Students learn how to offer haircuts, shave, and style hair at a good barber school, as well as how to serve clients and run a business. In most states, completing this training and being licenced takes around a year. To enrol in barber school, you must be at least 16 years old and have either a high school diploma or a GED. To be granted a licence, you must complete a recognised training program at a legitimate beauty or barber school and pass a state exam, while a few states let you complete the requisite training hours through apprenticeship. The time it takes to become a licenced barber is determined by a number of factors. The length of time it takes to complete the program varies on whether you’re attending barber school full-time or part-time, or if you’ve chosen to apprentice.
Step 1: Look for barber schools
It’s ideal to learn from the finest if you want to be a barber, and some barber schools are better than others. When looking for barber programs, see if the instructors are master barbers who own and operate their own barbershops. Throughout your schooling and career as a barber, experienced educators like these can provide mentoring in technical skills and customer interaction.
Step 2: Finish an apprenticeship or program
The first step is to enroll in a barbering or cosmetology program. Barber schools concentrate on male hair care, whereas cosmetology schools concentrate on hair care and other beauty applications. You could also pursue an apprenticeship with a state-licensed barber, depending on your state.
Step 3: Pass the license exam
Prospective barbers must pass a state-approved license exam in every state. There is usually a written and a practical component to these exams. Some states allow people with cosmetology degrees to take the barber license exam even if they haven’t finished a barber school.
Step 4: Keep your licence active
To work as a barber in most places, you must first complete a state-approved barber school. A formal barber school will prepare you for the written and practical board tests required to obtain your state’s barber licence. The latest abilities and techniques involving clipper blades, as well as conventional technical capabilities with clipper guards are included in barber licensure exams. You must keep your licence after passing the state-licensing exam. In most states, you must renew your licence every year and show documentation of completing continuing education credit hours.
Step 5: Become a barber and look for work
Of course, the ideal location to look for a barber job is in a barbershop or beauty salon. Barber positions are also available at resort and day spas, nail salons, and nursing and other residential care homes, which you may not be aware of. You may be able to lease your own chair space in a barbershop, manage a shop, or create your own barbershop after a few years of expertise and a large client base.
