How to Choose the Best Barber School Near Thomasville North Carolina
Once you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Thomasville NC, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may 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 pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We'll speak a little bit more regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Thomasville residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective barber schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the barber colleges you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk 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.
What to Ask Barbering Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any barber school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Thomasville NC residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber college 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in Thomasville NC for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of employers will not recruit 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 evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Thomasville NC barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, 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 looked into. And finally, check with the North Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a barber shop in Thomasville NC, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing 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 involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a Thomasville NC barber school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's essential that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with local businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Thomasville NC area shops and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be available in Thomasville NC.
How to Choose a Barber School in Thomasville
Enroll in the Right Thomasville Barber School
Locating and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter 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 begin your career as a professional barber in Thomasville North Carolina.