Job Discussion Forums

[Justin Trullinger]

I sort of meant about marriage specifically.

Have you heard the one about a woman who wants to get married, but doesn't know anyone she wants to marry, so she puts an add in the paper that says "Looking for a husband." Gets thousands of responses.


All from women who say "Please, take mine!"

Grass is always greener man.

About salary negotiations- Here's another question: How common, where you are all, is it to simply publish a pay scale, with values given for years experience, qualifications, etc?

I'm looking for teacher training work in the coming year, and most places don't even consider negotiating salary- they just tell you what the scale is, and you can look at it and see where you fall with your qualifications and experience. I like this.


Best,
Justin

[Glenski]

In Japan it is not common to negotiate. With a flooded market and more and more cheapo employers these days, it doesn't pay (no pun intended). I have heard of some people with experience (key word) being successful at it, but only in PT positions or after working with an employer for a while (not fresh into the job).

Negotiating with private lessons? Of course in the initial dealings, it should be done and is often done, AFAIK. PL students are cheapskates almost anywhere, and in a recession they feel more of a reason to balk at the initial price you may set. However, as time goes on in their lessons, if you see the need to raise your fees due to standard of living, it often makes sense to them if you announce a rise in fees. Some students have even remarked, "It's about time!" with people I know. I've even had a couple of proofreading clients state the same thing.

[naturegirl321]

For some reason, I can't edit the poll, just my post, so can't add a stometimes option, sorry.

I've had students quit, because they didn't like my methods, I've taught various ADD kids and I guess the parents expect me to install fear into them, hit them or something, I won't touch my students. They ARE wild, think feet on the desk, standing on the table, I keep calm, they come down, but I?m not the parent, I can't spank them.

They fired me.

And then after going through a bunch of teachers in a couple of weeks, came crawling back, but I had already filled their spot.

About negotiating, maybe here in Peru, it's normal. I was making 1500 at a school my replacement is making 2400 usd. I've got more exp and quals. The only reason they give her more is because she was hired from abroad. Hradly seems fair.

And come on, let's face it, for us oldbies or experienced teachers, we know that TEFL is a business and peopel running schools are not often teachers. They're looking to find the cheapest option possible. I think you SHOULD negotiate, especially if you've been in the game a while.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

MOD EDIT - "Sometimes" has been added as an option at request of OP.

[Chris_Crossley]

EF English First in China usually advertises (or at least it did advertise it when I started eight years ago!) the fact that those teachers who decide to stay on for a second year will receive a 10% pay rise.

This may be fair enough, but I am willing to bet that there must have been a lot of teachers who must have thought that there must therefore be some kind of standard, "automatic" 10% pay rise per year for each subsequent year that they sign on.

However, they would undoubtedly have been disillusioned if the management of their school turned around to them and said, "We've never said anything about a 10% pay rise if you stay a third or subsequent year." Indeed, they might have been offered a pay rise of less than 10% and there would have been nothing illegal about it as pay rises for third and subsequent years are (or at least were) never openly advertised.

That doesn't mean, of course, that teachers wanting to stay a third or subsequent year cannot negotiate - it is a matter entirely between them and management, but it is no use using the advertised 10% pay rise advertised for the second year as some kind of "automatic" basis for negotiating an equal or greater pay rise for the third or subsequent year simply because there isn't one.

In other words, the moral of the story is: Never assume anything about pay rises in TEFL until you actually learn about any offer.

As for me, two years in EF were enough for me and I returned home to England - only to return to China within eight weeks in order to escape unemployment!

[naturegirl321]

Oh, that's sneaky about the 3rd and 4th years. Never thought about that. I think that salaries should be raised a bit, just to keep up with inflation.