How to Select a Cosmetology School near Bureau Illinois
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Bureau IL, the task starts to find and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more about that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Bureau home. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many 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, most states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Bureau IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing 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.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are essentially two options offered to get cosmetology 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 usually call for 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 instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Bureau IL business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, 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 respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology programs are accommodating for Bureau IL students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you should research for any cosmetologist training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Bureau IL home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, 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 can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 61315 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Bureau IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every cosmetology institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Bureau IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, 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? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a hair salon in Bureau IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons 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 provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s important that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develope relationships with Bureau IL employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you find out what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Bureau IL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Bureau IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Bureau County, Illinois
Bureau County was created out of Putnam County in 1837. It is named for either Michel or Pierre Bureau, French Canadian brothers who ran a trading post from 1776 until the 1780s near where Big Bureau Creek joins the Illinois River. Their actual surname most likely was Belleau, but the local American Indians had difficulty pronouncing the "l" sound, which was not found in some local languages.[3][4]
An early settler of this area was Bulbona, a man of mixed French and Native American descent with a Native American wife. Unlike most of the other Native Americans in the area, Bulbona remained after the area was settled by Euro-Americans and ran a trading post where he sold whiskey.[5]
The founders of Princeton, the oldest town in the county consisted entirely of settlers from New England. They were descendants of the English Puritans who settled New England in the 17th century. They were part of a wave of New England farmers who moved to the Northwest Territory in the early 19th century. Most of them came soon after of the completion of the Erie Canal.[6] When they arrived in what is now Bureau County there was nothing but a virgin forest and wild prairie, the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their Yankee New England values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Historically, Bureau County, like much of northern Illinois, was culturally very continuous with early New England culture.[7][8][9]
Find the Right Cosmetologist Training Program near Bureau IL
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetology program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Bureau IL.
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