How to Find the Best Barbering School Near Round Lake Illinois

Since you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Round Lake IL, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused 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 refer to the same type of school. We'll speak a little bit more regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Round Lake home. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing possible barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are considering 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?

The majority of today’s barbers no doubt were inspired to explore this profession because of their own sense of style coupled with fond memories of visiting their local barber shop. For those considering this career, several trips to the barber is most definitely in order. Taking in the atmosphere, the clientele, and the work is one of the best ways to become familiar with how a barber’s day is spent. A barber is a professional who specializes in cutting and styling men’s hair and caring for men’s facial hair, skin, and scalps. Of course they are primarily employed in barbershops, although a number of high-end hotels and spas now employ barbers full-time to serve traveling businessmen. To be successful, individuals should be friendly and outgoing, and they should enjoy meeting new people and spending the better part of their day socializing with the clients they serve. Those interested in barbering should be prepared to spend the majority of the day on their feet and working with their hands. Barbers usually enjoy flexible schedules, relaxed working environments, and a solid income once they establish a regular clientele.

What to Ask Barbering Schools

Below is a series of questions that you should research for any barber college you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Round Lake IL residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a barber training program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber college 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in Round Lake 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, many employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Round Lake IL barber shop owners or managers, or anyone 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 looked into. And finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that specializes in 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 Round Lake IL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and mastering barbering skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a Round Lake IL barber school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Round Lake IL area shops and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided in Round Lake IL.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Round Lake

Choose in the Best Round Lake Barber School

Picking and enrolling in the right barber school is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you receive 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 school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional barber in Round Lake Illinois.

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