How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Mounds IL

How to Find the Right Esthetics College near Mounds Illinois

Mounds IL esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Mounds IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Mounds home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Mounds IL Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Mounds IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As already mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Mounds IL esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Mounds IL business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Mounds IL Online esthetician classes are convenient for Mounds IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Mounds IL models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Mounds residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 62964 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Mounds 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 Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check 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 organizations. If you have any contacts with Mounds IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Mounds IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s essential that he or she gets help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Mounds IL businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, 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? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Mounds IL?

Perhaps you live in the Mounds Illinois area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Mounds, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Mounds has a total area of 1.219 square miles (3.16 km2), of which 1.21 square miles (3.13 km2) (or 99.26%) is land and 0.009 square miles (0.02 km2) (or 0.74%) is water.[4]

As of the 2000 census,[7] there were 1,117 people, 407 households, and 264 families residing in the city. The population density was 918.9 people per square mile (353.5/km²). There were 504 housing units at an average density of 414.6 per square mile (159.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 36.53% White, 60.61% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.

There were 407 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 24.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.33.

Enroll in the Right Esthetics College near Mounds IL

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Mounds IL.