Barbering Schools
How to Choose the Best One Near Overland Park Kansas

Now that you have made the decision to become a barber, you must enroll in the best barber school near Overland Park KS to receive your training. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both offer barbering programs. Since the names are for all practical purposes interchangeable and relate 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 home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing possible barber schools. But keep in mind, a school is not always the best choice simply because it happens to have a campus near your home or is lower in cost. Accreditation and reputation, for example are among the other qualifications that you need to look into when comparing schools. We will go over what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are looking at later in 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 Become a Barber?

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 Barbering Schools

Below is a list of questions that you should research for any barber college you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Overland Park KS home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a barber school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Barber College Accredited? It's important to make certain that the barber college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Overland Park KS businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every barber school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Overland Park KS barber shop owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Kansas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many beauty 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 instance barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative 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 start a barber shop in Overland Park KS, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included 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 volunteers. If a Overland Park KS barber school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from a barber college, it's important that he or she gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with area employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which Overland Park KS area shops and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering 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 also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial help may be provided in Overland Park KS.

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Enroll in the Right Overland Park Barber School

Selecting and enrolling in the right barber training program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you get from the barber school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Overland Park Kansas.

 

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