Barbering Courses
How to Pick the Best One Near Overland Park Kansas

Now that you have decided to begin your career in barbering, you must find the right barber school near Overland Park KS to get your training. Because barbers are licensed in all states, the college you select should prep you to pass the licensing exam and provide the proper training for your specialty. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both offer barbering programs. Because the names are for all practical purposes interchangeable and relate to the same kind of school, there is no need to be. You will want to find a campus that is within reasonable commuting distance of your home unless you plan to relocate for training. Another qualification when examining possible barber schools is the price of tuition. But keep in mind, a school is not always the best option simply because it happens to have a campus near your home or is lower in cost. Accreditation and reputation, as examples are among the other qualifications that you need to look into when comparing schools. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the barber colleges you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little 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 Overland Park KS 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 Barber Colleges

Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any barber school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Overland Park KS home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the barber college you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Overland Park KS businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively 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 field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Overland Park KS barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, 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 thought of. And finally, check with the Kansas school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 open a barber shop in Overland Park KS, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in barbering will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining barbering techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a Overland Park KS barber school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for other 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 important that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which Overland Park KS area shops and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Many barber schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be provided in Overland Park KS.

Find Out More on Training to Become a Barber in Overland Park

Enroll in the Best Overland Park Barber College

Selecting and enrolling in the right barber school 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 confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional barber in Overland Park Kansas.

 

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