How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Rockford Illinois
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Rockford IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Rockford residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Rockford 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 programs are accommodating for Rockford IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging 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 home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs
Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Rockford residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Rockford IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Rockford IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 dream is to open a Rockford 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses 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 little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Rockford IL employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? 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 find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be provided.
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Enroll in the Best Rockford Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Rockford Illinois.
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