How to Select a Cosmetology College near Kitty Hawk North Carolina

Now that you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Kitty Hawk NC, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Kitty Hawk home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning 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 an occupation that is all about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Kitty Hawk NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetology Certificates and Degrees

There are primarily two avenues offered to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Kitty Hawk NC business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Beauty Courses

Online beauty programs are accommodating for Kitty Hawk NC students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Beauty Schools

Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Kitty Hawk NC residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you pick 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 27949 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Kitty Hawk NC employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Kitty Hawk NC salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, 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. Finally, consult the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some beauty schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition 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 open a hair salon in Kitty Hawk NC, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from a cosmetology school, it’s imperative that she or he gets support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Kitty Hawk NC businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Kitty Hawk NC?

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

Pick the Right Beauty Vocational School near Kitty Hawk NC

Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist school is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Kitty Hawk NC.

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