How to Select the Best Barbering College Near Tulsa Oklahoma
Once you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Tulsa OK, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares 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 names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We'll speak a bit more regarding that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Tulsa home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating possible barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are considering 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 Barbering Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Tulsa OK residence, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the barber college you pick 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 meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in Tulsa OK for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any 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 endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Tulsa OK barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Oklahoma school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many 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, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select 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 desire is to launch a barber shop in Tulsa OK, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the barber courses 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 Tulsa OK barber college furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber school, it's crucial that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with area employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which Tulsa OK area shops and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial help may be offered in Tulsa OK.
How to Choose a Barber School in Tulsa
Choose in the Right Tulsa Barber School
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal barber school is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer 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 examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional barber in Tulsa Oklahoma.