How to Find the Right Cosmetologist School near Glen Jean West Virginia
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Glen Jean WV, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit more concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Glen Jean home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Glen Jean WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide range 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 have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetology Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two pathways available to obtain 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 typically require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 offered if you want to focus on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Glen Jean WV business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.
Online Cosmetologist Classes
Online cosmetology classes are convenient for Glen Jean WV students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in 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 programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Glen Jean WV residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the cosmetology school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 25846 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Glen Jean WV businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetology school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Glen Jean WV salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the West 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 areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you pick 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a hair salon in Glen Jean WV, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s important that he or she receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Glen Jean WV employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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 Aid Offered? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Glen Jean WV?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Glen Jean WV area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond is a town in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States, on the New River. The population was five at the 2010 census. During the heyday of coal mining in the New River Gorge, Thurmond was a prosperous town with a number of businesses and facilities for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The town was the filming location for John Sayles' 1987 movie Matewan since it still possesses many of the characteristics of a 1920s Appalachian coal town.
Today, much of Thurmond is owned by the National Park Service for the New River Gorge National River. The C&O passenger railway depot in town was renovated in 1995 and now functions as a Park Service visitor center. The entire town is a designated historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thurmond's level land is almost entirely consumed by CSX (formerly the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway) operations. Apart from a strip of commercial buildings that front directly onto the train tracks with no intervening street, the remainder of the town climbs the hill behind the bottomland. Thurmond was an important switching center for the C&O, a place where short trains from mines in the area were assembled into longer trains for shipment to markets on the main line.[8]
Find the Right Cosmetology School near Glen Jean WV
Locating and enrolling in the right cosmetologist school is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Glen Jean WV.
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