25 May 8 Things to Look for in Your Barber School
Barber school can give you the education, training, tools, and qualifications you need for a successful career as a barber. The school you choose, however, can make a big difference in your experience as well as the results of your efforts. Because the beauty industry is always changing, you need to skills to be able to compete with other talented artists in the trade. Keep these eight things in mind when trying to decide which barber school to attend.
Experienced Instructors
Arguably one of the most important parts of any school is the quality of the instructors. A school can have all the desired amenities but if it does not have skilled teachers it will not be able to provide quality education. Barber schools are no different. Take a tour of any schools you are considering and ask plenty of questions about the instructors. You want to know how much experience they have and what kind of experience. For example, an instructor could have been in the beauty business as a barber for 15 years but only have worked with a few styles. Another could have been in the business for three years but have an impressive portfolio of well-known clients. You will want instructors with experience both in years and styles.
It is also a good idea to consider the size of an average class. While larger barber schools can often offer more resources, they usually also have large class sizes. You will be able to learn more if you can have one-on-one time with the instructor where they can offer advice that is specific to your strengths and weaknesses. Smaller classes can provide personal attention. In larger classes it is more difficult for instructors to work with each person individually.
Amount of Practice
Another vital part of any barber school is practice. Learning the technical steps for how to cut and style hair and actually working with a real client are two very different things. It is exponentially more difficult to leave barber school and go work in a barbershop when you have not had large amounts of time to practice on clients in school.
You should be working on real clients around halfway through your barber school experience. Practicing on real clients helps with all the important aspects of being a barber: hairstyling and cutting skills, communication, and customer service. If you only practice for a short period of time, you will struggle in your first barbershop job. Before deciding on a school, find out how much real-world experience opportunities they provide their students so you can graduate barber school ready to work with clients.
Business Skills
Though the central reason for attending barber school is to learn how to cut and style hair and work with clients, many barber schools also include some basic business skills and lessons in the curriculum. You should leave with at least a foundational knowledge of business in case you end up wanting to start your own barbershop in the future. Ideally, your barber school should also help you with your resume and getting an internship.
Career Guidance
Your school’s job isn’t over once you pass the licensing exam. Being a barber becomes even more difficult after graduation. Your barber school should help you find a great job and get you started on a promising career path. Many schools offer job placement programs or have associations with career centers that can help you find the perfect spot. Make sure the barber school you attend will help you get your career started once you graduate so you do not need to scramble to find a job after finishing.
Accreditation
To become a barber in the United States, you need to have trained at a state-accredited school. When you graduate from a barber school, passing the exam is not enough to get a license. You need to have attended an accredited school. Before you decide on a barber school, be sure to check if it is a state-approved school. It will save you lots of time and hassle later when you are trying to get a license.
Past Graduates
The end goal for a barber school is to set you up for success in the barbershop world after graduation. For this reason, it can be beneficial to look into the school’s past graduates. It can give you an idea about how well the school’s methods actually work when someone tries to make it in the real world. For example, if you discover three well-respected and successful barbers who graduated from the same barber school, it could be an indicator that the school is effective in producing talented barbers. Before choosing a school, do some research amongst the most successful barbers in the country and see what schools they attended. Some barber schools also offer information about their previous graduates.
Available Resources
The more technology is taking over society, the more important it is to have technological resources at schools. Though having computers or tablets available is not the factor that makes a great barber school, it can be an extremely helpful feature. There are now many applications available that help future barbers learn supplemental information and help enforce information from their instructors. Some barber schools give each student a tablet to use while they are at the school. Check to see what kind of resources the school has available to students.
Classes Available
While at barber school, it is advisable to take full advantage of all the courses that the school offers you. The more classes that the school has to offer, the better. You will be more successful if you graduate with a plethora of different skills and abilities, as opposed to only knowing how to do a handful of cuts and styles. Check to see how many classes the school offers. If you go to a barber school that has a wide variety of different classes, you will be able to have a more well-rounded education, which will come in handy later in your career.