How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Elgin IA

How to Find the Right Esthetician School near Elgin Iowa

Elgin IA esthetician client with cucumber facialNow that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Elgin IA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Elgin home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Elgin IACosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Elgin IA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go 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 most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Elgin IA esthetician client with face maskThere are basically two options available 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 take 12 to 18 months to complete, 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. Briefer programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Elgin IA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Iowa Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Elgin IAOnline esthetician schools are accommodating for Elgin IA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Elgin IA models benefit from esthetic treatmentsFollowing is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Elgin home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely 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 reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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 meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 52141 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Elgin IA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Elgin IA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Iowa 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?  A number of 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in 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 desire is to open a Elgin IA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Elgin IA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Elgin IA?

Perhaps you live in the Elgin Iowa 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.

Elgin, Iowa

Elgin is located at 42°57′21″N 91°38′11″W / 42.95583°N 91.63639°W / 42.95583; -91.63639 (42.955965, -91.636394)[5] at the confluence of Otter Creek with the Turkey River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.66 square miles (1.71 km2), all of it land.[1]

Elgin and the neighboring towns of Clermont and Wadena made up the Valley Community School district. Due to diminishing class sizes and less aid from the state of Iowa, Valley combined services in 2013 with the nearby North Fayette School district which comprises the towns of West Union, Hawkeye and Fayette and the combined district is now called North Fayette Valley, with the middle school being in Elgin and the high school located in West Union. The school's mascot is now called the Tigerhawks (from a combination of the two schools' mascots, the Tigers and the Hawks, respectively). This sharing program will last until the 2015-2016 school year.

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 683 people, 318 households, and 191 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,034.8 inhabitants per square mile (399.5/km2). There were 343 housing units at an average density of 519.7 per square mile (200.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.8% White, 0.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

Find the Right Esthetics Training Program near Elgin IA

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Elgin IA.

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