Does it matter which school you pick?

When people are looking for a new beauty school or barbering school, it’s not unusual for industry professionals (hairstylists or barbers) to tell them it doesn’t matter. They cite the reasoning that everyone’s license will be the same at the end of their training no matter which venue they choose. However, there are some marked differences that can determine your success or failure even after many years in the industry. Here are some things you should look for:

1. Types of training. Ask yourself what you ultimately want to do after school.  If you want to do current and trendy coloring like balayage, you might want to ask some prodding questions at those schools that brag about the length of time they’ve been in business. (Note: Just because a school has longevity, it doesn’t make them outdated…but…) Take a tour; ask instructors face-to-face about the last hands-on class they took. If they hesitate or can’t answer quickly, you might want to reassess how current your training will be at one of these schools. At Aisling, our instructors train at least monthly from current industry professionals. 
2. Length of training.  Did you know that the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Arts Examiners allows schools to offer a shortened program called an “Apprenticeship?” It allows you to graduate in 1200 hours instead of 1500 and start making money as much as 4 months earlier than people who choose the longer program. Just think how much money you could make in 4 months behind the chair! Why would you want to that pay potential income PLUS tuition to a school. We offer at least 2 options in the apprenticeship program!
3. Requirements for graduation. In October 2019, NC State Board changed the rules to eliminate performances for graduation. If the school you’re looking at hasn’t updated their file with the state board, they may still be requiring specific performances. While it might seem at first glance like a good idea to count performances, Aisling has a busy student clinic that gives you more practice than many of the schools that count performances. Consider how you’ll feel at the end of your schooling if you can’t graduate while you try to recruit friends and family to get services to finish your completion requirements? Wouldn’t you rather be learning real skills for the real world so you can make real money? That brings us to another point….
4. Real-World Usefulness. Remember we spoke in an earlier point about looking for a school that teaches current and trendy methods and applications? If the school you’re considering is requiring styles that don’t interest you or are not often requested in the real world (like perms or pedicures), you’ll be deficient in more up-to-date styles because you spent your precious training time doing things that won’t be used enough to generate real money for you in the real world. If you ultimately decide you want to do those outdated and irrelevant things, you can learn them after you’re licensed. Why not choose Aisling where we teach things like dimensional color, men’s work, (like fading and beard styles) and even straight-razor shaving! You’ll be making real money from the day you graduate!
5. Teaching style. Do the teachers interact with students or read word-for-word from a textbook? North Carolina State Board requires that schools use textbooks that are newer than 5 years old. That means you’re not likely to find a school using an old textbook. That doesn’t mean that some textbooks aren’t better than others! We’ve partnered with Pivot Point, which comes with a digital textbook of all your lessons in addition to the regular books. You can watch and re-watch lessons at your pace, and take your exams and quizzes when YOU’RE ready (and not have to wait for them to be graded…the computer does all that!). Additionally, we are currently the only school in North Carolina that offers a social media marketing overlay to our textbooks called “Beauty as a Business.” We know that the best technical skills don’t mean anything if you can’t attract and retain clients!
6. Price. Not only is Aisling Institute the least-costly option for barber training and cosmetology training in the Triad, it’s the best value for the money! Schedule an interview now to learn how you can come to school with little to no out-of-pocket expenses and graduate without any debt! Our tuition plan is really one-of-a-kind!

Conclusions: The school you choose really does matter. Choosing the wrong one can have lasting consequences. Message us or call now to find out why we’re honestly the ONLY choice for grooming education in Winston Salem, Greensboro and High Point!