How to Select the Best Barber Training Near Starkville Mississippi
Since you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Starkville MS, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the school you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled 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 type of school. We'll speak a bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Starkville residence. Tuition will additionally 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 necessarily the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example 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 Training Programs
Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any barber school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Starkville MS home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in Starkville 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, many employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers 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 along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Starkville MS barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Mississippi school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 aspiration is to start a barber shop in Starkville MS, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting barbering skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Starkville MS barber college provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that she or he gets support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with area employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which Starkville MS area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered in Starkville MS.
How to Train to Be a Barber in Starkville
Choose in the Right Starkville Barber School
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal barber college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce 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 qualified to launch your career as a professional barber in Starkville Mississippi.