Are you considering a career in cosmetology? Many people who feel stifled by corporate life find the beauty industry to be an attractive, satisfying choice. However, becoming a professional cosmetologist isn’t as simple as waking up one day and to decide that you want to start charging people for your hairstyling services.
Cosmetology is a regulated industry. While passion and talent can fuel your pivot into this field, they won’t be enough to make you employable. Strict guidelines exist regarding who can act as a licensed cosmetologist when offering services for hair, skin, and nails. Luckily, starting on the path to becoming a professional cosmetologist can be a smooth process once you find the right accredited institution to help you get the training and education you need to prepare for licensing.
What Course Should I Take to Become a Cosmetologist?
The best way to find the right courses is by finding a cosmetology program at a vocational school near you. Once enrolled in a Cosmetology program, you’ll be given a clear path to follow and take the courses necessary for licensing. Cosmetology school offers a mix of a traditional classroom experience with hands-on learning. Guided by experienced instructors with strong reputations in their field, you will have opportunities to work with real clients and get a feel for what an authentic salon setting is really like. While a Cosmetology degree program often takes months to complete, you are immersed in an intensive environment with peers, professionals, and clients that allows you to gain expertise in every facet of the salon industry.
What Do I Learn During a Cosmetology Program?
The efficiency of cosmetology school ensures that every course offered is a course that you need to thrive in your new career. Courses are carefully designed to provide you with “hard skills.” They also enable you to perform specific services based on a mix of industry best practices and legal requirements. You will learn the practical detail of working in a salon. The following are some of the skills and topics covered in a typical cosmetology curriculum:
- Haircuts for men, women, and kids.
- Coloring and bleaching.
- Highlighting.
- Extensions.
- Braiding.
- Styling.
- Scalp treatments.
- Shampooing techniques.
- Chemical waving.
- Manicures and pedicures.
- Facials.
- Skin treatments.
- Makeup application.
Proper Hair Technique
You will learn the proper techniques for achieving the looks clients want. In addition to learning the “how” of performing treatments for the hair, skin, and nails, you also learn the underlying reasons behind specific beauty techniques. You will learn about chemistry and dermatology to better understand how the skin interacts with certain products and active ingredients. This ensures that you are using products both safely and effectively. It also makes you a true product expert.
A licensed cosmetologist isn’t just someone who can “dye hair” for a client. A cosmetologist becomes a trusted source for information about how to get the looks clients want because they can make product recommendations for how to achieve specific looks, how to make results last longer, and which products and techniques can fit a client’s skin or hair profile.
Operating a Salon Business
Cosmetology programs go deeper than just training you about techniques and products. Graduating from a program helps you thrive in the beauty industry by teaching you the many facets of operating a salon business. First, these programs cover sanitation and safety compliance. Courses instruct you on how to properly dispose of chemicals and hazardous materials, how to keep both workers and clients safe when chemical products are being used in a salon, and how to comply with all state and federal health and safety standards.
Next, cosmetology programs are focused on setting you up for success by giving you the training needed to thrive in the “business side” of the beauty industry. Courses cover how to meet the needs of customers, how to offer strong customer service, appointment scheduling, and salon marketing. Upon graduation, you will feel confident in an entry-level position in any spa or salon. While the immediate goal is to become employed by a salon, many people complete cosmetology school with the goal of owning their own salons. Getting a solid foundation is the first step to being able to build up a clientele list.
Do I Need a License to Practice Cosmetology in Florida?
Yes, it’s necessary to have a cosmetology license to practice cosmetology in Florida. Performing services without obtaining a valid license can result in fines, penalties, or an inability to become certified as a cosmetologist. If you accidentally harm someone while practicing cosmetology without a license, you may even be responsible for criminal charges. It’s not worth it. A person with a desire to work in the beauty industry as a professional has everything to gain by going through the process of becoming trained and licensed.
All cosmetology licensing in Florida is overseen by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. This department works closely with vocational schools in the state to make the process of obtaining licensing as easy as possible. This is also the department that will handle your license renewals as you move into your career as a professional Florida cosmetologist. It’s necessary to renew your Florida cosmetology license every two years.
Why Are Cosmetology Licenses Mandatory?
State licensing requirements are in place to ensure safety and quality control in the industry. For this reason, licensing is something that professional cosmetologists support because it protects the integrity of their professions. Licensing rules are in place to ensure that professionals have the knowledge needed to prevent client injuries, cross-contamination of infected items, and the spread of communicable diseases. Licensing also protects licensed cosmetologists from the need to compete with untrained, unlicensed hairdressers, facialists, and nail technicians who try to offer services illegally. Your current, valid licensing is a badge of professionalism that lets both clients and employers know that you’ve completed the necessary training to offer top-notch services in compliance with all updated safety and health requirements.
How Do You Prepare for the Licensing Exam?
The first step to becoming a licensed professional in this field is by completing a cosmetology program from a vocational school. Completing a program is the best way to prepare for your cosmetology license exam because the program will cover what you’ll need to know. Of course, brushing up on course materials in preparation for the exam once you complete your program is always a good idea. Expect your instructors in your cosmetology program to offer insights and advice for taking your exam.
Anyone applying to sit for the Florida cosmetology licensing test must complete 1,200 school hours in a cosmetology program. This will be easy to do once you enroll at a vocational school. Your program will be designed to funnel you directly into the testing process by building in all pre-testing requirements as you move forward.
In Florida, applying for the licensure examination is synonymous with applying for licensing. Florida cosmetology licensing tests are administered by Pearson VUE. Anyone who fails an examination will be required to submit a re-examination application for scheduling a second exam. If an applicant only fails one portion of the exam, they are only required to retake the portion they didn’t pass. An applicant has two years from the date of the first test to complete the second portion.
What is Needed to Take the Cosmetology Licensing Exam?
Florida requires proof before an application for a licensing test can be approved. To become a certified cosmetologist in Florida, an applicant must submit their initial HIV/AIDS course completion certificate before submitting a testing application. It’s also necessary to show proof of a graduate certification form. A fee must also be paid to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation when submitting an application.
People who are interested in owning a salon might think that they can avoid the requirement for completing cosmetology licensing in Florida by simply hiring licensed cosmetologists to work for them. A business license isn’t enough to run a salon in Florida. In reality, anyone who opens a salon as a business owner also needs to possess state cosmetology licensing. That means that a cosmetology program from a vocational school is still the right path if you want to be a salon owner instead of a salon employee.
Final Thoughts
The courses needed to become a professional cosmetologist in Florida are included in a cosmetology program offered by Meridian College. A cosmetology program puts you on the path to taking your Florida licensing exam. The programs at Meridian College cover the many technical aspect of providing beauty services. Enroll in a Florida cosmetology program today and start working your dream job tomorrow.
Want to Learn More?
Are you ready to enjoy the many opportunities available in cosmetology? Meridian College offers a Cosmetology training program in Florida that prepares you to deliver high–quality beauty and hair services to both men and women. Their hands–on Cosmetology training program gives you the skills you need to start an exciting career and become a leader in the beauty industry.
Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a cosmetologist.