For aspiring beauty professionals, beauty school is the place to learn techniques, develop skills, and turn creativity and passion into a rewarding career. With so many options to choose from, finding the right beauty school in North Carolina can feel overwhelming at times.

But don’t worry! When you know these five things, you’ll get a feel for what the beauty school process is like and what to look for when choosing the right beauty school for your career path.

Know These Things Before Beginning Beauty School

1. Know Your End Game

Beauty schools aren’t universal, and what’s offered at one school may not be offered at another. Before you take your first class, it’s important to understand your career options after you graduate from the program. If you know that you definitely want to pursue a certain career path, make sure that the beauty school program offerings support that. If you aren’t sure what you want to do after graduation, schools that offer a variety of programs and career services will help guide your beauty school education.

2. Know Your School Options

Program offerings aren’t the only things that vary by school. The teaching style, quality of instructors, cost, and support services differ from school-to-school as well. Attending a board-certified cosmetology school means you’ll receive curriculum instruction, hands-on experience, and the exam preparation you’ll need in order to pass the state licensing exam.

3. Know the Enrollment Process

For most beauty schools, the enrollment process includes a tour of the school and submitting an application. Better yet, your prospective school should have an admissions advisor available to meet with potential students to go over their goals for attending beauty school while educating them about important options like financial aid, career services, and program offerings.

Have the Right Mindset Before Starting Beauty School

4. Know that Beauty School is Still School

Yes, it’s true. You’ll spend time in a traditional classroom before making your mark on the salon floor, but it’ll be time spent studying subjects that train and empower you to be a beauty professional! There will be lectures, textbooks, classroom discussions, and exams to help you learn the fundamentals. You’ll also have plenty of hands-on training, working on mannequins, other students, and even clients on the salon floor. Practice makes perfect!

5. Know that Your Attitude Matters

Remember, after graduation, your attitude plays a large part in getting — and keeping — jobs and clients. Be mindful of your dress and demeanor, because clients stick with professionals who deliver a good service and mesh well with them socially. Listening skills, a friendly demeanor, and the ability to adjust your personality to clients and other employees will give you an advantage after beauty school graduation.

Beauty school is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun, bringing people together who share a passion to make the world a more beautiful place. If you’re ready to start your career at the best beauty school in North Carolina, contact Health and Style Institute to schedule a tour or speak to one of our Academic Advisors.