How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near Chicago Illinois
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Chicago IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate 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 an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.
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Esthetician Certificates and Degrees
There are basically two pathways offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs generally take 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Chicago IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it's imperative to make certain that it's certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.
Online Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Chicago IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Chicago home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Chicago IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good 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 demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Chicago IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, 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 last, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 start a Chicago IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he receives help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Chicago IL employers 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. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak 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 available to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial help may be offered.
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Enroll in the Best Chicago Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. 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 beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Chicago Illinois.