How to Find the Best Aesthetician Program Near Highland Park Illinois

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Highland Park IL, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Highland Park home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over 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 training programs 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 Highland Park 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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Highland Park IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from 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 local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Highland Park residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Highland Park 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 an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Highland Park IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, 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 considered. Finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a Highland Park IL beauty salon, then you need 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she receives support in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Highland Park IL businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all 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. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Highland Park

Enroll in the Best Highland Park Esthetician Program

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Highland Park Illinois.

 

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