How to Pick a Beauty School near Anniston Alabama
Once you have decided to train as a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Anniston AL, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s important that the school you select not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit more regarding that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Anniston residence. Tuition will also be an important aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course 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 can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Anniston AL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles 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 previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are basically two avenues available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically call for 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as hair coloring. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Anniston AL business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Alabama Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the following segment.
Online Cosmetology Classes
Online beauty programs are accommodating for Anniston AL students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the 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 comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Anniston AL home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to 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 agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 36201 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Anniston AL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each beauty college 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 endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Anniston AL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Alabama school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand 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 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 start a hair salon in Anniston AL, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering cosmetology skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from a beauty academy, it’s crucial that he or she gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develope relationships with Anniston AL businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all 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. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved 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 except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Anniston AL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Anniston AL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106.[4] According to 2013 Census estimates, the city had a population of 22,666.[2]
Though the surrounding area was settled much earlier, the mineral resources in the area of Anniston were not exploited until the Civil War. The Confederate States of America then operated an iron furnace near present-day downtown Anniston, until it was finally destroyed by raiding Union cavalry in early 1865. Later, cast iron for sewer systems became the focus of Anniston's industrial output. Cast iron pipe, also called soil pipe, was popular until the advent of plastic pipe in the 1960s.[citation needed]
In 1872, the Woodstock Iron Company, organized by Samuel Noble and Union Gen. Daniel Tyler, rebuilt the furnace on a much larger scale,[6] and started a planned community named Woodstock, soon renamed "Annie's Town" for Annie Scott Tyler, Daniel's daughter and wife of railroad president Alfred L. Tyler. Anniston was chartered as a town in 1873.[7]
Enroll in the Right Cosmetology Training Program near Anniston AL
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address 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 selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Anniston AL.
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