Barbering Training
How to Find the Right One Near Watertown Massachusetts
Now that you have made the decision to become a barber, you must enroll in the best barber school near Watertown MA to receive your training. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools, which both offer barbering programs. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. You will want to find a campus that is within reasonable driving distance of your home unless you can relocate for training. An additional qualification when evaluating possible barber schools is the cost of tuition. But keep in mind, a school is not always the right choice just because it has the lowest tuition or is located closest to your home. Accreditation and reputation, for example are among the other qualifications that you should look into when weighing your school options. We will examine what questions you should ask about the barber colleges you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 Watertown 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 research for any barber college you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Watertown MA home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 need to research and consider before enrolling in a barber college. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Barber College Accredited? It's important to make sure that the barber training program you pick 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Watertown MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any barber school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Watertown MA barber shop owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed 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 particular specialty, for example barbering. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a barber shop in Watertown MA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in barbering will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting barbering skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the barber courses you will be attending. Some schools have shops on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a Watertown MA barber school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a barber college, it's imperative that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with local employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which Watertown MA area shops and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of barber schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be offered in Watertown MA.
Find Out More on Becoming a Barber in Watertown
Choose the Best Watertown Barber School
Finding and enrolling in the right barber school is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive 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 process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional barber in Watertown Massachusetts.