How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near Palos Hills Illinois

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Palos Hills IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled 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 type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Palos Hills residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the right option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Palos Hills 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 Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Palos Hills IL students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Classes

Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Palos Hills home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 may also be necessary for obtaining 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 Palos Hills IL businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Palos Hills IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a Palos Hills IL beauty salon, then you need 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 pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Palos Hills IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, 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 Available?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Palos Hills

Enroll in the Best Palos Hills Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Palos Hills Illinois.

 

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