How to Select a Cosmetology College near Vidor Texas
Now that you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Vidor TX, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further 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 Vidor home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the right choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order 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 settings include not only Vidor TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open 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 have many names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues available to receive cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Vidor TX business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Schools
Online beauty classes are accommodating for Vidor TX 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 accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Trade Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Vidor TX residence, in addition to 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the cosmetology school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 77662 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Vidor TX employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every beauty college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Vidor TX salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of 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 hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand 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 objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Vidor TX, 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s important that she or he receives assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develope relationships with Vidor TX businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at 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 as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Vidor TX?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Vidor TX area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Vidor, Texas
Vidor (/ˈvaɪdər/ VY-dər) is a city in western Orange County, Texas, United States. A city of Southeast Texas, it lies at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Farm to Market Road 105, six miles east of Beaumont. The town is mainly a bedroom community for the nearby refining complexes in Beaumont and Port Arthur and is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 10,579 at the 2010 census.
The area was heavily logged after the construction of the Texarkana and Fort Smith Railway that was later part of a line that ran from Kansas City to Port Arthur, Texas. The city was named after lumberman Charles Shelton Vidor, owner of the Miller-Vidor Lumber Company and father of director King Vidor. By 1909 the Vidor community had a post office and four years later a company tram road was built. Almost all Vidor residents worked for the company. In 1924 the Miller-Vidor Lumber Company moved to Lakeview, just north of Vidor, in search of virgin timber. A small settlement remained and the Miller-Vidor subdivision was laid out in 1929.
Vidor was once known as a "sundown town," where African Americans were not allowed after sunset; it was long considered a haven for the Ku Klux Klan. In 1993, after the U.S. federal government attempted to bring African Americans into Vidor's public housing, the Klan held a march in the community, prompting African American families to move out within a matter of months.[1]
Find the Right Beauty School near Vidor TX
Picking and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate 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 compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Vidor TX.
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