How to Choose the Right Esthetician Training Program Near Streamwood Illinois
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Streamwood IL, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Streamwood home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are offered.
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Esthetician 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Streamwood Illinois clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:
- Assessing a patient’s needs
- Chemical peels
- Laser treatments
- Waxing
- Facials
- Massage of the head and neck
- Microdermabrasion
Online Esthetician Courses
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Streamwood IL students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Streamwood residence, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary 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 choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing 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 final benefit, numerous Streamwood IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Streamwood IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Streamwood 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find other 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 receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Streamwood IL employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Streamwood
Enroll in the Right Streamwood Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, 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 choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Streamwood Illinois.
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