Before you decide to call this company for a "job", just read this FIRST.
This company is named as Always Vigilant OR they could be called AAIS Security Incorporated OR Urban Dynamics Inc ... they have changed their name several times. Please read this... this "job" will cost you over 1/2 a grand of $. Yeah, ...read this.
I want to give you a warning before you pay any money to this place. Seriously. Read this and watch how accurate my experience is to other people who have been here.
Let me clarify, when you call this place, you are not getting a job. You are actually calling a company that is a security training school**** But they wont tell you that...
They do not tell you this. All they tell you over the phone is this, you ready? Once you speak about wanting an interview for a job they say:
"Ok your appointment is ~~~~~. We need you bring $100 when you come. IS THAT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM?"******
You might wonder why $100. Perhaps it's for the uniform you will be using, you might think. Nope. they won't tell you why until you come... THEY WILL ALWAYS ASK ANYONE WHOSE INTERESTED FOR A INTERVIEW FOR $100. Always. Call with someone else deeping your voice and ask for an interview and they'll say:
"We need you to bring $100 when you come. WILL THAT BE A PROBLEM? ...if only someone would of warned me about this place...
You get to Always Vigilant and wait for the person to "interview" you. They ask you why you think you'd be good as a security guard or working at a desk in a building.. Blah blah blah. Then they ask do you have a high school diploma/GED? Blah Tattoos/Piercing. Official question: "How is your appearance? You look sharp clean ok" Blah Blah then the next question is "Do you know any other languages? OH you do, that's good"
****Once they stop asking you questions: They give you a potential "price range" of what you might get paid based on your qualifications. This price range is exaggerated. They say:
"Based on your qualifications, you can make $13-$16 an hour!"
OH YEAH REALLY? This is over exaggerated. A security guard that starts off makes $10 an hours because you have NO experience period. They lie. They interviewer may even tell you that there's a "GOOD READY" job you can get immediately with you qualification BUT****** the job won't be available for long, that the company searching for security guards is only waiting till 2 weeks later and you could work there if you take these classes and get your training done before then.
Here's where the $100 comes into play. This interviewer is gonna tell you, in order to get a job that pays $XX amount of money, you need a security licenses and in order to get that you need to take these classes the interviewer will now present to you. Blah Blah blah
Total cost = $398 (That's the "discount" price, they put too columns of prices too make it seem like you saving money, nice marketing technique) this includes an 8 hours training handbook, 16 hour training + handbook & Fireguard + handbook (*********Listen... you can get this book at metrotech for free... these guys charge for a "class" wow)
+ PLUS also $40 application fee (non-refundable... how convenient)
= TOTAL cost is $438
Let me continue on what they will do to you . You just brought $100. "Can you bring $338 by the beginning of you next class?"
At this point, you feel like a sucker for bringing in $100 and now you need to being $338 before your next class... but hey for a job that promises $16dollars an hour, i guess you need to invest some money to make money right? NO. Please don't fall for them... I paid.
Took the classes. The teachers were very unprofessional. The people that work there are rude. I honestly wished I never wasted my money here. I spent my money to hear about a teacher talk about his life as a security guard and other nonsense.
If you just recently paid, YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY BACK. The $100 you brought is non-refundable but you can get the $338 back. Look at your contract. I suggest you do that if you already enrolled. Believe me, you will benefit greatly if you just lose $100 as opposed to losing $438+... and the reason I say plus is because there are other cost that you need to pay for to be a security guard. WHAT?!?! YEAH there's more. Not from them, but to NY State. HEY READ THIS!
This company doesn't tell you about the money you need to pay for fingerprinting ($105) you need to do that NY State mandatory tells you to do in order to become a security guard,
They don't tell you about the money you need to pay ($36) NY State Department for your security licenses,
They don't tell you about the money it cost to pay to take the Fire guard test ($25)
Add it up. This is a $604 "investment". More like a rip off.
Lastly let me explain the "guaranteed" job placement. They tell you that at your last day of classes, you need to come in a business suit and ready for your interview so you can get placed for work. Last day of classes come and hey, no job placement? They say:
"Next week on this day is your job placement appointment" Really? I thought you said it was my last day of classes. Alright you appointment day comes, and they tell you to go to a room where 30 people are in the room too.
Surprise! That's comforting to see everyone you took classes with plus some other people. These job placement people are completely disrespectful. They guy comes in cursing and just yelling at the class saying how we won't get jobs because we can't follow directions. ...What just happened i don't understand. I didn't pay money to get yelled at and so you can try to lower myself to your "presence"
Lets skip to when you go to your person, FIRST they don't interview you, they just hand you some papers, 5 papers more or less which are job references... to the companies that can hire you
Its not what you think...**** You get so excited you came this far!
You go to these companies and WTF? This is another job placement company! whoa hold the phone, i thought i was gonna get a job, nope they interview you to see if you will get a job.
WHOA WTF#2: the people from your class are ALSO here... Are you kidding me? They gave us all the same locations... basically all the same locations... This isn't job placement. Always Vigilant doesn't give you job placement, it gives job referrals. That pissed me off so much... In the little room we were in, no one came back into the room to share the "unique" locations to work because we thought it's a location chosen for "ME", when little did we know, we all got sent to the same spot.
If you read this and enrolled in the class, this is a heads up and get your money back, or whatever money you can get back. Don't get fooled if your teacher comes in and says:
"Well that review online is for Always Vigilant, we are called XXXXXX (fill in whatever they want to call themselves now) If the address is2 East 42nd St, this is the place I'm talking about. Now think... don't be fooled and let your fellow classmates know about this. You honestly waste your $. People need to expose this place...
I've included a pic the contract and blanked out areas for obvious reasons. This is just to show you what it looks like