How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Palos Park IL

How to Find the Right Esthetician Course near Palos Park Illinois

Palos Park IL esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Palos Park IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit further concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Palos Park residence. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are several other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding 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 types of training programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Palos Park IL Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Palos Park IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Palos Park IL esthetician client with face mask There are basically two options offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Palos Park IL business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.

Online Esthetics Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Palos Park IL Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Palos Park IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, 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 necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools

Palos Park IL models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Palos Park residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options 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 compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 60464 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Palos Park IL businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Palos Park IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might 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 grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If 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 open a Palos Park IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that he or she receives support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Palos Park IL businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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 Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Palos Park IL?

Perhaps you live in the Palos Park 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.

Palos Park, Illinois

According to the 2010 census, Palos Park has a total area of 3.973 square miles (10.29 km2), of which 3.93 square miles (10.18 km2) (or 98.92%) is land and 0.043 square miles (0.11 km2) (or 1.08%) is water.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 4,689 people, 1,802 households, and 1,389 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,241.8 people per square mile (479.0/km²). There were 1,852 housing units at an average density of 490.5 per square mile (189.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.16% White, 0.28% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.73% Asian, 0.19% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.11% of the population.

There were 1,802 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.9% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01.

Choose the Right Esthetics Training Program near Palos Park IL

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Palos Park IL.