How to Enroll In the Best Barbering Training Near Brookfield Illinois
Since you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Brookfield IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We'll talk a bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Brookfield home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating possible barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about 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 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 Schools
Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Brookfield IL residence, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in Brookfield IL 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 recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every 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 references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Brookfield IL barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a barber shop in Brookfield IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a Brookfield IL barber college provides limited 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 look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that he or she receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with area businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Brookfield IL area shops and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be available in Brookfield IL.
How to Train to Be a Barber in Brookfield
Enroll in the Right Brookfield Barber College
Selecting and enrolling in the right barber training program is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you get 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 process is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, 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 proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional barber in Brookfield Illinois.