How to Select the Right Esthetician Program Near New Lenox Illinois
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near New Lenox IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate 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 New Lenox residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 New Lenox 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 Programs
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for New Lenox IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities 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 home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your New Lenox home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you pick 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically 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 concluding benefit, a number of New Lenox IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New Lenox IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a New Lenox IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she gets assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with New Lenox IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in New Lenox
Enroll in the Best New Lenox Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make 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 information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, 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 ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in New Lenox Illinois.
New Lenox Esthetician Courses Online | New Lenox Esthetician Classes