How to Find the Right Barber School Near Everett Washington
Once you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Everett WA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference 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 refer to the same kind of school. We'll talk a little bit more regarding that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Everett home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing potential barber schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best choice. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are considering later within 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 Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Everett WA home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed 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 school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, 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 may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in Everett WA for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm 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 relationships with Everett WA barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as a barber, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a barber shop in Everett WA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining barbering skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Everett WA barber college offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's essential that he or she gets assistance in finding that very 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 qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which Everett WA area shops and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might 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 meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered in Everett WA.
How to Train in Barbering in Everett
Choose in the Right Everett Barber School
Finding and enrolling in the right barber college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional barber in Everett Washington.