Job Discussion Forums

[alc]

Has anyone here worked for WSI? Do you have anything positive or negative to share about your experience?
Thanks!

[laughing_magpie06]

If you scroll back a couple of years posts you will see a lengthy thread on WSI.
I worked there myself and can honestly say it was without any doubt the best school I ever worked at. Great teachers, fantastic (and fair) management and a good bunch of students who are middle upper class professionals that are willing to work hard and be challenged. This combination is incredibly hard to find in a school in Indonesia so i'd say sign up if you can.

[rue_morgan]

I also worked at WSI...just recently returned to the US from having finished a year-and-a-half contract there. I have nothing negative to say about it' WSI was my first ABROAD teaching job and it definitely set a standard. More so, I consider myself to be very lucky to have even gotten that job, as I was initially going to work for EF. Over 80% of the teaching staff at WSI is former EF staff personnel (EF has a more than infamous rep in Indonesia, something you'll quickly learn). WSI school is fairly new, having opened in the flagship branch in Ratu Plaza Mall in February 2007. Subsequently, there were two more branches opened in other parts of Jakarta - WSI La Piazza in Kelapa Gading and WSI Pondok Indah (the newest one). With regards to the actual teaching, you'll get to teach a wide range of students, in levels and ages. Additionally, in my experience, there was no animosity or segregation between the foreign and Indonesian staff. There was a fair mix of English-speaking staff, with regard to different nationalities. BTW, are you male or female? I was one of only two female teachers there (at the Ratu Plaza branch), so if you happen to be female, it's just a heads up that you will definitely be in the minority. I'd be happy to tell you more about it. Laughingmagpie and I both actually worked there together at one point, and I'd venture to say that we both enjoyed our experience there. If you are extended an offer for employment, I'd suggest that you seriously consider it.

[Ghost_Rider]

I also worked for WSI several months ago and completely have a different opinion in regards to this company for several reasons. I thought they were a really good company in terms of being organized and well prepared but that is about it. The material is already laid out for you except for the Social Club classes that you will have to create according to a selected topic. I didn't think this posed a problem except for dealing with about thirty students at a time which can be hectic at times. The main problems I had was with the Management Staff and some of the students. The National Manager and the Academic Manager were extremely unpleasant to work with. I didn't have any problems with the previous manager but that all changed in a matter of weeks. I came down with a severe foot injury that need an operation that they felt was questionable. I had already seen three doctors and they wanted me to see another one to gain another opinion. The National manager stated that I wasn't going to do this to the new manager. I wasn't able to have my surgery for several weeks. The National manager stated that the company shouldn't have to pay me to take two weeks off to recover from the foot injury. They decided just give me one day off to go to the hospital to have the foot surgery. I had to ask the Human Resource Director for an additional day off because I stated I would intend to use one of my vacation days if necessary. The funny thing was that I never even took a day off for sick leave except for a back injury that I took off one day for with the permission from a specialist. Once everything was settled for the surgery the new manager for some reason decided to keep a list of every single mistake that I made whether it was finishing a class a couple minutes early to chatting with the students during my break time. The company terminated my contract one week before the foot surgery operation was supposed to occur. I would also like to state that some of the students are two face. They would pretend to be your friend and then state bad things about you all over facebook. I really wished I thought twice before joining such a low class organization. The owner MOD EDIT is a real piece of work himself. I was warned by a former employee that when she was in the hospital he didn't care at all. I had a similar experience when I came down with malaria. When he terminated the contract he stated "this little experiment is over." In the end I have to say that is organization is one of the worst organizations I ever been apart of. The students were constantly in the Teacher's life and spreading all sort of gossip. The managers were asking questions about my personal life such as sex life and who am I dating? These type of questions should never be asked by anyone because its none of their business to know who we go out with at any level. Also they will try to force you to pay the contract fees even if they terminate the contract. Beware of this organization as they don't follow Manpower contract law in Indonesia. They need to provide at least three written warnings for the same thing before they can terminate the contract. MOD EDIT fired me for just cause without any warning. If you chose to decide to go with this company be prepared as most people don't last the whole contract for several reasons.

[laughing_magpie06]

Sorry ghostrider, not saying I don't believe you but this sounds very different to the Wall Street I knew and i'm not the kind of guy who is easily pleased or takes shit lying down. You can check my previous posts on other threads to see that. It was a breath of fresh air compared to three EF schools I had previously worked for. I lasted the whole contract and so did all the other teachers I worked with. One lady who posted earlier here is another who had a positive experience with the company. Not sure who the National manager is you refer too but the management team always supported me even when I had difficult situations to deal with. I was also backed up (for the first time in Indonesia) by staff when students complained about me unnecessarily. I also was ill a couple of times and never got a hard time calling up and taking a day off. Please elaborate which branch you worked for. I worked in Ratu Plaza so can't comment on Pondok Indah or Kelapa Gading but can't imagine they would have run anything other than a tight ship.

[Zorobabel]

I did a year at WSI Ratu Plaza and will add my thoughts.

It was a good place to work. The pay is good for an English course, second only to the central TBI branches as far as I know. Salaries start at 12 million--I think, as it was 11 million when I started in 2008--and they will provide significantly more depending on how much experience you have. Medical coverage is good. You get up to a month's salary reimbursement for general medical expenses, and you get real insurance for you and your family for overnight hospital expenses. The end-of-contract bonus is an extra month's salary taxed at 25%. You teach 30 hours per week, but roughly 27 of those are pre-planned.

The management, I thought, was very professional. The current manager at Ratu Plaza always does his best to support the teachers and fight for their interests. Lots of great staff, Indonesian and expatriate alike. The students tend to be friendly and motivated, as well.

All in all, a good job.

[Bubble81]

I have also worked at WSI in Jakarta. I was a teacher at Ratu Plaza for one year before moving to La Piazza for my second contract. I have found the management at WSI to be nothing less than professional. I worked previously for English First and I can honestly say that moving to Wall Street was a breath of fresh air for me. The company is really well run and organised. The benefits are great and the working conditions are excellent. The students are always really friendly and they are motivated to learn. I have found that whenever I have had a problem WSI have dealt with it quickly, efficiently and with minimum drama. They have always really looked after me and I have seen them do the same for my colleagues. I highly recommend them to work for.

[laughing_magpie06]

Sorry Ghostrider but you really must have rubbed someone up there the wrong way. You are, to this point, the only teacher i've known to have any problems with Wall Street. Bubble is indeed correct when comparing the professionalism of Wall Street with the shabby and unprofessional management of the majority of EF schools. If anyone wishes to move to Indonesia Wall Street is not only a great place to begin your teaching career but if I stayed I would have made it a long term venture.

[Ghost_Rider]

I also thought that Wallstreet Institute was a good place to work compared to other schools in Jakarta in terms of salary and vacation time awarded. The students are enthusiastic about learning English and tend to be more dedicated compared to my previous students. I didn't have a great deal of problems with a majority of the students but at the same time had some real issues with some of them. I tried to talk to my Academic Manager and MOD EDIT about the problems but he didn't want to listen. Several students kept writing love messages on Facebook and others took it a bit further by asking for sexual favors. I felt really uncomfortable when I would leave the office because she MOD EDIT would stop and kept asking me out. I would tell her no and then should would try to force me to go with her. I rejected her several times and she kept stating that I was a homosexual. She would write on several students post that I was a homosexual and had a relationship with another male student. I was really angry because of her comments and told my Academic Manager and he stated that they did that to everyone. When I would teach Social Clubs she would stand up and say she was in love with me and all the students would laugh. I felt embarrassed because she was a married older woman and I am also married as well. I told her to stop imaking sexual advances to me and stop asking me out but she wouldn't stop. I truly didn't know what to do with this student. She also tried to sleep with the male student name MOD EDIT who she said that I was have a homosexual relationship with. I told him to just stay away from her but he had the exact same problem. In the end I have to say everyone is going to have different experiences at the workplace good and bad. I felt that my experience was one of the worst but heard of other teachers breaking down and leaving the company. One of my co-workers on April 1 quit due to the management not providing a safe workplace for her when a Co-worker MOD EDIT kept calling her a mixed MOD EDIT. I am sure you wouldn't want to deal with these problems. I guess from what I have read that the Management provides a better workplace at the Ratu Plaza location compared to Kelapa Gading.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

I have just edited out the last instance of an identifying name of a real individual on this thread. If there are repeats, there will be permanent bans. Any member noticing such behavior or other inappropriate board conduct is requested to report it to the Mod Team by Post Report mode or PM.

[OICURAQT]

[kellymilf]

Can anyone provide more up-to-date info on WSI Jakarta? I've got an interview scheduled for next week and would love some input on what questions to ask. Thanks!

[ExpatLuke]

[geoboz]

yes, wall street does provide medical insurance, but it only covers roughly 23-30% of the total bill. even though this insurance is above industry standard in indonesia, it is not adequate. if you or anyone reading this comes to indonesia, please be sure to fork over the dough and buy international health insurance, the kind that includes emergency evacuation to your home country. the reason for the evacuation insurance is that doctor diagnosis in indonesia is not the best and is often a matter of trial and error. if you get sick and require hospitalization, not only can it be expensive; it can also threaten your life if you cannot leave. so, my suggestion is to make sure that you ask about the levels of coverage of the insurance versus the actual cost involved for various hospitalizations. the "caps" of coverage are, generally, too low.

[Durian Tango]

Wall Street is known as more of a business professional type of school where teachers have more contact hours than EF but also get paid quite a bit more. Nice facilities, adult and teenage students and a good reputation. They are only in Jakarta at the moment, so if you are looking for a school more in the suburbs or outside of Jakarta then other schools would be more suitable.