How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near Granite City Illinois

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Granite City IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much 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 Granite City home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are several other considerations 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 within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.

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Esthetics 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Granite City 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 Classes

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Granite City IL students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Granite City home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled 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 certain that the esthetician training program you select 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 comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Granite City 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 a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college 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 referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Granite City IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 Granite City 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she gets assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Granite City IL employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, 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 offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Granite City

Enroll in the Right Granite City Esthetician Program

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Granite City Illinois.

 

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