How to Choose a Cosmetology School near Norwood Louisiana
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Norwood LA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the school you pick not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Norwood home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Norwood LA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some 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, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees
There are primarily two pathways offered to get cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Norwood LA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Cosmetology Training
Online beauty schools are accommodating for Norwood LA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Norwood LA home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology training program you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 70761 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 Norwood LA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetologist college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding 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, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Norwood LA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the Louisiana 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? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective 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 vision is to launch a hair salon in Norwood LA, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s essential that she or he gets aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Norwood LA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons 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 regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Norwood LA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Norwood LA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), known professionally by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress.[3] Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, she began her career as a child and performed as a backing vocalist for teen groups. In 1993, Norwood signed with Atlantic Records. The following year, she released her self-titled debut album, which was certified quadruple Platinum in the US, selling six million copies worldwide. Norwood starred in the UPN sitcom Moesha as the title character, which lasted six seasons and resulted in numerous other roles. She resumed her music career in 1998 with the wildly successful duet with fellow R&B contemporary Monica, "The Boy Is Mine", which went on to become the best selling female duet of all time, and one of the longest running number one singles in history. Her second album, Never Say Never, sold 16 million copies worldwide, featured two number one singles, and earned Norwood her first Grammy Award. This launched her into international stardom, with films, endorsements, sold out concert tours, and her own line of Barbie dolls.
Throughout the 2000s, Norwood held a precarious position in the pop industry. In 2002, she starred in the reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, documenting the birth of her daughter. Her third and fourth albums, Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), were released to critical and commercial success. She served as a judge on the first season of America's Got Talent before being involved in a widely publicized car accident in 2006. After several lawsuits stemming from the accident, Norwood's fifth album, Human (2008), was released to commercial failure.
In the 2010s, Norwood received a critical and commercial resurgence. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars and starred in the reality series Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business. In 2012 she became a series regular in the BET series The Game, and released her sixth album Two Eleven to critical praise. In April 2015, Norwood made her Broadway debut in the musical Chicago. She starred in and executive produced a new sitcom Zoe Ever After on the BET network in January 2016.
Find the Right Beauty College near Norwood LA
Selecting and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented 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 confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Norwood LA.
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