Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Mountain View CA

How to Pick a Cosmetologist School near Mountain View California

nail technicians training at Mountain View CA beauty school Once you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Mountain View CA, the task begins to find and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction 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 bit further about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Mountain View residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

Mountain View CA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Mountain View CA 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, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and work in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As formerly mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as 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.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

Mountain View CA hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two avenues available to receive cosmetology 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 normally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Mountain View CA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Cosmetologist Programs

student attending cosmetology school online in Mountain View CA Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Mountain View CA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetology Training Courses

Questions to ask Mountain View CA beauty schools Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Mountain View CA home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you select 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 94035 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Mountain View CA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every cosmetology college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Mountain View CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand 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 objective 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 open a hair salon in Mountain View CA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that he or she receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Mountain View CA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved 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 satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Mountain View CA?

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

Mountain View, California

Mountain View is a city located in Santa Clara County, California[9], United States, named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.[10] From its origins as a stagecoach stop, it grew to a large suburb with a pedestrian-friendly downtown and a population of 74,066.[11] The city borders Palo Alto and the San Francisco Bay to the north, Los Altos to the south, and Moffett Federal Airfield and Sunnyvale to the east.

Situated in the southern end of the Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area, in the northwest corner of Santa Clara county, Mountain View is home to many high technology companies. In 1956, Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the first company to develop silicon semiconductor devices in what came to be known as Silicon Valley, was established in the city by William Shockley. Today, many of the largest technology companies in the world are headquartered in the city, including Google, Mozilla Foundation, Symantec, and Intuit. The original Byte Shop computer store was opened at 1063 El Camino Real, Mountain View, by Paul Terrell, and the first 50 Apple I computers were sold from that location. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority integrates the city with the neighboring cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Sunnyvale.

The Mexican land grant of Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas was given in 1842 by Alta California Governor Juan Alvarado to Francisco Estrada. This grant was later passed on to Mariano Castro, who sold half of the land to Martin Murphy, Jr. Eventually, the former land grant became the cities of Mountain View and Sunnyvale.

Find the Right Cosmetology School near Mountain View CA

Mountain View CA barber blow drying client's hair Locating and enrolling in the ideal beauty program is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Mountain View CA.