How to Pick the Best Barber College Near Lewiston Maine
Once you have made a decision to enroll in a barber school near Lewiston ME, the task starts to find and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast 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 concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lewiston residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are considering later within 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 Barber Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lewiston ME residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary 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 narrowed your school choices 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 some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber training program you pick 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in Lewiston ME for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lewiston ME 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 thought of. And finally, consult the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total 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, 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 important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 open a barber shop in Lewiston ME, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering barbering techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a Lewiston ME barber school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with area businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Lewiston ME area shops and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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? 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. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided in Lewiston ME.
How to Become a Barber in Lewiston
Enroll in the Best Lewiston Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional barber in Lewiston Maine.