How to Select a Beauty School near Seal Harbor Maine
Since you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Seal Harbor ME, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the school you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit further concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Seal Harbor residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. 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 concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application 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 actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Seal Harbor ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are primarily two pathways offered to get cosmetology training and a credential after 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 commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Seal Harbor ME business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you opt for, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Classes
Online cosmetology classes are advantageous for Seal Harbor ME students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required 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 available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetology Programs
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Seal Harbor ME residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 04675 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Seal Harbor ME 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 Great Reputation? Any cosmetologist school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Seal Harbor ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Maine 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? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you select 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in Seal Harbor ME, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Find out 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 allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s crucial that she or he gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Seal Harbor ME businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Seal Harbor ME?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Seal Harbor ME area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Hoover (seal)
On May 5, 1971,[3] Scottie Dunning discovered a tiny male harbor seal pup on the shore of Cundy’s Harbor, Maine. After a failed attempt at locating the pup’s mother, Dunning called his brother-in-law George Swallow for help. When Swallow arrived, the two searched for the mother seal and later found her dead among the rocks.[4]
After careful consideration, Swallow finally decided to take the seal pup home with him. At first, it refused to drink milk from a bottle, but once advice was given by a neighbor to grind up fish and offer it to the pup, he sucked it up like a hoover (vacuum cleaner), hence his name.[5]
The Swallows kept him in their bathtub, but this proved too inconvenient within a few days. So George moved him out back to a spring-fed pond where he set up a “pup tent” enclosed by a wire fence.[4] Hoover lived very much like a family dog and even accompanied George riding into town with his head poking out of the window.[3]
Enroll in the Right Beauty Program near Seal Harbor ME
Finding and enrolling in the ideal beauty school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Seal Harbor ME.
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