How to Pick a Beauty School near Lottsburg Virginia
Since you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Lottsburg VA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right school. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lottsburg residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you undergo some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Lottsburg VA 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, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As already mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are basically two avenues available to obtain 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 usually call for 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 available if you wish to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Lottsburg VA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.
Online Beauty Classes
Online beauty classes are convenient for Lottsburg VA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Beauty Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any cosmetologist training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lottsburg VA residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Program 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 22511 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 Lottsburg VA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetologist college that you are seriously evaluating 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 businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lottsburg VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some beauty schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a hair salon in Lottsburg VA, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that she or he receives assistance in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develope relationships with Lottsburg VA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Lottsburg VA?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Lottsburg VA area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Sallie Holley
Sarah (Sallie) Holley (February 17, 1818 - January 12, 1893) served as an educator to African Americans during the mid-1800s, becoming an avid member of the American Anti-Slavery Society.[1] Specifically, Holley worked closely with Caroline Putnam to establish the Holley School, which still stands today.[2]
Born in Canandaigua, New York, Holley was interested in education and reading from a young age. In 1831, she attended boarding school in Lyons, NY, where she there attended her first anti-slavery lecture.[3] Yet while this was Holley's first official lecture, it was far from her first exposure to the subject. Growing up, Holley was heavily influenced by the antislavery beliefs of her father, Myron Holley, who was also a strong advocate of religious liberalism.[4] Primarily, he served as the original founder of the Liberty Party, which was the first political party to make anti-slavery a political issue.[3]
Holley's inspiration for her later abolitionist work further strengthened when she continued her education at Oberlin College in 1847, where she encountered a biracial school community in an attempt to pursue a classical curriculum.[5] At Oberlin, Holley also met Caroline Putnam, who quickly became Holley's lifelong companion and later work partner. After graduating in 1851, Holley became an avid member of the American Anti-Slavery Society. This proved to be a rare feat at the time, for not only did women rarely advocate for their freedom or that of others, but they even more rarely did so publicly, like Holley.[1] Consequently, upon graduation, Holley traveled on a lecture circuit discussing the importance of abolition with Putnam by her side. Yet after this lecture circuit, Putnam decided to focus on teaching, specifically those now freedmen of Lottsburg, VA.[6]
Choose the Right Beauty Vocational School near Lottsburg VA
Locating and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology school is essential to obtain 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 information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, 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 selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Lottsburg VA.
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