How to Enroll In the Right Barbering College Near Oakville Missouri
Once you have decided to attend a barber school near Oakville MO, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right school. It's imperative that the program you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We'll talk a bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Oakville residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing potential barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the right choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later within 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.
What to Ask Barber Schools
Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Oakville MO residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber training program 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in Oakville MO for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each barber school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Oakville MO barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete 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 particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in 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 Oakville MO, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining barbering skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber classes you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Oakville MO barber school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's important that he or she gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with local employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Oakville MO area shops and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be offered in Oakville MO.
How to Train to Be a Barber in Oakville
Enroll in the Best Oakville Barber School
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional barber in Oakville Missouri.