Visual College of Art and Design Employee Reviews

2 weeks training on how to force students to sign up for the courses. Then you proceed to your daily job of calling Siberia-cold leads that had been called 1000 times by other admission advisors, new leads given only to the senior advisors, making 100+ calls that were never picked up, meetings with superiors who whine about the low numbers, and after a few months, you get fired. If you want to lower your self-esteem, go ahead and apply. The most toxic workplace on earth. No wonder the turnover occurs every week.

Pros

None

Cons

Extreme micromanaging, no positivity, cold calls forever, lazy marketing, meetings that drain your soul

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Best place to spoil your career. They are murderer of your career

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 25 October 2023

I had 8 years of overall experience in sales and 3-4 years of experience in Education Industry. I joined there as Assistant Director of Admissions. With 3 week of rubbish training which was 85% general sales training and 15% about VCAD, I started my job. They offered me decent salary. They will hire you, give you to work on old leads, which was contacted by other employees for over 100 times. Later after 2 months (including 3 weeks of training), they fired me for no reason. Not only my but in 2 months they hired almost 15 new employees for similar role and terminated about 10 same employees. The management is worst, most toxic place I have ever worked in. Even if you go to washroom break, you have to make an entry on a piece of paper. The management is not sure about what they are doing and what they want from employees. You can never have a secure job at this place, in fact everyday you go home thinking this would be your last day. Even if this is your last option, don't go. Big big big red flag. They are a professional scamers.

Pros

No pros

Cons

Toxic place, worst management, frequent hiring and firing in short term, worst managers and team leaders.

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The most enjoyable part about school

Student (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 22 October 2023

Was being able to meet and work with all the teachers and classmates as well as learning all the tools to become a successful graphic designer. I really enjoyed my time.

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Awful. It took years of my life and gave me an anxiety disorder

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 18 August 2023

What is the best part of working at the company?Leaving the job was probably my fondest memoryWhat is the most stressful part about working at the company?The VP with little man syndrome and half an IQ point mentally abusing the staffWhat is the work environment and culture like at the company?The environment is toxic, degrading, mentally taxing and sadWhat is a typical day like for you at the company?Making phone calls, sending texts, being yelled at and surveilled through cameras

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Lack of Communication and support

Student (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 18 August 2023

There is next to no communication with students that are attempting to leave the school, and zero communication when you do. Even when it concerns tax forms, or official transcripts, you have to be forceful to get a response....even then, it's minimal.

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Insights into Visual College of Art and Design

Based on 48 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Sense of belonging
Overall satisfaction
General feeling of work happiness

Never work or study here, even if your life depended on it.

Student (Former Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 25 July 2023

This company is absolutely appalling, constant turn over and nobody has any idea what is going on. The blame will always be placed elsewhere like a never ending merry-go-round. Work or study anywhere else.

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Not as glamours as the title

Assistant Director of Admissions (Current Employee) - Calgary, AB - 21 July 2023

It’s literally call centre. Calling same person 1000 times by diff people. It’s very frustrating and they set a target for sales with pushy tactic. Don’t even join

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Overrated

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 9 July 2023

workplace is like a corporate where you sit and cold call leads to join there school. Good leads are always given to top guys but even if you get enrolls there commissions come after 6 months or so.

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Avoid this place at all costs, the reviews are true

Admissions Advisor (Current Employee) - Calgary, AB - 7 July 2023

i worked at VCAD for a month and quickly realized that management and workplace culture is super toxic and cliquey. As an admissions sales person you are given training to read and not really any guidance outside of that. Then when you hit the floor management watches over your shoulder, and intimidates you and singles people out if they do not hit the targets. It is a super toxic workplace, turn over is super high. People do not want to stay at a role where employees are not appreciated.

Pros

nothing, run far away

Cons

everything

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Worst place to work

Financial Assistant (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 24 June 2023

Nanomanagment and bosses don't have any clue about their job. They create rules and policies that never exist in order to force you to do task that not correspond to your position. If you suggest something to improve a process or make it easy they just dismiss. They said they are a family but I don't know which kind. Maybe a real toxic one.

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Avoid VCAD at ALL Costs

Instructor (Current Employee) - Online - 1 June 2023

You don't want to work here - as an instructor, you are completely on your own with an admin team that treats you like an absolute idiot.Students are scammed and told literally anything in order to be enrolled in classes - meaning that they are often confused and under-qualified for the programs you teach. You will need to break the news to them during the first weeks of class usually. Some students are let in without graduating high school, some don't even own a computer for the online program... BUT as instructors we are told to do whatever it takes to pass the students, make the assignments easier on them, etc. (which just leads to them failing the second year courses)ALSO the VCAD programs are not accredited, the students will likely be stuck with massive student loan debt and nothing of real value to show for it.Course materials are out of date and embarrassing to teach from. Full of typos too.You won't be paid for marking or prep - and if you care about your students you will spend a lot of time in prep making your own slides and presentations for your classes. We are also required to do many tasks outside of paid time, which is very difficult for many employees.

Pros

Work from home

Cons

Soul-sucking - working for the villian

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No respect for Instructors or tutors

Instructor (Former Employee) - Work from Home - 2 May 2023

Will removed worked hours from your time card if they feel you didn't do enough work. Not enough students showed up to tutoring, well do we really need to pay you? They have no idea what is legal. The education teams have no idea what they are supposed to be teaching and the curriculum and relevant material where written by someone having a stroke. Information instructors are suppose to teach to students is at times factually incorrect leaving the instructor looking like a fool.

Pros

work from home

Cons

The sheer disrepect

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Mental gymnastic clown show

Instructor (Current Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 16 April 2023

Non-proper pay rate... so many promises but it will never process due to it's revolving door nature.Very outdated course curriculum.sadly this is one of those jobs that's there but you can never be proud off.

Pros

A few industry experience instructors are great!

Cons

Management acts like they know the software better than the instructors.

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Worst place to work for. I wish if there ia a zero rating so i can choose rather that the one.

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 8 April 2023

Its a community of gang management, scam , changing staff every month for a reason which made everyone works for them to think that Its a laundry wash business .

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A Great Start and Unique Experience

Assistant Director of Admissions (Current Employee) - Calgary, AB - 14 March 2023

All round pretty standard-feeling work environment. There's little drama and lots to do. Most days feel filled with activity and lack dullness. Management team is engaging and positive. No real flaws or complaints, it has been a good work environment.

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Average

Average (Former Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 3 March 2023

Nice coworkers, fun working environment, ok pay for the job, not enough vacation time, great office location, nice long lunch break, easy work, good working hours

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Not worth it

Instructor (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 8 February 2023

Instructors are undervalued, overworked, and underpaid. No benefits, only paid for instruction time and general lack of respect. They push you to pass students when not warranted. Require hours of paperwork and unpaid time for prep and marking. Hourly pay is well below industry standards. I worked for both online and on campus divisions, both were managed extremely poorly and unprofessionally. They are very much a business and will allow students entry that do not have the right qualifications which in turn ends up in a high drop out rate and debt for students. The only upside is that I now have experience to work somewhere better.

Pros

Working with the students

Cons

Too many to list

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Not worthy

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 3 January 2023

Just ridiculous management. I can't call them that. Wasn't management. You had 3 gentleman that could manage. But the rest. Least helpful I've ever had. Don't do it.

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Toxic work culture

Assistant Director of Admissions (Former Employee) - Mississauga, ON - 22 December 2022

No job securityNo respect for employeesFailed HR Practices, management doesn't shy away from intimidating youNo job security and no opportunity to growWorst experience is ever

Pros

None

Cons

All

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My company is very supportive

Assistant Director of Admissions (Current Employee) - Vancouver, BC - 30 November 2022

Flexibility, your hard work is recognized. you are encouraged and get motivation. your success is celebrated. if your hard worker, show dedication, your

Pros

gift card - SME

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one of the worst places I have ever worked - could not get out of there fast enough

Upper management (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 24 November 2022

When 15 or so people quit within a 9 month span of time - this tells you a lot about the (now former) Campus Director. Some people quit without notice, others barely held in there. Have no idea if it is better now that this person and the next one who came in after have left. When you see who is in a position changing often or very regular job postings - RUN don't apply. Not worth it.

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