How to Pick the Right Barbering College Near Pleasant Hill California

Since you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Pleasant Hill CA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We'll talk a little bit more about that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Pleasant Hill residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.

Why Choose Barbering?

Barbering can be considered a subspecialty in the larger field of cosmetology. While cosmetologists train to work in hair, nails, skin, makeup, and overall beauty enhancement, barbers focus on cutting hair, almost exclusively men’s hair, and giving shaves and trimming facial hair. They might learn specialized techniques such as coloring and permanent waving like cosmetologists do, but it’s not essential. Barbers and cosmetologists also earn different licenses that specify which services they can legally perform. The first step to becoming a barber is to complete a barbering program. You might choose to enroll in a dedicated barber school or sign up for a barbering program in a cosmetology school that offers barbering as a specialty. Because states have different requirements for training and licensure, it is important to start by checking with your state cosmetology board.

What to Ask Barber Colleges

Following is a series of questions that you should research for any barber college you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Pleasant Hill CA home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber college you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in Pleasant Hill CA for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Pleasant Hill CA barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a barber shop in Pleasant Hill 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 deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining barbering techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Pleasant Hill CA barber school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that he or she gets assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with area businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which Pleasant Hill CA area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to 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 cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be offered in Pleasant Hill CA.

How to Become a Barber in Pleasant Hill

Choose in the Best Pleasant Hill Barber School

Finding and enrolling in the right barber training program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin 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 choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional barber in Pleasant Hill California.

Pleasant Hill Barbering Training | Pleasant Hill College Of Barbering