How to Find the Best Barber School Near Saint Petersburg Florida

Since you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Saint Petersburg FL, the process begins to find and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Saint Petersburg home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.

Why Become a Barber?

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.

Questions to Ask Barbering Colleges

Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Saint Petersburg FL home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber training program you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in Saint Petersburg FL for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses 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 in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Saint Petersburg FL barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Florida school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 launch a barber shop in Saint Petersburg FL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering barbering techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a Saint Petersburg FL barber school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with area employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which Saint Petersburg FL area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be available in Saint Petersburg FL.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Saint Petersburg

Choose in the Right Saint Petersburg Barber College

Locating and enrolling in the right barber training program is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional barber in Saint Petersburg Florida.

Saint Petersburg Barbering Courses | Saint Petersburg Barbering Colleges