A career in cosmetology offers a plethora of rewards throughout a beauty professional’s lifetime. Not only is it a fun career for people who love to chat with others and make them happy, but it also affords you a great deal of freedom and control over your work schedule in most cases. Here are the steps that you need to take to obtain your Illinois cosmetology license, and you can be working as a cosmetologist within a couple of years or maybe even sooner!
You may soon be a practicing cosmetologist in Illinois!
Meet the Minimum Requirements
In order to start pursuing your career in cosmetology in Illinois, you need to make sure that you meet the minimum requirements for the state. You need to be at least 16 years old. Regarding your education, you have a few options. Ideally, you should have a high school diploma or its equivalent, or you need to take the Ability to Benefit test.
You may be a few short months away from being a professional in the beauty industry.
Enroll in Cosmetology School
Find a reputable cosmetology school where you can learn and grow as a cosmetologist. You may even explore your options for online schools like Beauty Academy. It is led by acclaimed instructor and expert Steve Preins, and you want to seek a school that has strong leadership and instructors who are noted in their field. You may also ask for references from current or former students, and you may talk to the instructors to get a feel for the campus culture.
Complete Your Educational Requirements
In order to earn your Illinois cosmetology license, you must successfully complete 1,500 hours of education at beauty school. The same amount of schooling is needed for a barber license. You need to take a diverse range of classes to help prepare you to work in your field of choice. Try to take as varied a curriculum as possible at first unless you already know exactly what you want to do within the field of cosmetology.
Also, after you have studied the basics and explored what you want to do, that’s the time when you want to narrow down your focus. Concentrate on the areas of expertise that you would like to have once you start working as a professional. In addition to a general cosmetology license, you may also obtain a hair braider license, a massage therapist license, an electrologist license, or even an esthetician license.
Take Your Exam
Next, you need to sit for your exam to get your Illinois cosmetology license. It’s given by the Illinois Board of Cosmetology. It consists of two parts, and it will cost $45 whether you pass or fail. As an applicant for an Illinois cosmetology license, you need to file an application, submit supporting documents, and pay the fee. Then you take the written and practical parts of the examination. Once you pass both parts of the exam, your cosmetology license is mailed to you.
Conclusion
As you embark on your journey to an exciting career in cosmetology, be sure to enroll in a reputable, professional cosmetology school like Beauty Academy. Check out our courses to see which ones you’d like to take, and you can get started as early as today.