How to Choose the Best Esthetician School Near Lombard Illinois
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lombard IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you pick not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lombard home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetics Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two options available to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs generally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate's degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Lombard IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it's imperative to make sure that it's approved by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Lombard IL students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Lombard home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Lombard IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lombard IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets 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 choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to start a Lombard IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Lombard IL employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many 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 office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Lombard
Enroll in the Right Lombard Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when 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 Lombard Illinois.
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