Earning a barber license is an incredible achievement that can lead to a rewarding and creative career. However, some aspiring stylists might not be aware of the many career opportunities available to newly licensed barbers. If you’re trying to decide what to do after getting a barber license, there are many paths that you can take with your honed set of skills. Your choice will heavily depend on where your passions lie and the services you would most like to perform for your clientele.
Here are some examples of careers you could pursue with a barber license:
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Professional barber
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Barbershop owner or manager
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Product developer or representative
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Event barber
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Barbering instructor
Ready to discover how a barber license can help you unlock your dream career? Keep reading to explore the many exciting possibilities waiting for you.
Keep reading: What can you do with a cosmetology license?
5 different careers as a barber
1. Professional barber
We would be remiss not to begin with the most common career path: the professional barber. After acquiring a barber license, most new professionals begin their careers in salons or barbershops providing grooming services to their clients. These services can include:
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Cutting, styling, and coloring hair
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Shaving or trimming facial hair
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Scalp treatments
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Chemical treatments
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Facials and other skin care treatments
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Manicures and pedicures
Beginning your barbering career in a more traditional setting can be a great way for you to build clientele, strengthen industry connections, and build your portfolio. Some barbers enjoy traditional salons or barbershops because these environments allow them to have regular clients and perform a wider variety of services.
What other jobs can a barber do? While working as a professional barber is the most traditional path for recent graduates with barber licenses, it is not your only option once you graduate:
2. Barbershop owner or manager
Business and management training are key to any accredited cosmetology and barbering program. If business savvy and customer service are barbering skills that come naturally to you, owning or managing your own salon or barbershop could be your true calling!
While some believe that ownership/management can take away from the day-to-day joys of barbering, you can choose to service clients while you run your business. Becoming a self-employed barber has many benefits, including choosing your own schedule and growing your business and personal brand at your own pace.
3. Product developer or representative
A career in barbering can open the door to exciting opportunities beyond the chair, including roles as a product developer or sales representative in the beauty industry. As a student and professional barber, you will be exposed to many different types of styling tools and products throughout your career. Having a strong understanding of how certain types of grooming products perform and customer preferences can lead to you either developing your own cosmetics line or collaborating with established brands as a representative!
If you choose to transition into more of a sales role, you can leverage your expertise as a licensed barber to build relationships with salons, retailers, and distributors to promote certain products. This career path allows barbers to combine their technical knowledge with business acumen, offering career growth and the chance to influence the industry.
4. Event barber
If working in a traditional setting is not your scene, becoming a freelance barber can lead to many exciting opportunities outside of a salon. In today’s beauty industry, professional barbers are highly sought after to work on film sets, theatre productions, weddings (grooms deserve to be pampered, too!), and other events! Even professional sports teams like the Houston Astros hire barbers and cosmetologists to help the team look their very best for appearances.
This type of work can introduce you to a wider range of clientele, giving you the opportunity to work with all sorts of people in different settings. These types of opportunities will also be helpful for networking as you meet a diverse group of industry professionals.
5. Barbering instructor
Training and educating the next generation of barbers is a wonderful way to spend your career. Teaching a barbering program is so much more than helping students pass their licensing exams; it’s about mentoring and nurturing students to help them reach their full potential in life.
With a barber license, you can teach at a beauty school or trade program, depending on your preferences. Those who thrive in educational environments will do well as instructors by passing on their knowledge and expertise to aspiring future barbers.
Does education level make a difference in barbers?
Not all beauty educational experiences are made equal. While some self-taught individuals can obtain a barber license and become successful, nothing will prepare you for the industry better than an accredited barber program — especially from a good school like Houston Training Schools.
A barber program will teach you all of the necessary skills to nurture a long and rewarding career. What skills does being a barber require? Learning basic and advanced grooming techniques are not always enough; it’s also essential to foster a deep understanding of customer service skills, business and marketing skills, and industry knowledge to help yourself stand out from the competition.
A well-rounded education from a barber school in Houston (like Houston Training Schools) will help you obtain your barber license promptly and better prepare you for the workforce.
How long does it take to get a barber license?
In order to take the licensing exam, you must complete and pass our 1,000-hour barbering training program that covers everything from traditional techniques to modern trends and sanitation. On a traditional schedule, this program can take students around 40 weeks to complete.
However, we do offer multiple scheduling options for students who prefer to take classes part-time or at night so you can work at your own pace.
Planning to get a barber license? Apply to Houston Training Schools today!
While there are so many careers as a barber to choose from, understanding where your passions lie can help you decide what to do after getting a barber license. However, no matter what your chosen career path, the key to a successful career in this industry is to study at the right school for you.
Students rave about Houston Training Schools for its passionate instructors, well-rounded curriculum, and commitment to helping students finish school at their own pace — all while graduating debt-free!
There is no better place to prepare you for obtaining your barber license. Start your future with us today by applying online or calling 877-640-4747 to schedule a tour of any of our campus locations.
More Helpful Articles by Houston Training Schools:
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Cosmetology Education: Beauty School vs. College
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The Benefits of Cosmetology Services Done by Students
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4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Take Cosmetology Classes Online
