How to Pick the Right Barbering School Near Greenville South Carolina
Since you have decided to attend a barber school near Greenville SC, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both may offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We'll discuss a little bit more regarding that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Greenville home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when assessing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 Barbering Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Greenville SC home, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber school 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in Greenville SC for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many 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 might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good 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 sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Greenville SC barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as a barber, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a barber shop in Greenville SC, 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 need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber classes you will be attending. Some schools have shops on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Greenville SC barber college furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a barber school, it's crucial that she or he gets help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with local employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which Greenville SC area shops and organizations 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 regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance 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 office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided in Greenville SC.
How to Become a Barber in Greenville
Choose in the Right Greenville Barber College
Choosing and enrolling in the right barber training program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional barber in Greenville South Carolina.