Korean Job Discussion Forums

starbunny · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Location: U.S.

Are the contracts negotiable in terms of salary? I am considering one from a private school (hogwon)

frankly speaking · Joined: 23 Oct 2005

Everything is negotiable if you have something to negotiate with. If you don't have any experience abroad in an EFL classroom then no they won't give you more money. However, there are things that can be done. For example one thing that I do is pay my own airfare. Then I tell them that I want my salary to be without deductions. If they offer 2.2 make sure that is after all deductions. You will pay about the same in airfare as you would in taxes, but if you don't stay at the job and quit early, you don't have to pay back airfare and you keep that extra 100,000 a month. It is better in the long run to pay your own airfare if they pay your taxes for you. I often also negotiate less teaching hours but do more curriculum development.

However, if you haven't anything to offer them, then you are just being greedy and I doubt that they would give in. If they do, then they are desperate and probably screw you in another way later one.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

You can always try, but the pay usually isn't all too flexible, especially if you don't have experience and you only have a BA.

tob55 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007

Most hagwons play the game, and they all tend to work cooperatively to keep the pay scale within a specific range. Occasionally, someone is able to negotiate more money, but unless you are extremely good at negotiating, it is quite unlikely that you will get any hagwon owner to budge. I had a masters degree and more than 20 years of teaching experience when I arrived in Korea and it mattered little. The hagwon owners count on the system to support them in keeping salaries low for newbies and that is just a fact of coming into this job market. It isn't pleasant, and some as I mentioned have been able to buck the system, but not many.