Barbering Training Classes
How to Choose the Best One Near Jacksonville Florida

Since you have decided to enroll in a barber school near Jacksonville FL, the process begins to search for and select the best one. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both offer barbering programs. Since the names are for all practical purposes interchangeable and pertain to the same kind of school, you shouldn’t be. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your residence. An additional qualification when evaluating prospective barbering schools is the cost of tuition. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about barbering as a career.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Barbering Career Below

Why Choose Barbering?

Hairstyles are increasingly being considered by people to be a projection of their personalities.  As a result, barbers are still very much in demand. However, most people are looking for trained professionals and will not just drop in on any Jacksonville FL barber shop displaying a red, white and blue pole. Training to become a barber is a career move that offers many benefits for those that are both artistic and sociable.  The artistic side is indulged by creating a plethora of different and sometimes challenging hairstyles. The social aspect obviously comes into play by keeping the customer engaged while creating your masterpiece. In fact, some barbers are so proud of their artistic accomplishments that they will take photos of their finished hairstyles and post them on their websites as a portfolio to attract new clients.  And barbering lends itself to a more intimate form of customer service by providing time with the client while cutting his (or her) hair.  This time spent together can lead to the development of a rapport or even a new friendship. As a result, many customers come back not only because they are pleased with the service, but also to enjoy the social amenities that their neighborhood barbershop can offer.

Questions to Ask Barbering Schools

Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Jacksonville FL residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Jacksonville FL businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Jacksonville FL barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Florida school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 vision is to start a barber shop in Jacksonville FL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining barbering skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Jacksonville FL barber school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that she or he gets support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which Jacksonville FL area shops and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be available in Jacksonville FL.

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Enroll in the Right Jacksonville Barber College

Locating and enrolling in the right barber training program is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional barber in Jacksonville Florida.

 

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