How to Select the Best Esthetician School Near Freeport Illinois
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Freeport IL, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. 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 basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Freeport home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as 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 kinds of courses 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Freeport 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 Training
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Freeport IL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Freeport home, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary 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 reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick 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 comply with their high standards ensuring 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 requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Freeport IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Freeport IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 Freeport IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Freeport IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Freeport
Enroll in the Best Freeport Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to consolidate 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 contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Freeport Illinois.
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