How to Choose the Best Barber Training Program Near Hattiesburg Mississippi

Once you have decided to attend a barber school near Hattiesburg MS, the task starts to find and enroll in the right school. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused 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 refer to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a bit more concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Hattiesburg home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing prospective barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 Barbering Colleges

Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Hattiesburg MS home, in addition to the cost 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in Hattiesburg MS for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria 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 favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Hattiesburg MS barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Mississippi school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a barber shop in Hattiesburg MS, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided 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 developing talents on volunteers. If a Hattiesburg MS barber school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from a barber school, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with local employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Hattiesburg MS area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid 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. Speak 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be offered in Hattiesburg MS.

How to Train to Be a Barber in Hattiesburg

Choose in the Right Hattiesburg Barber College

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to get the proper 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. 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 contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional 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 right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Hattiesburg Mississippi.

Hattiesburg Barbering Courses | Hattiesburg Barbering Colleges