How to Pick the Right Aesthetician School Near Waukegan Illinois
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Waukegan IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Waukegan residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Waukegan 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 Programs
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Waukegan 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 via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 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 are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Waukegan residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you pick 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Waukegan 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 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 beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Waukegan IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Waukegan IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore 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 she or he gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Waukegan IL employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Waukegan
Enroll in the Best Waukegan Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, 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 confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Waukegan Illinois.
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