Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Park Forest IL

How to Select a Beauty School near Park Forest Illinois

nail technicians training at Park Forest IL beauty school Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Park Forest IL, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear 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 kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further regarding that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Park Forest home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

Park Forest IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Park Forest IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. 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 become licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

Park Forest IL hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two avenues offered to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly 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 offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Park Forest IL business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Cosmetology Programs

student attending cosmetology school online in Park Forest IL Online beauty programs are advantageous for Park Forest IL students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Schools

Questions to ask Park Forest IL beauty schools Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Park Forest IL residence, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology school you choose 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 may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 60466 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Park Forest IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each cosmetology institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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 demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Park Forest IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Park Forest IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s imperative that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Park Forest IL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Park Forest IL?

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

Park Forest, Illinois

Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook and Will counties, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village had a population of 21,975.[3] Park Forest is bordered by Olympia Fields to the north, Chicago Heights to the east, University Park to the south (formerly Park Forest South), and Richton Park and Matteson to the west.

Developers Nathan Manilow, Carroll F. Sweet and Philip M. Klutznick held a press conference in the Palmer House in Chicago on October 28, 1946, to announce the planned development of a new self-governing community in Chicago's south suburbs. This project, soon to be referred to as Park Forest, was to be developed by American Community Builders (ACB). The village of Park Forest was partly designed by town planner Elbert Peets in the tradition of planned communities around the nation to provide housing for veterans returning from World War II.

Studs Terkel, in his oral history of World War II, The Good War,[4] says Park Forest and other such middle-class suburbs grew out of the new prosperity after the war. First he quotes an unnamed GI, "The war changed our whole idea of how we wanted to live when we came back. We set our sights pretty high. . . . I am now what you'd call middle class." Terkel goes on: "The suburb, until [about 1946], had been the exclusive domain of the 'upper class.' It was where the rich lived. The rest of us were neighborhood folk. At war's end, a new kind of suburb came into being. . . . Thanks to the GI bill, two new names were added to American folksay: Levittown and Park Forest.

Find the Right Cosmetology College near Park Forest IL

Park Forest IL barber blow drying client's hair Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented 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 test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Park Forest IL.