Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools North Little Rock AR

How to Choose a Cosmetologist College near North Little Rock Arkansas

nail technicians training at North Little Rock AR beauty school Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near North Little Rock AR, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes 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 may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a little bit further regarding that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your North Little Rock home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

North Little Rock AR makeup ar4tist applying makeup Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only North Little Rock AR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Estheticians
Electrolysis Technicians

As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

North Little Rock AR hairdresser cutting hair There are primarily two options available to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other North Little Rock AR business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Arkansas Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.

Online Cosmetologist Training

student attending cosmetology school online in North Little Rock AR Online cosmetology schools are accommodating for North Little Rock AR students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Cosmetologist Schools

Questions to ask North Little Rock AR beauty schools Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your North Little Rock AR home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 72114 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous North Little Rock AR employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any cosmetology college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good 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, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with North Little Rock AR salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Arkansas 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, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in North Little Rock AR, 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 the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s imperative that he or she gets support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with North Little Rock AR businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. 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 offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near North Little Rock AR?

If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater North Little Rock AR area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.

North Little Rock, Arkansas

North Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, across the Arkansas River from Little Rock in the central part of the state. The population was 62,304 at the 2010 census. In 2017 the estimated population was 65,911,[5] making it the seventh-most populous city in the state. North Little Rock, along with Little Rock and Conway, anchors the six-county Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area (2014 population 729,135), which is further included in the Little Rock-North Little Rock Combined Statistical Area with 902,443 residents.

The city's downtown is anchored in the Argenta Historic District, which draws its name from the original name of the city; the area includes Dickey-Stephens Park, the current home of the Arkansas Travelers minor league baseball team, and Verizon Arena, the metropolitan area's main entertainment venue. Farther west in the city is Burns Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the United States.

North Little Rock has a long history, dating back to the Burial Mound People.[6] It was once known as Argenta, a name that currently applies specifically to downtown North Little Rock. In 1890, Little Rock annexed the unincorporated Argenta community as its Eighth Ward, preempting a competing petition to incorporate Argenta. A neighboring area was incorporated as the Town of North Little Rock in 1901 as part of a plan to reclaim the Eighth Ward from Little Rock. By 1904, the Arkansas Supreme Court allowed the town to annex the Eighth Ward; the modern City of North Little Rock considers this its founding date. The combined city adopted the Argenta name by 1906, but reverted to North Little Rock in October 1917. A remnant of the city's earliest years can be found in North Little Rock City Hall (constructed in 1914), which still contains plaques referring to "Argenta", and contains "C of A" (City of Argenta) ornamental designs.

Pick the Right Cosmetology Program near North Little Rock AR

North Little Rock AR barber blow drying client's hair Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology college is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in North Little Rock AR.