Write an article based on this "Contact your barbers' regulatory authority to determine the licensing requirements. Attend barber school. Gain some work experience in school and through externships. Obtain your barber's license. Perfect your craft by cutting hair at another barbershop."
While these requirements vary in their specifics, you'll typically have to be a legal adult with at least a high school diploma. You'll also often be required to prove that you've cut hair for a substantial time period (typically in the 1,000-hour range). The licensing authority that establishes the requirements might be a barber examiners board, a board of cosmetology, or a similar board. A barber school is an institution that teaches you how to be a barber. Locate barber schools in your area and schedule a meeting with a representative of the school. There is no right choice when choosing a barber school. If you have multiple barber schools in your area, compare the cost, quality of instruction, and level of attention you'll get at each when making your decision. Barber school will teach you how to use different scissors, clippers, combs, and other hair styling tools. You'll also learn how to clip hair (including facial hair) and gain experience sculpting different hairstyles. When researching barber schools, find out how large the class sizes are. Smaller classes are generally better, since you'll likely get more personalized instruction. The cost of attending barber school varies significantly from place to place. In the U.S., for instance, costs can range from $6,500 to $10,000. Barber school programs necessary for certification typically last about 1 year. Early in your barber school training, you'll gain experience cutting hair by practicing on mannequins. Later, you'll probably be assigned (or asked to seek out) an externship with a local barbershop. There you'll work as an apprentice and be be tasked with cutting clients' hair. If you're asked to find an externship on your own, approach various barbershops and explain that you are a barber school student in search of work opportunities. Provide the barber with all relevant information, including how long you wish to apprentice there, what your experience is to date, and what your career goals are. Once you've identified and fulfilled the requirements for becoming a barber, fill out the license application and submit it with the appropriate fee. The cost of this fee ranges from $20 up to $110 or more depending on your location. Proving you're experienced typically requires attaching a letter or signature from the licensed barber under whom you trained or worked, as well as the transcripts or degree from the barber school you attended. After completing your education and training period, you might not feel confident enough to open your own barbershop just yet. That's okay! Look for opportunities to extend your training under the same barber you've been working with, or find a better-paying opportunity elsewhere. As an employee of another barbershop, you'll typically pay rent for a chair. For instance, you might pay $100 per week to cut hair at the shop, and take home everything you keep. Alternately, you might be paid an hourly wage when working as an employee.