Salary negotiating, tips and success stories

Hi all,

I see a lot of unhappy facebook posts about $600/teaching hour still being offered and thought we could share our success stories and tips to each other.
If you’re not teaching English it would be great to hear how you approach your negotiations too!
This way we can see what the market is really like rather than what the bosses say it’s like.

Previous job was hourly $810/teaching hour (this took several attempts over 1.5 years starting from $600), boss refused to allow me to go full time (after 2 years), half under the table and about 18 teaching hours a week. No paid leave or anything.

New cram school success

Advertised/original offer:
Full time $70,000 a month up to 25 teaching hours a week 1pm-9pm mon-fri hours.
Public holidays unpaid
Annual leave according to labour law (3 days)
Payroll done illegally ($40,000 a month declared)
Leave for my sisters wedding (in 7 months) not guaranteed.
1 year contract
6% pension only paid on the declared $40,000
Assistance in finding housing
Start date of 15th of August

Offer signed/agreed
Full time $75,000 a month up to 27 teaching hours a week. 1pm-9pm mon-fri hours.
20 days annual leave per year (taken as 10 days every 6 months)
Public holidays fully paid
Payroll done legally and fully declared
Leave for my sisters wedding guaranteed
3 year contract - this was their request
6% pension paid correctly
No assistance finding housing (I don’t need this)
Start date of 1st of August

What worked well:
*I made several applications and used competing offers (from private schools) to negotiate
*I was staying with the same brand I had experience in but a different branch
*I was willing to move cities
*Create small personal connections: I noticed the boss had studied in New Zealand and I am Australian and worked with many Kiwi’s. I asked about what they thought of recent changes in the material. I asked if the knew xyz person from the company or had visited my current branch before.
*I asked about their future plans at the school.
*It was clear they wanted a long term employee and I wanted a long term employer. I used this to my advantage
*I advised them when we first spoke on the phone that I want payroll done legally, this took them by surprise. I think many cram schools assume we prefer under the table (some might, I don’t)
*I was personable and polite but honest and firm.
*I tried to steer the conversation away from my personal life (where I’m living, why I’d move to this city, my reasons for coming to Taiwan etc.)
*I was clear about what my dealbreakers were: sisters wedding, legal payroll, some form of paid annual leave.
*Actually I probably would have taken the job with a lower monthly salary or less annual leave because the job is easier than a private school but I didn’t tell them that.
*I advised I am flexible when leave is taken as long as I can take it

They basically matched my private school offer and added an extra $1,000 a month.
Seems like they can be much more flexible than they let on.

P.S. I know this is a bit of a brag and I am proud of (and surprised at) myself. But I do hope other Forumosans find this useful in their own negotiations!
I had read some old threads on negotiation before I met with them but there wasn’t anything specific.

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Be qualified, be competent, be easy to work with, be ready to move on to something better

Edit : and congrats, @justintaiwan

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:100::100::100:

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I’ve found negotiations based on the business pays some of your expenses rather than just hourly pay increase can have some success.

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