Barbering Courses
How to Find the Right One Near Marlborough Massachusetts
Now that you have decided to become a barber, you must enroll in the right barber college near Marlborough MA to receive your training. Since barbers are licensed in all states, the school you choose should prep you to pass the licensing exam as well as provide the proper training for your specialty. You may be somewhat confused when beginning your search for barbering classes as to the difference between beauty and cosmetology schools, since both provide barber training. Because the names are in effect 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 home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective barber schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest in cost it's not necessarily the ideal choice. Reputation and accreditation, for example are two of the other qualifications that you need to evaluate when weighing your school options. We will review what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about barbering as a career.
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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 Marlborough MA 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.
What to Ask Barbering Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any barber college you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Marlborough MA home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the barber college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Marlborough MA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each barber college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Marlborough MA barber shop owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as barbering. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 open a barber shop in Marlborough MA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in barbering will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering barbering skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber classes you will be attending. A number of schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a Marlborough MA barber college furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a barber school, it's crucial that she or he receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with local employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which Marlborough MA area shops and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid 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 department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you find out what financial help may be provided in Marlborough MA.
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Choose the Right Marlborough Barber School
Choosing and enrolling in the right barber college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the barber school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional barber in Marlborough Massachusetts.