Become a Cosmetologist | Cosmetology Schools Greenville VA

How to Select a Beauty College near Greenville Virginia

nail technicians training at Greenville VA beauty school Since you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Greenville VA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Greenville residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

Greenville VA makeup ar4tist applying makeup 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 many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be 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 take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Greenville VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates

Greenville VA hairdresser cutting hair There are primarily two options available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 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. Shorter programs are available if you want to specialize in just one area, for instance hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Greenville VA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.

Online Cosmetologist Classes

student attending cosmetology school online in Greenville VA Online cosmetology schools are convenient for Greenville VA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Courses

Questions to ask Greenville VA beauty schools Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Greenville VA home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want 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 consider 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 selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 24440 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Greenville VA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any cosmetologist college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Greenville VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many beauty schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a hair salon in Greenville VA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering cosmetology techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s essential that he or she receives support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Greenville VA employers that are seeking trained 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. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of beauty schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be available.

Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Greenville VA?

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

Greenville, Virginia

Greenville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 832 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area.

As early as 1794, Greenville was platted and divided into 14 lots of 1-acre (4,000 m2) and sold by Thomas and Jane Steele. Greenville soon became a very busy stagecoach stop. This was because there were 3 major roads all intersecting at or near Greenville. One road connected Greenville with Staunton, another ran from Waynesboro to Middlebrook, and the south road led to Midway (now Steeles Tavern), Fairfield, and Lexington. The town slowly grew, and by 1810, the population had grown to 162, comparing to Staunton's 1225, and Waynesboro's 250. An 1835 account of Greenville said that it had an extensive manufacturing flour mill and a woolen manufactory, two physicians in the area, contained 50 dwelling houses, 3 general stores, 2 taverns, 1 academy, 2 tanyards, 2 saddlers, 2 tailors, 1 blacksmith shop, 1 cabinet maker, 1 wheelwright, 1 saddle tree maker, 3 house carpenters, 1 hatter, and 4 boot and shoe makers. The population was about 250 in 1928.

Kate Smith (1907-1986), an immensely popular American radio singer of the Great Depression and World War II years, was born in Greenville. A statue of her stands outside the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia because her rendition of "God Bless America" has long been considered a good luck charm for important games of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team.

Choose the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Greenville VA

Greenville VA barber blow drying client's hair Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Greenville VA.