How to Select the Best Esthetician Course Near Chicago Illinois

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Chicago IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Chicago residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetician Training Programs

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 Chicago 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 Esthetics Training

Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Chicago IL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Chicago residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you choose 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Chicago IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Chicago IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with 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 Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 aspiration is to start a Chicago 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 regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that he or she gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Chicago IL employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best Chicago Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Chicago Illinois.

 

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