Halls Institute Graduates?

[Younggunz]

Is there anyone here that has gone through Hall's Career Institute first hand?

 

[daniel f aleman]

Best prgram of its type in the country.

 

[Thalassamania]

Best prgram of its type in the country.

That's kind of like saying someone's a good egg in the long run ... if you like long runny eggs. Hall's maybe that best program of it's kind in the country, but it's graduates still only last 2 to 3 years in the industry and the staff there knows that.

 

[daniel f aleman]

That's the same job retention average that you are going to find from grads in any technical or trade school. What Hall's offers is exellent, though, and there is nothing else really like it...

 

[Younggunz]

So Daniel...you have first hand experience from there?

 

[MB]

A friend went through Hall's several years ago, and he enjoyed it. His experience was that they were organized and helpful. What made it organized was also its limitation - it was sort of a "canned" program. His read was that if you don't need much mentoring, and you've already had some opportunity to work with good instructors, their approach would be a good match. Where Hall's has had more "issues" is the program that takes NON-divers and turns them into instructors in several weeks...

There are many approaches to instructor training & development. You'll enjoy searching out the different appraoches, and finding one that matches your approach to professional development.

 

[daniel f aleman]

I have worked with several of Hall's grads over the years; and I have been to the shop in Marathon many times and have watched classes conducted in person.

I agree with MB's comments above. No curriculum can really make a qualified instructor in six weeks. BUT, Hall's instructor programs are developed for ten/twelve weeks. That length of time really does work well enough to get one from swimmer to diver to beginning instructor. Hall's advanced teaching programs and equipment seminars are excellent, and are set for current instructors looking to advance their abilities. I wish that there were more schools like it...

There are other schools in Florida with insructor programs, two are PADI: E.A.S.E. in Vero Beach and Pro Dive in Fort Lauderdale most notable; and one NAUI: Commercial Diving Academy in Jacksonville.

 

[Younggunz]

Hey MB,
Did that friend of yours get a job placement immediately after graduation, and is he making enough to make up for the heavy prices of Halls?

It seems the information that the career counselor gave me from Halls, was that people that graduate from there are sort of in a league of their own, and have the pick of many job offers...making anywhere from 30,000-40,000 their first year. I've asked about this in another thread, but I'm just looking to get more opinions and perhaps some personal experience as to how true these statements are. To me, a job offer of 36,000 a year would make the payment for the school worth it, but I just don't know how realistic that is.

 

[daniel f aleman]

The whole point of going to a school, of any type, is to get informed and trained under a demanding curriculum in a condensed amount of time. You can always become a diving instructor, in about a year's time, by doing the apprentice route through a shop. It will still cost you, in addtition to the extended time, around $3000-5000.

The advantage of going to a school, trade or academic, is that employers have a good idea about the quality of student that graduates from them. Most all schools have a placement program - but this is diving, there is no way to know how much you'll get paid taking any job.

One of the points of becoming an instructor is to be able to become a "small buisness" yourself. As an instructor, you are essentially a subcontractor to a shop or resort, and much of your pay will be determined by how hard you work, what work you do, and other things that are so dependent on which job you take. There is a demand for Hall's instructors (and Pro Dive instructors, PADI); but, be prepared to go where the diving and the jobs are.

 

[Thalassamania]

Hey MB,
Did that friend of yours get a job placement immediately after graduation, and is he making enough to make up for the heavy prices of Halls?

It seems the information that the career counselor gave me from Halls, was that people that graduate from there are sort of in a league of their own, and have the pick of many job offers...making anywhere from 30,000-40,000 their first year. I've asked about this in another thread, but I'm just looking to get more opinions and perhaps some personal experience as to how true these statements are. To me, a job offer of 36,000 a year would make the payment for the school worth it, but I just don't know how realistic that is.

I may have a jaundiced view, and I'm not involced in hiring recreational instructors on a day-to-day basis but it is my understanding that $15.00 an hour is considered great pay for an instuctor (and that's on the order of $30K a year) without benefits. $10 to $12 per hour is more usual. You can make that at the Gap or Pier One.