Job Discussion Forums

[brendancarson]

I am considering an English teaching job in a corporation in Tokyo and am wondering about negotiation of the salary. It's a full-time job, I have an MA in ELT and about nine years experience teaching English in various locations. The salary seems pretty good, but checking at some options, there are university jobs that are bit higher. My question is simply this: is it a common practice for corporations (as it is in Western countries) to negotiate salaries with candidates? Thanks for your input.

[Glenski]

I know of a couple of people who have successfully negotiated salaries over here, but they already had enough work on their plate that they could do it without harm. That is, if they didn't get what they wanted from that school/company, they were able to continue working on their current salary.

Companies, for the most part, do not negotiate here, though. There are dozens or even hundreds of other candidates behind you waiting for the same job, so if you try to negotiate, you are likely to find yourself looking for another job while they take your place in line.

I wouldn't even try to negotiate, here or elsewhere, by comparing a company job to that of a university. Don't know if this is what you intended to do, but it sounds like it.

[Gordon]

I tried to negotiate with my university and was shot down in a second. I was told in no uncertain terms that the salary was non-negotiable. I knew there was a salary range, but that it was based on age. At least I now know that I got the best deal possible.

[PAULH]