How to Select a Beauty School near Whatley Alabama
Once you have decided to become a cosmetologist and enroll in a beauty school near Whatley AL, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best school. It’s imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit more regarding that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Whatley home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the right choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing 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 talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body 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 term cosmetics, but really 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 form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Whatley AL beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As formerly mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering 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 become licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees
There are primarily two avenues offered to receive 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 require 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer 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 in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Whatley AL business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Alabama Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Beauty Courses
Online cosmetology classes are accommodating for Whatley AL students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since 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 programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Beauty Training Courses
Following is a list of questions that you will want to research for any cosmetology training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Whatley AL home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options 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 compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the School 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 acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 36482 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Whatley AL 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? Any beauty school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Whatley AL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Alabama school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to start a hair salon in Whatley AL, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that she or he gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develope relationships with Whatley AL businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Whatley AL?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Whatley AL area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Bifocals
Benjamin Franklin is generally credited with the invention of bifocals. Historians have produced some evidence to suggest that others may have come before him in the invention; however, a correspondence between George Whatley and John Fenno, editor of The Gazette of the United States, suggested that Franklin had indeed invented bifocals, and perhaps 50 years earlier than had been originally thought. However the College of Optometrists concluded:
Original bifocals were designed with the most convex lenses (for close viewing) in the lower half of the frame and the least convex lenses on the upper. Up until the beginning of the 20th century two separate lenses were cut in half and combined together in the rim of the frame. The mounting of two half lenses into a single frame led to a number of early complications and rendered such spectacles quite fragile. A method for fusing the sections of the lenses together was developed by Louis de Wecker at the end of the 19th century and patented by Dr. John L. Borsch, Jr. in 1908. Today most bifocals are created by molding a reading segment into a primary lens and are available with the reading segments in a variety of shapes and sizes.The most popular is the D-segment, 28 mm wide.[citation needed] While the D-segment bifocal offers superior optics, an increasing number of people opt for progressive bifocal lenses.
Bifocals can cause headaches and even dizziness in some users. Acclimation to the small field of view offered by the reading segment of bifocals can take some time, as the user learns to move either the head or the reading material rather than the eyes. Computer monitors are generally placed directly in front of users and can lead to muscle fatigue due to the unusual straight and constant movement of the head. This trouble is mitigated by the use of trifocal lenses or by the use of monofocal lenses for computer users.
Pick the Right Cosmetologist Vocational School near Whatley AL
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal beauty college is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to consolidate 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 compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional cosmetologist in Whatley AL.
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