How to Select the Best Barbering College Near Kirksville Missouri

Since you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Kirksville MO, the task starts to find and enroll in the best school. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Kirksville home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing prospective barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what barbering is and why you may want to become a barber.

Why Choose Barbering?

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

Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any barber school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Kirksville MO home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in Kirksville MO for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Kirksville MO barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Missouri school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a barber shop in Kirksville MO, then you need 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 Enough Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining barbering skills and techniques demands lots 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 allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Kirksville MO barber college furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish 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 receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with local employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which Kirksville MO area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be provided in Kirksville MO.

How to Train in Barbering in Kirksville

Choose in the Right Kirksville Barber College

Locating and enrolling in the right barber college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional barber in Kirksville Missouri.

Kirksville Schools For Barbering | Kirksville Barber Schools