Pros
+I started as a teacher, got promoted to AD, then MD, and now am CD. I've learned how to run a small business by doing something I love...working with students who really need it. The experience is invaluable. I feel like I could do absolutely anything after the ownership this position requires. I am a pro now at business metrics, marketing, customer service, leadership, sales, and the current educational field. A lot of this job is what you put into it. If you take the time to really learn what it takes, it gives back to you. I've built relationships with the surrounding school teachers and administrators that I know will one day pay off if I decide to teach full-time. I've had countless conversations with parents and students that have honed my interpersonal skills (and should make me a licensed therapist, truly.) +Seeing hard work with students pay off months or a year down the line. I have literally cried to see the difference in my kids, and the parents at my center are so grateful. There is nothing more meaningful than to see a child who struggled so much across the board regain their confidence and jump multiple grade levels in reading and math in 6 to 8 months. This is why everything else is worth it. +Working with amazing staff & teachers that I hired myself and have built a positive, dynamic community with. If you don't like your center/huntington, it's because of the franchisee and the way they run it. My Franchise owner gives me a good amount of support as well as freedom to run the center the way I wish. I've hired insightful, smart, compassionate teachers and directors, who I genuinely look forward to seeing every day. We work seamlessly as a team, and it is the best job I have ever had as a result. +The opportunity for commission and growth in self-discipline and self-motivation. Like I said, this job is what you put into it. I know I can make VERY good money if I make very good sales. This stokes my ambition and helps me perform best each month...which helps me help more kids. I have no qualms about selling to parents because I know each and every kid gets SOMETHING out of being at my center, which is in turn because of my confidence in my teachers and directors. I know the kind of mentorship and growth my center offers to any child. This business changes lives, which is more than you can say for a car salesman. Supplemental education is a real need, and Huntington does it well. I'm proud to work here.
Cons
-It is an inordinate amount of work for moderate salaried pay. However, the other reviewers are incorrect to blame that on upper-management. Each center is a small business. Your pay is determined by your franchisee, and your pay can only reflect your sales. If the center cannot afford to pay you more, you need to sell more and perform better. That's the way business works. The franchise fees are annoying, but that's part of franchise business. As a small business, the director manages the students, teachers & parents. The director is customer service, human resources, and salesperson all in one, so yes, it is a lot of work. But if you perform better, you can afford to hire on more full-time staff. We have 3 FT staff in my center, and I work between 38-44 hours a week on a 40hour/week salary. That is perfectly reasonable. I work 4 days between 8.5 to 9 hours (plus 1 hr lunch) and 1 day for 5 hours. I get two full days and a half day off, which is actually pretty cool compared to my other past FT jobs. It's annoying to work Saturday mornings, but awesome to have a weekday off for myself. I work really, really, really hard during my work hours and sometimes have to put in extra time. It makes me tired and I am sometimes in the office until 9pm if a meeting with parents requires. But I am so happy to do it for my kids and for the experience I'm getting. I've had corporate jobs that required the same for less pay and less fulfillment. -Not only is selling a requirement of being a director, you must constantly earn the parent's trust with results lest someone request a refund. This can be stressful, as students tend to go through ups and downs. With such a small team, the kind of customer service many parents demand is simply not possible. -Juggling teacher availability and parent/student availability requires finesse. -Working Saturday mornings really is annoying. I can't take a weekend trip without taking time off. But it's tutoring, and that's what the students need.