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 Los Gatos CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once 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 residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in the majority of 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. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees

Los Gatos CA hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually 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 available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Los Gatos CA 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 course you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the California Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Cosmetologist Training

student attending cosmetology school online in Los Gatos CA Online cosmetology classes are convenient for Los Gatos CA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many courses 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 covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Trade Schools

Questions to ask Los Gatos CA beauty schools Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Los Gatos CA residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 95030 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of 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 a Good Reputation? Any beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Los Gatos CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the California 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 Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to open a hair salon in Los Gatos CA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that she or he receives support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develope relationships with Los Gatos CA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify 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 meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Los Gatos CA?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Los Gatos CA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

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. Los Gatos is part of Silicon Valley, with several high technology companies maintaining a presence there. Most notably, streaming and content creator, Netflix is headquartered in Los Gatos and has developed a large presence in the area.

Los Gatos is Spanish for "the cats."[12] 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 name has been anglicized to /lɔːs ˈɡætəs/ lawss-GAT-əs,[13] 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 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.

Choose the Right Beauty School near Los Gatos CA

Los Gatos CA barber blow drying client's hair Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Los Gatos CA.