How to Find the Right Beauty College near Minden West Virginia
Now that you have decided to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Minden WV, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal school. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit more regarding that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Minden residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.
What is Cosmetology
Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Minden WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As previously stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are essentially two pathways offered 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 generally take 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Minden WV business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology classes are accommodating for Minden WV students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local 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 gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Training Classes
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any cosmetology training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Minden WV home, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the cosmetology training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 25879 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 Minden WV employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any cosmetologist school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Minden WV salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the West Virginia school licensing authority to see 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, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal 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 aspiration is to start a hair salon in Minden WV, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s imperative that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develope relationships with Minden WV businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, 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 Available? Most cosmetology schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial help may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Minden WV?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Minden WV area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Minden, West Virginia
In 1984, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reported PCB transformers at Shaffer Mine, which is on land owned by Berwind Land Co to the EPA. Soil samples from the old Shaffer mine showed PCB levels of 250,000 parts per million (ppm) and the EPA declared it a Superfund Site.[5] There were two clean-ups one in the 1980s and in 1992, including sealing of one part of the mine site. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration nevertheless did not monitor employee exposure to PCB.[6] A local doctor said that already in the 1980s he had told EPA agents that he believed PCB exposure was causing a higher number of cancer.[6]
In 2015, the community was annexed into the city of Oak Hill to acquire and upgrade the failing Arbuckle Public Service District. After a lengthy court battle, the annexation was upheld on November 18, 2016 by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. The Public Service District had been discharging sewage into Arbuckle Creek, investigated for loss and misappropriation of funds, and defaulted on bonds to the United States Department of Agriculture.[7]
In June 2017, the EPA started sampling soil because of a higher than expected frequency of cancers. More than 30 percent of residents have been diagnosed with a form of cancer, and 100 people who have lived or live in Minden have reported that one or more family members have been cancer patients. Some have multiple myeloma, a very aggressive form of lymphoma.[5][8]
Select the Right Cosmetology School near Minden WV
Finding and enrolling in the right cosmetologist program is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be 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 employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Minden WV.
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