How to Choose the Best Esthetician College Near Wheaton Illinois
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Wheaton IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Wheaton residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs 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 Wheaton 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 Courses
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Wheaton 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 online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Wheaton home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may 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 many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Wheaton IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. 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, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Wheaton IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? 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 particular 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 select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 aspiration is to start a Wheaton 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 regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Wheaton IL employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask 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 Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Wheaton
Enroll in the Right Wheaton Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on 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 college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start 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 choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Wheaton Illinois.
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