How to Pick the Right Aesthetician School Near Aurora Illinois
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Aurora IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Aurora home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetics Training Requirements
Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing. More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.
Esthetician Job Description
Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Aurora Illinois clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Aurora IL students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Aurora residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Aurora IL employers 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? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Aurora IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Illinois 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 esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since 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 dream is to start a Aurora IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished 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 academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Aurora IL businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Aurora
Enroll in the Right Aurora Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Aurora Illinois.
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