4 answers
brianna
Student
Memphis, Tennessee
1
Question
Asked
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how many years u have to do in college for cosmetology ? what all skills u need to know and have to do to be a attorney?can u take 3 things in college at the same time or do u have to keep going back after your first years?
my name is brianna . im 15 years old and i go to hillcrest high school. im currently in 10th grade .i want to do hair, nails , makeup and do all girly things . i want to do cosmetology .i want to go to college for it for i can be professional and have a successful business. how is it like to own your own business. #cosmetology #experience #college Next i want to be a attorney or caseworker .i want to have a job in juvenile court as something ,i like want to help others . maybe i want to talk to your people and lead them to the right path . #confidence #education
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4 answers
Matthew L. Tuck, J.D., M.B.A.
CEO/Managing Attorney, Greater Detroit Area
64
Answers
Lansing, Michigan
Updated
Matthew L.’s Answer
Hi Brianna. Great question!
I agree with everything Ann and Hassan have said. They have outlined the educational requirements very well. I just wanted to throw in my two cents as an attorney and entrepreneur. Over the years, I even represented a few cosmetology schools and helped some ambitious folks set up their own salons, so I’m pretty familiar with part as well. And I own my own law firm.
It’s great that you’re interested in cosmetology. It’s a wonderful trade that people will always need and that will let you do all the other things you listed in your question. One great way to get where you want to go is to go to cosmetology school first. I suspect it’s too hard to do both cosmetology school and college at the same time, even doing college part time. So I would focus on that first.
With a cosmetology degree under your belt, you will have an income source you can use to put yourself through college. I cannot stress enough how how important it is to borrow as little as you can to get through college. Too many young people I know came out of college with $30,000, $40,000 even more than $50,000 in college debt. It takes forever to pay it off and it just delays starting your life. You can’t but the car or house you want with a massive other debt payment every month. You could work as a cosmetologist to put yourself through college and come out of it debt free.
If you decide cosmetology is not for you after working in it, you can always use your salon job as income while you get a degree in criminal justice or sociology to pursue a career with juveniles. The court system needs lots of social workers.
I would recommend a business degree which will help you greatly if you decide, down the road, to set up your own salon, law practice or counseling service. To my knowledge they don’t really teach business concepts in cosmetology school. Find a college that has a good entrepreneur-focused program with professors who have actually worked in business. Too many business profs have never started a business or created a job. But don’t just take business classes. You should take marketing and sales classes of course, but also take literature, writing and pre-legal classes to learn to write well and see if you like law. Law schools will accept just about any undergraduate major, but I noticed the people in my law school class who struggled the most in the first year were the ones who did not know how to read and write well. The nurses, engineers and accountants in my class really struggled because there is so much reading and so much writing (most of the exams are essay) and they had not focused on that in undergrad.
And, as you work as a cosmetologist in a salon, you will learn how a salon runs and see if you like it. You will learn about scheduling, marketing, sales, managing employees, ordering supplies, selecting good rental space and a bunch of other things that you won’t learn in school. You will also learn whether you like that business or not. It’s possible you may love doing hair and nails, but don’t like the business much. If you don’t like the salon business, you can use your degree to apply to law school or a masters program in social work.
One other thing I would suggest is that as soon as you can (with your parents permission, of course), get a job as a receptionist in a local salon. Start learning the business now. They will probably pay you but if they don’t have a spot, offer to be an unpaid intern. Find a classy salon you like and offer to sweep up, stock the shelves, that kind of thing. If you prove yourself to be a good worker who is professional, shows up on time every day and works hard, you’ll get first crack at the reception or shampoo position if it opens up.
If you’re leaning toward law or social work, try to get a reception job or gopher at a law firm. And if they won’t pay, volunteer. Firms are always looking for good interns to run errands, pick up lunch, help with filing, and other things. Check with local courts and judges. They need interns too and you’ll see how courts operate from the inside. You can likely get college or school credit for interning as well. Just make sure you set it up with the salon or firm first.
And lastly, try to find a mentor in whatever field you are interested in. Find a smart, successful salon owner and ask her (or him) to mentor you. Your parents may know someone who is successful and that they trust who can mentor you. Most mentors will be eager to share their knowledge and they will be able to provide you tons of insight into the mistakes they made, what they would do if they were eating the field now like you are, and lots of other things. It’s great to have a guide who is actually in the business world who can help you on your journey. The mentors I have had in my life have been the most important secret to my career.
Take every opportunity you can to learn about the fields you are interested in. Read books about it. There are lots of books on starting a salon or law firm. If you have to write a term paper or some other research project for school, see if you can write about cosmetology, law or social work. Interview salon owners, or people who cut hair, who do nails or who practice law. Talk to judges or social workers. See what they like and what they don’t like about their jobs. You might find a job or a mentor in the process. Be on the lookout for both. And don’t be shy about asking. Get the best grades possible in high school and college so you can get into the best grad school. If you graduate at or near the top of your class, you will have first crack at the best salons, best grad school and best law jobs.
1. Read everything you can on the fields you’re interested in.
2. Get a job at salon, court, or law firm as a receptionist or even an unpaid intern. You likely can get school credit for it.
3. Think about doing cosmetology school first, then work you way though college to come out debt free and ready to open your own salon, if that’s what you want to do.
4. Take a variety fo classes in college so you can learn business subjects but also how to read and write well.
5. No matter what you decide to do, get the best grades you can in high school you can so you will have your pick of grad schools and jobs.
I agree with everything Ann and Hassan have said. They have outlined the educational requirements very well. I just wanted to throw in my two cents as an attorney and entrepreneur. Over the years, I even represented a few cosmetology schools and helped some ambitious folks set up their own salons, so I’m pretty familiar with part as well. And I own my own law firm.
It’s great that you’re interested in cosmetology. It’s a wonderful trade that people will always need and that will let you do all the other things you listed in your question. One great way to get where you want to go is to go to cosmetology school first. I suspect it’s too hard to do both cosmetology school and college at the same time, even doing college part time. So I would focus on that first.
With a cosmetology degree under your belt, you will have an income source you can use to put yourself through college. I cannot stress enough how how important it is to borrow as little as you can to get through college. Too many young people I know came out of college with $30,000, $40,000 even more than $50,000 in college debt. It takes forever to pay it off and it just delays starting your life. You can’t but the car or house you want with a massive other debt payment every month. You could work as a cosmetologist to put yourself through college and come out of it debt free.
If you decide cosmetology is not for you after working in it, you can always use your salon job as income while you get a degree in criminal justice or sociology to pursue a career with juveniles. The court system needs lots of social workers.
I would recommend a business degree which will help you greatly if you decide, down the road, to set up your own salon, law practice or counseling service. To my knowledge they don’t really teach business concepts in cosmetology school. Find a college that has a good entrepreneur-focused program with professors who have actually worked in business. Too many business profs have never started a business or created a job. But don’t just take business classes. You should take marketing and sales classes of course, but also take literature, writing and pre-legal classes to learn to write well and see if you like law. Law schools will accept just about any undergraduate major, but I noticed the people in my law school class who struggled the most in the first year were the ones who did not know how to read and write well. The nurses, engineers and accountants in my class really struggled because there is so much reading and so much writing (most of the exams are essay) and they had not focused on that in undergrad.
And, as you work as a cosmetologist in a salon, you will learn how a salon runs and see if you like it. You will learn about scheduling, marketing, sales, managing employees, ordering supplies, selecting good rental space and a bunch of other things that you won’t learn in school. You will also learn whether you like that business or not. It’s possible you may love doing hair and nails, but don’t like the business much. If you don’t like the salon business, you can use your degree to apply to law school or a masters program in social work.
One other thing I would suggest is that as soon as you can (with your parents permission, of course), get a job as a receptionist in a local salon. Start learning the business now. They will probably pay you but if they don’t have a spot, offer to be an unpaid intern. Find a classy salon you like and offer to sweep up, stock the shelves, that kind of thing. If you prove yourself to be a good worker who is professional, shows up on time every day and works hard, you’ll get first crack at the reception or shampoo position if it opens up.
If you’re leaning toward law or social work, try to get a reception job or gopher at a law firm. And if they won’t pay, volunteer. Firms are always looking for good interns to run errands, pick up lunch, help with filing, and other things. Check with local courts and judges. They need interns too and you’ll see how courts operate from the inside. You can likely get college or school credit for interning as well. Just make sure you set it up with the salon or firm first.
And lastly, try to find a mentor in whatever field you are interested in. Find a smart, successful salon owner and ask her (or him) to mentor you. Your parents may know someone who is successful and that they trust who can mentor you. Most mentors will be eager to share their knowledge and they will be able to provide you tons of insight into the mistakes they made, what they would do if they were eating the field now like you are, and lots of other things. It’s great to have a guide who is actually in the business world who can help you on your journey. The mentors I have had in my life have been the most important secret to my career.
Take every opportunity you can to learn about the fields you are interested in. Read books about it. There are lots of books on starting a salon or law firm. If you have to write a term paper or some other research project for school, see if you can write about cosmetology, law or social work. Interview salon owners, or people who cut hair, who do nails or who practice law. Talk to judges or social workers. See what they like and what they don’t like about their jobs. You might find a job or a mentor in the process. Be on the lookout for both. And don’t be shy about asking. Get the best grades possible in high school and college so you can get into the best grad school. If you graduate at or near the top of your class, you will have first crack at the best salons, best grad school and best law jobs.
Matthew L. recommends the following next steps:
Estelle Archer
Gynecologist
1322
Answers
United States
Updated
Estelle’s Answer
I agree with Hassan. These are all very different professions, and you might save yourself a significant amount of time and money by shadowing professionals in these fields to see which one you like best. You could also get a part time job in a salon to gain more experience there and see if you want to turn it into a career.
Hassan Al
Product Management Professional
372
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Hassan’s Answer
I'd suggest you do research on each of these professions to see which one you're most interested in. They are very different and will require different levels of education.
You don't need a college degree for Cosmetology but there are training and licensing requirements set by Tennessee https://core.tn.gov/datamart/login.do;jsessionid=Lx2wuMQERXtL9k6uK9LyZiAs.undefined
Social workers in Tennessee need to have a Bachelor or Masters degree and State licenses https://www.socialworkguide.org/licensure/tennessee/
To become and attorney you'll need an Bachelor and attend Law School to get a JD degree. You'll also have to pass the State Bar exam to perform many duties.
You don't need a college degree for Cosmetology but there are training and licensing requirements set by Tennessee https://core.tn.gov/datamart/login.do;jsessionid=Lx2wuMQERXtL9k6uK9LyZiAs.undefined
Social workers in Tennessee need to have a Bachelor or Masters degree and State licenses https://www.socialworkguide.org/licensure/tennessee/
To become and attorney you'll need an Bachelor and attend Law School to get a JD degree. You'll also have to pass the State Bar exam to perform many duties.
Kudos to you Hassan
OMOTOLANI ALABI
Ann E. Mejias
College Advising
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Ann E.’s Answer
Hi Brianna,
You do not need to go to a traditional college to be a cosmetologist. Instead you will go to a specific trade school for cosmetology. These are usually about a year long, some a little more or some less depending on your specialty. You must pass a licensing examination to be cosmetologist. The requirements will differ from state to state.
In order to become an attorney, you will need four years at an undergraduate college (nearly any major is fine for law school. Most people will study political science, but that is *not* a requirement. After college, you will an additional 3 years in law school and then you will have to pass the bar exam to be licensed in your state.
Similarly, you will need four years of undergraduate college to be social worker, with an additional 2 years to obtain master's degree and then pass a licensing exam for your state. If you would like to go into a clinical practice to offer individual therapy, you will need additional training and another test.
It's not unusual to have many diverse interests when you are young. Hopefully, you will narrow down your interests as you get closer to graduating from high school (or even find another interest!)
You do not need to go to a traditional college to be a cosmetologist. Instead you will go to a specific trade school for cosmetology. These are usually about a year long, some a little more or some less depending on your specialty. You must pass a licensing examination to be cosmetologist. The requirements will differ from state to state.
In order to become an attorney, you will need four years at an undergraduate college (nearly any major is fine for law school. Most people will study political science, but that is *not* a requirement. After college, you will an additional 3 years in law school and then you will have to pass the bar exam to be licensed in your state.
Similarly, you will need four years of undergraduate college to be social worker, with an additional 2 years to obtain master's degree and then pass a licensing exam for your state. If you would like to go into a clinical practice to offer individual therapy, you will need additional training and another test.
It's not unusual to have many diverse interests when you are young. Hopefully, you will narrow down your interests as you get closer to graduating from high school (or even find another interest!)
That was a great answer.
David Broadbent, PMP