How to Pick the Best Aesthetician College Near Buffalo Grove Illinois

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Buffalo Grove IL, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start 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 refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Buffalo Grove residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of programs are offered.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Buffalo Grove Illinois spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Buffalo Grove IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Buffalo Grove home, together with the expense 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 reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, 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 essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Buffalo Grove IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Buffalo Grove IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Buffalo Grove IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Buffalo Grove IL businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide 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 identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Buffalo Grove

Enroll in the Right Buffalo Grove Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to get the appropriate 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 sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Buffalo Grove Illinois.

 

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