How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Steger IL

How to Find the Right Esthetics Program near Steger Illinois

Steger IL esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Steger IL, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Steger home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Steger IL Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use 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 basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Steger IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Steger IL esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Steger IL business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Steger IL Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Steger IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Steger IL models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Steger residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 60475 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Steger IL employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Steger IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 aspiration is to open a Steger IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s important that he or she gets aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Steger IL employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify 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 investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may 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 each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Steger IL?

Perhaps you live in the Steger 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.

Steger, Illinois

Steger is a village that straddles the border which separates Cook County and Will County, Illinois[3] (Steger Road is the border line). It is 35 miles (56 km) south of Chicago and had a population at the 2010 census of 9,570.[4]

Steger was founded in 1891 by Chicago real estate interests[6] and initially named Columbia Heights in honor of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition which the City of Chicago had been preparing to host since 1889.[7] The character, financial fortunes and even the name of the community were set immediately thereafter when John Valentine Steger began to build a piano factory there on a parcel of land south of Chicago Heights that was sited immediately west of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad tracks and bordered by the tracks, Vincennes Avenue (now Chicago Road) and 33rd and 34th Streets. This first building of the complex replaced Steger's original factory which had adjoined his showrooms at Wabash Avenue and Jackson Boulevard in downtown Chicago, which had a capacity of only two pianos per week. This new building was three stories tall, 40 x 225 and designed by the Chicago architectural firm Mayo and Curry to accommodate 200 workers.[8] By 1904 the factory at Steger had grown to cover twenty-three acres and had a capacity of sixteen thousand pianos per year.[9] A piano by the company was displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition, and the instrument was commented on as follows:

The company built exceptionally high quality pianos under several names and in a wide range of prices. They are quite rare today.[11] For a time after 1896, Steger & Sons shared this block with another piano factory which produced instruments for the Smith and Nixon Piano Manufacturing Company of Cincinnati.[12] For years after the community officially changed its name in 1896, Smith and Nixon continued to use the name Columbia Heights when referring to the location of its factory in Illinois.[13] Smith and Nixon were gone from the area by 1911.

Pick the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Steger IL

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Steger IL.