Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools El Dorado Hills CA

How to Select a Beauty School near El Dorado Hills California

nail technicians training at El Dorado Hills CA beauty school Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near El Dorado Hills CA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled 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 speak a little bit more regarding that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your El Dorado Hills home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

El Dorado Hills CA makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only El Dorado Hills 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 start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and are employed in a wide variety 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 working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees

El Dorado Hills CA hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two pathways offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter 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 in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other El Dorado Hills CA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Cosmetology Training

student attending cosmetology school online in El Dorado Hills CA Online beauty schools are accommodating for El Dorado Hills 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 cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. 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 Beauty Trade Schools

Questions to ask El Dorado Hills CA beauty schools Below is a list of questions that you should research for any cosmetology training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your El Dorado Hills CA home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 95762 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many El Dorado Hills CA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every cosmetology school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with El Dorado Hills CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a hair salon in El Dorado Hills CA, 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s essential that he or she receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develope relationships with El Dorado Hills CA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Many cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may 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 satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near El Dorado Hills CA?

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

El Dorado Hills, California

El Dorado Hills (EDH) is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California, 22 miles (35 km) east of the state capital of Sacramento. The population was 42,108 at the 2010 census, up from 18,016 at the 2000 census.[3] This growth is a combination of population increase within the 2000 CDP boundaries and expansion of the boundaries. The area of EDH was expanded from 17.9 square miles (46 km2) in 2000 to 48.606 square miles (125.89 km2) in 2010.[3]

El Dorado Hills residents and businesses are most closely affiliated with El Dorado County, a generally rural area. El Dorado County is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area because it is socially and economically integrated with the much larger Sacramento County and especially the city of Folsom.[4][5] El Dorado Hills is recognized nationally for its high median household income, ranking 77th in CNN Money Magazine's best places to live in 2007,[6] with the median household income for 2007 over $115,000.[7]

El Dorado Hills lies about 18.6 miles from the 1848 gold find site in Coloma, the impetus for the California Gold Rush. Gold was washed down the South Fork of the American River, into areas now in El Dorado Hills and Folsom, but farming and ranching supplanted the Gold Rush. Portions of two Pony Express routes in this area from 1860-1861 remain as modern El Dorado Hills roads.[citation needed] El Dorado Hills includes the longest surviving section of the Lincoln Highway, the first U.S. transcontinental highway.[citation needed] This section, part of the Pioneer Branch, passes through historic Clarksville and is the predecessor of the modern US 50 route.

Select the Right Beauty Program near El Dorado Hills CA

El Dorado Hills CA barber blow drying client's hair Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in El Dorado Hills CA.