I Grew (Tired and Disappointed) With this Company
Pros
The best experience I have had when it came to bonding with and learning from my colleagues was at Axiom; the culture here fosters strong relationships, encourages you to utilise the knowledge/resources you may not otherwise immediately have, and stresses teaching each other. I learned so much and was humbled by so many kind and brilliant people. To have the opportunity to mentor and be mentored by those colleagues has set a bar I will use as the standard in future jobs. If I ever needed something, someone was always willing to help. You also get to work with some students who will actually change your life; I still keep up with a few of my former students and check in on how they're coming along. There will be kids that revolutionise how you teach, prepare lessons, and indeed, see the world.
Cons
I wanted to use the above space to extoll my colleagues because the company did not and will not. People working and who went beyond the call of their duties for well over a 1.5 or 2 years received no official recognition. They were ignominiously shown the door when their replacements were found and important milestones were never brought up in meetings. The management cemented a very opaque atmosphere at the company. Anytime questions were raised about managerial duties, the rationale behind policies, the company's future plans, or the current financial status, they were brushed aside. Management, for example, outright refused to answer any questions about Centre Directors' specified responsibilities and job postings omitted key aspects, like compensation or qualifications for these positions. This subsequently led to many promotions for anyone overtly obsequious. The management also forced some employees to deliver bad news or the damaging results of the CEO's business decisions instead of taking responsibility himself, thereby causing a rift between good bosses and instructors. There is only one path to promotion: through business and sales. This job is a good stepping stone for educators, but nothing more. For those interested in the business aspect, be careful not to be taken advantage of by the CEO because what will be asked of you will never be explicitly stated, rather suddenly demanded of you. I had the misfortune of watching a very talented instructor who was promoted and then ran horribly ragged. It felt awful seeing someone so genial, grow tired and lose their passion for their work. Finally, it should be stated that a fair bit of the work you do is just busywork. Directors have indirectly said this several times by asking instructors to do additional tasks that are simply redundant or never read. Whether it be new reporting methods or certain test preparations, it's all been done and asked about before, but those sections (and indeed the detail one puts into those sections) require reading and will not be. What was once a company that allowed so much agency and creativity became one that set arbitrary policies, forced out its best talent, and obstinately refused to take responsibility when its management made mistakes. I wish nothing but the best for this company. They have done so much good work and changed students' lives for the better. Their work is innovative and they always seek lasting solutions. I wish they had the management they deserve.