How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near Galesburg Illinois

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Galesburg IL, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Galesburg home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are available.

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Esthetician 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 Galesburg 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 Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Galesburg IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant 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 outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get 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 be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Galesburg residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Galesburg IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good 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, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Galesburg IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick 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 open a Galesburg IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Galesburg IL employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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 Assistance Available?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial help may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Galesburg

Enroll in the Best Galesburg Esthetician Training

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce 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 prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Galesburg Illinois.

 

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