Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Waukegan IL

How to Find the Right Beauty School near Waukegan Illinois

nail technicians training at Waukegan IL beauty school Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Waukegan IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Waukegan home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about 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 kinds of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

Waukegan IL makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really 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, most states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Waukegan IL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As previously mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Degrees

Waukegan IL hairdresser cutting hair There are basically two pathways offered to get 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 normally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you want to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Waukegan IL business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you opt for, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.

Online Beauty Training

student attending cosmetology school online in Waukegan IL Online beauty classes are advantageous for Waukegan IL students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Degree Programs

Questions to ask Waukegan IL beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Waukegan IL home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology school you enroll in 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 60079 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Waukegan IL employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each beauty college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Waukegan IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing 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 important that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 start a hair salon in Waukegan IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative 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 a cosmetology program, it’s essential that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develope relationships with Waukegan IL employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Waukegan IL?

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

Waukegan, Illinois

Waukegan /wɔːˈkiːɡən/ is the largest city in and the county seat of Lake County, Illinois, United States.[1] It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, located approximately 35 miles north of Downtown Chicago. As of the 2013 census estimate, Waukegan had a population of 88,826,[2] which makes it the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population. Waukegan is a blue collar town that formerly served as an important industrial hub within the Chicago metropolitan area.

The site of present-day Waukegan was recorded as Rivière du Vieux Fort ("Old Fort River") and Wakaygagh on a 1778 map by Thomas Hutchins. By the 1820s, the French name had become "Small Fort River" in English, and the settlement was known as "Little Fort". The name "Waukegance" and then "Waukegan" (meaning "little fort"; cf. Potawatomi wakaigin "fort" or "fortress") was created by John H. Kinzie and Solomon Juneau, and the new name was adopted on March 31, 1849.[8][9]

Waukegan had an abolitionist community dating to these early days. In 1853, residents commemorated the anniversary of emancipation of slaves in the British Empire with a meeting.[10] Waukegan arguably has the distinction of being the only place where Abraham Lincoln failed to finish a speech; when he campaigned in the town in 1860, a fire alarm rang, and the man soon-to-be president had his words interrupted.[11]

Select the Right Cosmetologist School near Waukegan IL

Waukegan IL barber blow drying client's hair Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetology program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Waukegan IL.