How to Select the Right Esthetician Course Near Ottawa Illinois
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ottawa IL, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Ottawa home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of programs 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Ottawa Illinois clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Ottawa IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion 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 choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Ottawa residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Ottawa IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Ottawa IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 vision is to start a Ottawa IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting 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? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Ottawa IL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial help may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Ottawa
Enroll in the Best Ottawa Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Ottawa Illinois.