How to Choose a Beauty School near Morehead City North Carolina
Now that you have made a decision to train as a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Morehead City NC, the task begins to find and enroll in the right school. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Morehead City residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.
What is 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 many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Morehead City NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many professional names and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working 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 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 typically call for 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Morehead City NC business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.
Online Beauty Programs
Online cosmetology programs are convenient for Morehead City NC students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since 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 courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area 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 impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Cosmetology Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any cosmetology training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Morehead City NC residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably 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 narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the cosmetology training program you enroll in 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 meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 28557 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Morehead City NC businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every cosmetology 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 endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Morehead City NC salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the North Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 Morehead City NC, 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting cosmetology techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from a cosmetology academy, it’s essential that he or she receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develope relationships with Morehead City NC employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be provided.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Morehead City NC?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Morehead City NC area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census.[4] Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast.
By the early 1850s, a group of investors had been formed and incorporated a land development project known as the "Shepard Point Land Company" which purchased 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land on the eastern tip of the peninsula bordering the Newport River, known then as "Shepards Point", which is the present location of Morehead City. The Shepard Point Land Company's objective was to take advantage of the natural deep channel of Topsail Inlet, known today as the Beaufort Inlet, which splits Bogue Banks from Shackleford Banks and provides access to Morehead City, Beaufort, North Carolina, the Newport River and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Shepard Point Land Company was established to construct a deepwater port to allow another access point for North Carolina timber products to relieve pressure at the port located in Wilmington. To make the port accessible to the interior of North Carolina, the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad line between Goldsboro and New Bern was completed on April 29, 1858.
North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead, for whom the city of Morehead City is named, was a principal member of the Shepard Point Land Company investment group. Fully operational rail service began in July 1858 connecting the town to points west, north and south.
Select the Right Cosmetologist Program near Morehead City NC
Picking and enrolling in the ideal cosmetology school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information 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 good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, 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 right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional cosmetologist in Morehead City NC.
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