How to Find the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Saint Charles Illinois

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Saint Charles IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled 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 plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Saint Charles residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as 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 courses 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 Saint Charles 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 Programs

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Saint Charles IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Schools

Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Saint Charles home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Saint Charles IL employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Saint Charles 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 recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing 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 often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a Saint Charles 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 need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Saint Charles IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Saint Charles

Enroll in the Best Saint Charles Esthetician Course

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology 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 procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin 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 right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Saint Charles Illinois.

 

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