How to Pick the Best 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 task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Park Ridge residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of courses are offered.

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Esthetics Training Requirements

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 Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Park Ridge 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 online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Park Ridge residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you select 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Park Ridge IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Park Ridge IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact 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?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Park Ridge IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you find out what financial help may be provided.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Park Ridge

Enroll in the Best Park Ridge Esthetician Course

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to collect 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 sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Park Ridge Illinois.

 

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