How to Select the Right Esthetician Course Near Elmwood Park Illinois
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Elmwood Park IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Elmwood Park residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
As skilled skincare experts, estheticians need to be knowledgeable of everything from skin histology and physiology to bacteriology and sanitation protocols. As beauty professionals, estheticians must be trained to perform the services that promote healthy, radiant skin – including everything from hair removal methods, pore cleansing and extractions to microdermabrasion, makeup artistry, chemical peels, and light therapy. As beauty and wellness experts, people also turn to estheticians for consultations, advice, and tips for home skincare regimens. They may recommend products, educate clients, and recommend esthetic procedures based on their clients’ needs and wants. Their work environments can include Elmwood Park Illinois spas, resorts, salons, hospitals, nursing facilities and dermatologist offices.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Elmwood Park IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby 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 impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Elmwood Park home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn 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 additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered 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 Elmwood Park 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 Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating 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 employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Elmwood Park IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see 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, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as 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 objective 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 desire is to start a Elmwood Park IL beauty salon, then you want 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check 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 make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he receives support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Elmwood Park IL employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be available.
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Enroll in the Right Elmwood Park Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Elmwood Park Illinois.
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