The Pros and Cons of a Dual License:
Should You Consider a Dual License For Your Barbering Career?
As a barber, you have a broad, sweeping career landscape ahead of you—in other words, there’s a lot of opportunities, flexibility, and possibilities out there. But did you know that there’s probably even more out there than you initially thought?
Enter in the concept of a dual license.
If you ever struggled with choosing between barbering and cosmetology, if you have ever dreamed of more variety for your career, or if you have ever just wanted to explore all of the possibilities that cosmetology and barbering—in conjunction—could offer you, then this is the perfect jumping-off point for you.
This blog was designed to answer questions about dual licenses as well as outline the potential negatives and positives associated with making the choice to be dually licensed.
The important thing to remember here? It’s all pretty subjective. Everyone is different, everyone values different things, and one person’s pro could be another person’s con.
Our advice? Read through this with an open mind, try to determine what matters to you, and keep perspective—getting a dual license could be the perfect choice for you and your career.
What Does it Mean to Have a Dual License as a Barber?
You might already have this figured out, but to be safe, let’s address what having a dual license means for a barber like you. If you’re dually licensed, that means you have your license as a barber and your license in something else—more than likely, cosmetology.
The good news about being dual licensed? Once you’ve earned one license, the second one comes pretty easy because you’ve already got the foundational knowledge and experience down.
It’s important to note that cosmetology and barbering are very different, so you might not burst into the cosmetology scene a total expert.
But we’re willing to bet that with a little practice and dedication, you can easily become the next big thing in the cosmetology world (if that’s what you’re about).
The Pros and Cons of Going for Your Dual License Status
The Potential Pros of a Dual License
A Broader Audience to Work With
When you’re dually licensed, you open up doors to brand new audiences you never thought possible. For example, while barbering is by no means just for male clients, it’s less likely you’ll work with female clients in this setting. When you get a license in cosmetology, you’re open to an entirely new demographic as well as an entirely new set of services and skills (like hair color and female-specific services).
More Variety & Diversity = More Opportunity
Those new skills and services bring in a more varied, diverse type of work—and that can mean each and every day on the job could look different. To some, this is considered the ultimate opportunity.
Creativity For Days
You’re granted the opportunity to be creative in a million different ways. In other words, you’re not limited to just what you can do as a barber.
Explore a Multitude of Passions
The possibility to explore a ton of different potential passions is officially here. With a dual license, you can discover new passions like never before—legally and totally by the books.
Diversify Income Streams & Revenue Boost
This is a simple equation, but basically, more skills + more services = more opportunity to boost your revenue. We’re not saying that your paycheck is everything, but this type of pro certainly doesn’t hurt.
The Compelling Cons of a Dual License
Split Focus
If you’re planning on practicing with your dual license, you’ll have to get used to splitting your focus. For some, this could be an amazing opportunity to mix up your workdays, for others, it could be an absolute headache. It all depends on what you think sounds rewarding.
Time & Effort
Unfortunately, they don’t just hand over your dual license—you gotta put in the work, time, and effort to make it happen. If you’re already working as a barber, that can mean getting certified while you’re still pulling full-time hours, and that can be a ton of extra commitment that might get in the way of your work-life balance.
Less Time Spent on Primary Passion
If barbering is your established, real-deal passion, you’ll likely be spending less time working on it if you’re planning to obtain and actually use your cosmetology license.
Tons of Commitment
You gotta commit if you’re going to succeed, and if you’re planning on succeeding in dual-career paths, you can basically count on that being double the commitment.
Busy, Busy, Busy
Get used to being busy—like, really busy. If you’re trying to make a name for yourself in the cosmetology world, you’re likely going to be mega-busy trying to build up your rep in that industry.
You remember how it went when you were trying to get in good with the barbering crowd, right? Well, prepare to do it all over again.
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