How to Choose the Best Barber Training Near Stillwater Minnesota

Once you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Stillwater MN, the process begins to find and enroll in the best school. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We'll speak a little bit more about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Stillwater residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when assessing possible barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are considering 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 Barber Colleges

Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any barber college you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Stillwater MN residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Following we have collected 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 select 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in Stillwater MN 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 employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Stillwater MN barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Minnesota 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 Specialty?  Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a barber shop in Stillwater MN, 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 poor program in barbering will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Stillwater MN barber school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from a barber college, it's crucial that she or he receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with local employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Stillwater MN area shops and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify 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 meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered in Stillwater MN.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Stillwater

Choose in the Right Stillwater Barber School

Locating and enrolling in the right barber college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, 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 right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional barber in Stillwater Minnesota.

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