How to Find the Best Aesthetician School Near Woodridge Illinois

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Woodridge IL, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Woodridge home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little 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 Woodridge 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 Programs

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Woodridge IL students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial 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 outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs

Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Woodridge home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically 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 Woodridge IL employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Woodridge IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 vision is to launch a Woodridge IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Woodridge IL businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with 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 accessible to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Woodridge Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information 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 sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce 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 ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Woodridge Illinois.

 

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