How to Find the Right Aesthetician Program Near New Lenox Illinois
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near New Lenox IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate 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 New Lenox home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best choice. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetician Degrees
There are primarily two options available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate's degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate's degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other New Lenox IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you decide on, it's essential to make sure that it's certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.
Online Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician schools are convenient for New Lenox IL students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in local 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 acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make 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 series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your New Lenox residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school you choose 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous New Lenox IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with New Lenox IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to open a New Lenox IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with New Lenox IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in New Lenox
Enroll in the Best New Lenox Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer 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 choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in New Lenox Illinois.
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