How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Villa Park IL

How to Pick an Esthetics School near Villa Park Illinois

Villa Park IL esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Villa Park IL, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction 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 discuss a bit further regarding that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Villa Park home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Villa Park IL Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look 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 become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Villa Park IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Villa Park IL esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Villa Park IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Villa Park IL Online esthetician classes are convenient for Villa Park IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Schools

Villa Park IL models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Villa Park home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first 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 even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 60181 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Villa Park IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may 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 exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Villa Park IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal 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 open a Villa Park IL beauty salon, then you want 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 Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he receives aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Villa Park IL employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Villa Park IL?

Perhaps you live in the Villa 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.

Villa Park, Illinois

Villa Park is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, within the Chicago metropolitan area. The current population is 21,800. The Village of Villa Park is an inner western suburb of Chicago near the hub of eastern DuPage County's busiest transportation corridor, 14 miles from O’Hare International Airport and within 25 miles of Midway International Airport.

Villa Park lays 19.7 miles directly west of Chicago's Loop (Downtown), Villa Park provides direct access to downtown Chicago by car or Metra train and is very convenient to both O’Hare and Midway Airports and the rest of the western suburbs due to its proximity to Interstate 290 (Illinois), Interstate 355, Interstate 294, Illinois Route 53, Illinois Route 83, Interstate 88 (Illinois), Illinois Route 38, and famous North Avenue (Chicago)

When Ovaltine established its factory, it needed a way to make sure that its employees could get to and from work safely regardless of the weather, terrain or other issues. Villa Park was built originally for that reason, as well as for a convenient train stop.

Select the Right Esthetics Program near Villa Park IL

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Villa Park IL.