How to Enroll In the Best Barbering School Near New Lenox Illinois
Now that you have made a decision to attend a barber school near New Lenox IL, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We'll speak a little bit more concerning that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your New Lenox home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing prospective barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best option. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little 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
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your New Lenox IL home, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in New Lenox IL for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many businesses will not hire 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 school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with New Lenox IL barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on 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 start a barber shop in New Lenox 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 require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining barbering techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a New Lenox IL barber college offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that she or he receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with area businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which New Lenox IL area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available in New Lenox IL.
How to Train in Barbering in New Lenox
Enroll in the Best New Lenox Barber College
Choosing and enrolling in the right barber college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional barber in New Lenox Illinois.