How to Choose the Right Esthetician College Near Park Ridge Illinois

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Park Ridge IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Park Ridge home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are available.

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Esthetician 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 Park Ridge 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 Classes

Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Park Ridge IL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Programs

Below 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 Park Ridge residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to 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 criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Park Ridge IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Park Ridge IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 imperative that you decide on 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Park Ridge 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative 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 maintain relationships with Park Ridge IL businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be offered.

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Enroll in the Best Park Ridge Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Park Ridge Illinois.

 

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