How to Find the Best Barbering Course Near Berkeley California
Since you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Berkeley CA, the task starts to find and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more regarding that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Berkeley residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating prospective barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.
Why Choose Barbering?
Barbershops have always been a place for men to get their hair cut, socialize, and gab about everything from sports to stock tips. Although today some women visit barbershops and some men visit stylists and salons, the barbershop and its iconic red, white, and blue striped pole is still a cornerstone of male culture. If you’ve got an eye for style, a creative flair, and an appreciation for America’s unique barbershop culture, a career as a barber could be your calling. As a barber, you’ll cut, style, shape, and treat men’s hair, and sometimes women’s and children’s hair, too. You’ll give shaves and trim facial hair and sometimes perform neck and scalp massages. Like all specialists in the field of cosmetology, you’ll make a ritual out of maintaining your tools, station, and clients to the highest standards of hygiene and sanitization.
What to Ask Barbering Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any barber college you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Berkeley CA home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in Berkeley CA 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 employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any barber school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Berkeley CA barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the California school licensing authority to find out 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, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a barber shop in Berkeley CA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a Berkeley CA barber school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's imperative that she or he gets support in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with local businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Berkeley CA area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be available in Berkeley CA.
How to Train in Barbering in Berkeley
Enroll in the Best Berkeley Barber School
Selecting and enrolling in the right barber college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional barber in Berkeley California.