How to Enroll In the Right Barber Course Near Lawton Oklahoma
Now that you have made a decision to attend a barber school near Lawton OK, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled 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 kind of school. We'll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lawton home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing possible barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later in 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.
What to Ask Barber Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any barber college you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lawton OK residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber training program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber college you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in Lawton OK for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every barber school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lawton OK barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Oklahoma 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 Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 ambition is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a barber shop in Lawton OK, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering barbering techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the barber lessons you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a Lawton OK barber college offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with local employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Lawton OK area shops and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be provided in Lawton OK.
How to Train to Be a Barber in Lawton
Enroll in the Best Lawton Barber School
Picking and enrolling in the ideal barber school is important to get the appropriate 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 organize all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive 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 right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional barber in Lawton Oklahoma.