How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Program Near Park Forest Illinois
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Park Forest IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Park Forest home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics Degrees
There are basically two pathways offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate's degree. Certificate programs generally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate's degree usually 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 available if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Park Forest IL business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master's degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, 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 highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.
Online Esthetician Courses
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Park Forest IL students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Park Forest home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental 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 enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Park Forest IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Park Forest IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest 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 full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 Park Forest IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses 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 minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Park Forest IL employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be provided.
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Enroll in the Best Park Forest Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Park Forest Illinois.
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