How to Select the Best Barbering Training Near Lansing Illinois
Now that you have decided to attend a barber school near Lansing IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the school you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more about that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lansing residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing prospective barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at later in 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 Colleges
Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lansing IL residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in Lansing IL for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Lansing IL barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention 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 vision is to start a barber shop in Lansing IL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in barbering will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber courses you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Lansing IL barber school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that he or she gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with area employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Lansing IL area shops and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating 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 also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be offered in Lansing IL.
How to Choose a Barber College in Lansing
Enroll in the Best Lansing Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber school is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on 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 certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, 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 qualified to launch your new career as a professional barber in Lansing Illinois.