Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Naperville IL

How to Choose a Cosmetology School near Naperville Illinois

nail technicians training at Naperville IL beauty school Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Naperville IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary 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 pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit more about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Naperville residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best option. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Naperville IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Naperville IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees

Naperville IL hairdresser cutting hair There are essentially two avenues offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Naperville IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever 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 recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.

Online Cosmetology Schools

student attending cosmetology school online in Naperville IL Online cosmetology programs are advantageous for Naperville IL students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology 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 because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Training Programs

Questions to ask Naperville IL beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetologist training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Naperville IL residence, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the cosmetology training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 60540 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Naperville IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Naperville IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating 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 frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in 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 aspiration is to open a hair salon in Naperville IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s important that she or he receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develope relationships with Naperville IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of cosmetology 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 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 accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial help may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Naperville IL?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Naperville IL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

Naperville, Illinois

Naperville (/ˈneɪpərˌvɪl/) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and a suburb of Chicago. Located 28 miles (45 km) west of Chicago, Naperville was founded in 1831 and developed into the fourth-largest city in Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 141,853, which was estimated to have increased to 147,682 by 2017.[5]

In a 2010 study assessing cities with populations exceeding 75,000, Naperville was ranked as the wealthiest city in the Midwest and the eleventh wealthiest in the nation.[6] It was ranked among the nation's safest cities by USA Today and Business Insider.[7][8] Naperville was voted the second-best place to live in the United States by Money magazine in 2006[9] and it was rated first on the list of best cities for early retirement in 2013 by Kiplinger.[10] In 2015, it was named as one of the most educated large cities in America with populations over 50,000.[11][12]

In July 1831, Joseph Naper arrived at the west bank of the DuPage River with his family and friends to found what would be known as Naper's Settlement.[13] Among those original settlers were Naper's wife Almeda Landon, his brother John with wife Betsy Goff, his sister Amy with husband John Murray, and his mother Sarah. Their arrival followed a nearly two-month voyage across three Great Lakes in the Naper brothers' schooner, the Telegraph. Also on the journey were several families who remained in the settlement that would become Chicago, including that of Dexter Graves[14] who is memorialized in Graceland Cemetery by the well-known Lorado Taft statue "Eternal Silence" (also known as "the Dexter Graves Monument").

Pick the Right Cosmetology College near Naperville IL

Naperville IL barber blow drying client's hair Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, 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 confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Naperville IL.