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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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 Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:05 am Post subject: hourly wage |
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A dispatcher seeking a teacher for six one-hour kid's lessons offers 3500 an hour. Do you tell them 4000 plus transportation, or do you take 3500 and whatever transportation they are offering?
Thanks in advance,
s
Last edited by Sweetsee on Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:18 am Post subject: |
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Impossible to say with that kind of limited info. Transportation expense meaning what? A train ride can be 120 yen and 10 minutes or it can be 2000 yen and a couple hours.... By car? bus?
How often? Or is this a one-shot deal? If it IS a one-shot thing, is there a possibility of more/other one-shot deals?
Do you really WANT to take this gig? Or are you doing it grudgingly?
Too many factors to consider..... Gomen....
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 6:38 am Post subject: |
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Nah Jim, it's not a big deal. As you may or may not know I am seeking a new position from April and I am picking up little things I find near my school. Like I have a 2-hour company class twice a week in the evenings for 4000 an hour. And I saw this other one near here: six one-hour lessons on six fridays. I am too lazy to go back and see what they said about paying transportation but I do remember them mentioning "limited" travel cost (whatever that means). Anyway, I agreed to go into town to interview and have a feeling that they will want me to do other things but I just want someone's opinion on whether or not to demand 4000. I could take it or leave it, right? I mean I am going to be hustling over there between classes, so it's not a big deal if they say no. I know they are hard up. The other company told me they couldn't find anyone out here.
Thanks Jim for commenting. How was Canada?
Enjoy,
s |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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IMO, 4000 yen an hour for a company class is peanuts. You should be making at least twice that much.
A one-hour kids' lesson? Too long for the very young kids (what are their ages, and how many at once?). You should get at least 5000 yen/hour IMO, plus transportation.
Don't expect a dispatcher to raise his bids, though. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:09 am Post subject: |
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| So, let me see if I've got this right. I should quit my company classes because they are exploiting me and I should forget about the kids' classes because they aren't paying enough. Is that about right? |
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ripslyme
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 481
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:14 am Post subject: |
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| Sweetsee wrote: |
| So, let me see if I've got this right. I should quit my company classes because they are exploiting me and I should forget about the kids' classes because they aren't paying enough. Is that about right? |
Well heck, you don't have to do anything. If you feel that you're getting paid fairly for the work you do, what's the problem? |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:22 am Post subject: |
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| There is no problem Rip. But wasn't that a horrible thing to say when I am out there busting my butt trying to put food on the table? |
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c-way
Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 226
Location: Kyoto, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: |
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If your wavering on whether to take the job or not, why not go ahead and demand a higher wage that if agreed to would make you feel very fortunate to get the job and if not agreed to basically makes the decision for you.
Once I had my fill of private lessons whenever I was asked to take on new students, I would just ask for what I considered an excessive wage and if they agreed to it, then at least it was worth my while.
Another good example of Supply and Demand. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:53 am Post subject: |
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| What do you think about demanding a higher wage via e-mail before schlepping into town to sign on? |
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VanKen
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 139
Location: Calgary, AB Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:08 am Post subject: Hourly wages |
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| Glenski wrote: |
IMO, 4000 yen an hour for a company class is peanuts. You should be making at least twice that much.
A one-hour kids' lesson? Too long for the very young kids (what are their ages, and how many at once?). You should get at least 5000 yen/hour IMO, plus transportation.
Don't expect a dispatcher to raise his bids, though. |
| Sweetsee wrote: |
| So, let me see if I've got this right. I should quit my company classes because they are exploiting me and I should forget about the kids' classes because they aren't paying enough. Is that about right? |
If that's the way you want to look at it, yes. You are obviously upset about the work conditions that you are being offered and wanted another opinion. Glenski seriously and graciously gave you his opinion. Why all the hostility? With your history with Glenski you should be happy that he responded at all. If I was in his shoes I would probably have just ignored you. 
Haven't you been in Japan long enough to know what a good wage is for those kind of classes?? |
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moot point
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 441
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| To OP. You tell them that you only work for 10,000 to 15,000 for an evening of work, plus travel expenses. I worked for business English dispatch companies in the past and usually taught 2 or 3-hour classes. After two hours, the third hour doesn't really make a difference. In my mind, to take an evening (travel time from four and return home around nine) then demanding 12,000 yen is fair. That's a good day's work in my opinion. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks mate. I heard that. Appreciate it. Unfortunately, this is the second evening gig I have had around here and they have both been 2-hour classes. And the 4000 I'm getting now is better than what I was getting before. It is sad, and the only reason I do it is because it is within striking distance of my job. That and I am about to be unemployed.
Hey Ken, you need to read my question again, friend.
Enjoy,
s |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
So, let me see if I've got this right. I should quit my company classes because they are exploiting me and I should forget about the kids' classes because they aren't paying enough. Is that about right?
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As usual, you have it all wrong, and I am continually amazed at how often this happens, considering the length of time you have lived in Japan.
As c-way wrote, ask for more money. You might be surprised at how many employers will knuckle under, especially if you can show them somehow that you are worth it. In your case, showing 15-16 years of teaching experience in Japan might do the trick.
Oh, and we are all trying to put food on our tables. No harm in asking for more money to do that. Friends of mine who teach company classes and private lessons are truly amazed to hear from their clients that they are currently charging far too less for lessons, and that they are very willing to pay more. They just didn't offer to pay more simply to save money of their own. Simple economics. Those are for clients who have been doing business with my friends for any length of time (usually a year, and sometimes more.) When they start looking into a new position, it just takes professionalism in negotiations to ask for more money. Many company classes have had zero experience in such dealings and are willing to listen to how they should be thinking when they arrange to pay a teacher. Don't act like some of those buffoons out there who take the first offer on the plate, especially when you know it's not worth your time.
| Quote: |
| What do you think about demanding a higher wage via e-mail before schlepping into town to sign on? |
I think that's a "schleppish" way to do business. Call instead. Show a little integrity in your business dealings. Give the personal approach. You've been here long enough to realize that such things matter here. Emailing a demand for higher wages is like slapping someone in the face or mailing a form letter. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for that Glenski. Ended up not being able to pull myself off the tennis court and texted that I couldn't make it. Duh.
Tomorrow I am playing at a university that rejected me after an interview. In fact, played all day today at another university where I had an interview.
Enjoy,
s |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Sweetsee wrote: |
Thanks for that Glenski. Ended up not being able to pull myself off the tennis court and texted that I couldn't make it. Duh.
Tomorrow I am playing at a university that rejected me after an interview. In fact, played all day today at another university where I had an interview.
Enjoy,
s |
My God! |
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