How to Find the Best Barbering Classes Near Wilmington North Carolina
Now that you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Wilmington NC, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right school. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction 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 difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Wilmington home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating possible barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are looking at 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.
Questions to Ask Barbering Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any barber school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Wilmington NC home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the barber college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in Wilmington NC for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement 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 might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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 along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Wilmington NC barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a barber shop in Wilmington NC, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining barbering skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Wilmington NC barber college offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber school, it's essential that she or he gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which Wilmington NC area shops and establishments they refer students to. Also, 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? Most 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 identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial help may be provided in Wilmington NC.
How to Choose a Barber School in Wilmington
Choose in the Best Wilmington Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the right barber college is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate 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 good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional barber in Wilmington North Carolina.