How to Find the Right Cosmetologist School near Kingwood West Virginia
Since you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Kingwood WV, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Kingwood home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the right option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as 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 kinds of training programs are offered.
Definition of Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word 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, the majority of states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Kingwood WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional 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 practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Certificates and Degrees
There are essentially two options 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 usually 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Kingwood WV business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.
Online Cosmetology Schools
Online beauty classes are accommodating for Kingwood WV students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant 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 driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetologist Programs
Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any beauty training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Kingwood WV residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary 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 agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 26537 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Kingwood WV businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each cosmetologist institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Kingwood WV salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, contact the West Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick 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 launch a hair salon in Kingwood WV, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining cosmetology techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty program, it’s essential that he or she receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Kingwood WV employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many cosmetology schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be available.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Kingwood WV?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Kingwood WV area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Kingwood, West Virginia
Kingwood is a city in and the county seat of Preston County, West Virginia, United States,[6] Founded in 1815, Kingwood is part of the Morgantown, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,939 at the 2010 census. Kingwood is home to the West Virginia Zoo.
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 2,939 people, 1,291 households, and 818 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,209.5 inhabitants per square mile (467.0/km2). There were 1,454 housing units at an average density of 598.4 per square mile (231.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.3% White, 0.9% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 1,291 households of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.80.
Enroll in the Right Cosmetology School near Kingwood WV
Choosing and enrolling in the right cosmetology college is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin 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 proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional cosmetologist in Kingwood WV.
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