New Year, New Career Path
Are you Ready for Beauty School?
In case you didn’t already know this, we’re very much #teambeautyschool, so if you came here lookin’ for serious advice, positive vibes, and an organization that’s ready to gas you up for your upcoming beauty school adventure—you’re in the right place.
Whether you’ve known for a while that beauty is the perfect path for you or you’ve just had the most spontaneous revelation of your entire life, the best possible place to really kickstart your career is at beauty school.
We’ve got a lot of good things to say about beauty/ cosmetology school, and while we could write an article raving about the benefits of attending beauty school (actually, that’s not a bad idea—stay tuned for that), this one’s going to focus more on prepping yourself to be sure you’re ready for your new adventure.
So, if you’ve decided to tackle this new career in this new year and you’re feeling just a touch apprehensive and anxious about whether or not you’re ready, keep reading.
This little checklist guide will provide you with a few of the major things you need to know before you show up for your first day!
Pick the Perfect Program
There are plenty of beauty school programs out there to choose from—so many in fact we’re not even going to pretend to start listing them out here (all it takes is some googling, don’t worry). Finding options isn’t the hard part—picking the perfect program for you, well, that’s where it gets a little tricky. When you’re looking for the right program, you want to evaluate a few different factors below.
Consider the length of the program you’re evaluating. Consider the focus of the program—does it help further your specific career path? Think about cost, timing, environment, and type of school—will it be an all-online program? Will it be more textbook focused versus hands-on? Will you have plenty of in-program training for your licensing exam?
Finding the perfect program can take some time, so don’t get discouraged if it takes you a little time to figure out which makes the most sense for you.
Application? Check
This one might go without saying, but you’re not ready for beauty school if you haven’t applied—correctly. Make sure you’ve done your homework on the entire application process.
Did you send in all of the information you needed to? Do you have a clear idea about your start date? Have you filled out all the forms completely so you won’t delay your start? Our best advice is to call or email the beauty school program of your choice to double-check they have everything need from you.
Nothing puts a kink in your plans like thinking you’re totally ready to get your program going only to realize that you didn’t enroll properly.
Financial Finagling
Beauty school is, to put it nicely, an investment. In other words, it’s going to cost you money—but hey, you know what they say, you gotta spend money to make money (tell that to your sulking wallet, right?).
Being ready to start beauty school means having your finances all in order. We’re not saying you need to be ready to pay it all off right this second, but make sure you’ve got your financial planning sorted out, you’ve worked with the admissions office to discuss tuition payments, or that you’ve applied for scholarships, financial aid, or grants to help you out.
The Mini-FAQ You’ve Been Dying to Ready: Beauty School Finances:
That’s a good (and totally fair!) question. The answer is a little straightforward than we wish, but we’re happy to give you a quick summation of what we know. Beauty school, on average, can cost anywhere between $5,000 to $20,000. Obviously, it could be less than that or it could be more!
It all depends on where you want to attend, what your specializations are, how long you plan to be in school, and other specifics that deal with your location and specific school of choice.
That being said, scholarships, stipends, grants, and more exist—all it takes is a little effort to find them!
Through this type of financial aid, school could end up costing you a lot less. Sometimes, some spas, shops, salons, or programs will even pay for their employees or future employees to attend school—while this doesn’t always happen, it is a possibility that’s worth exploring.
Beauty school may not be the most affordable or cheapest option, but in the long run, we do believe it’s worth it.
In addition to your tuition (which, as we said, will vary based on your school, program, location, and circumstances), you’ll need to expect to pay for study materials, books, tools, equipment, and other miscellaneous fees (some schools might even ask students to wear uniforms!)
We’re going to come right out and just give you a resounding yes.
But let us explain. While it might not be required for you to have liability insurance while you’re in school, it’s still a really good idea for you to be covered.
Why? Because you’re still learning. You don’t want something to happen at the very beginning of your career that could potentially stunt your opportunity to grow and be successful from the start. Sometimes, schools will offer liability insurance to their students, and while we do believe that’s well and good, it’s important to realize that the school’s liability insurance is designed to protect one entity and one entity only—the school.
If there was ever a situation where it came down to protecting you versus the school, well, you know where the priority is.
And honestly? That makes sense. That’s why we believe it’s crucial that you have your own liability insurance that prioritizes your protection.
We offer student liability insurace for only $25 (the cheapest in the industry.) Click here for more info.
We’re glad you asked—because we’re proud to have you covered. Elite Beauty Society actually offers our full, comprehensive policy (benefits and all) to student cosmetologists at a supremely discounted rate.
You get everything you need to ensure comprehensive coverage (no corners cut) all at a price a student can afford.
Know Your Why & Let That Lead You
This is where we get philosophical—don’t write us off yet, you might like this part. You can be totally ready in all other aspects to start your beauty school career, but if you’re not mentally prepared to tackle your new challenge, you may not be as ready as you could be for beauty school.
The best way to get yourself in the right headspace? Ask yourself why you’re doing this—what’s your why behind this entire challenge?
Typically, if you can uncover your why and use that as your inspiration, you can let that lead you through the tough times (like studying, new techniques, and difficult days).
Talk to an Alum of Your Program
One of the best things you can do before you start beauty school (and honestly during, too), is talk to someone who’s been through the same program you’re about to embark on.
Why? Because they can give you the insight you need to ensure you’re not only picking the right program but going into it with the right attitude.
An alum of the program can help you sort through picking classes, direct you on who the best instructors are, and let you know about mistakes you can avoid (because they probably made them!)
Prepare to Learn a Lot (And Accept That Some Stuff Might Bore You)
Remember that philosophical bent we were on? We’re not done. Get yourself mentally prepared by accepting that you’re going to learn—a lot. Also, accept that not everything you learn is going to be material you’re over the moon about.
It’s OK to not love every single aspect of cosmetology, but it is vital that you at least learn a little bit about the concepts that matter (even if it’s just to direct you away from a niche and toward another).
Commit yourself to giving it your all, even if you’re not wholly interested in every piece of the cosmetology program.
Embrace Your Awesome Decision
Enjoy your first day by giving yourself a serious pat on the back—you made a crazy great decision and you’re about to embark on a totally wonderful adventure.
Do something to celebrate, treat yo’self, and enjoy the heck out of your first day—even if it doesn’t go perfectly.
See? You’re totally beauty school ready.
We’ve given you the know-how, now you just need to fully embrace that ready-for-beauty-school-vibe. Enjoy this time and get ready to embark on a seriously awesome adventure—future you will be so glad you did!
For more information about beauty school and if it is right for you, click here.
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