Hi,
I hope everyone can forgive me for posting about this topic when it’s already been talked about but I’ve searched through the forum and couldn’t find much recent (2015) information on Shane Schools from people who’ve worked for them.
I’ve just been offered a job with Shane and am just waiting to hear the exact location in Taiwan (my preference is Taipei or Taichung) before I make a decision. I’m 26, have an Honours degree and have just completed CELTA, but have no other teaching experience. I’m currently in New Zealand. Shane has offered me $530 an hour which seems very low (I understand the average is $600). Money definitely isn’t my main priority in going to Taiwan and I’m good at living cheaply, but I’d still like to be able to live comfortably and save a bit.
I know I could apply for other places that pay more but the main advantages of going with Shane seem to be that they’d help me get set up, offer support (I only speak very basic Mandarin at present), and a guaranteed job with guaranteed 80 hours pay each month. If I did take it, my plan would be to work there for 6 months to a year to gain experience and then go for other, better jobs.
So my main questions are: would I be crazy to accept such a low wage? would it be acceptable to ask for more money from them (other people online seem to report getting higher pay, but I know there’s a surplus in the supply of teachers so I don’t have much bargaining power)?
If anyone has any more recent advice on Shane that would be most appreciated!
Thanks!
In short, yes. If you want to come to Taiwan, then get a job like that and then change up when you get here. Note that Taichung is much cheaper to lve in than Taipei.
530 per hour? WTF?!?!?!?! They must think people are really stupid. Don’t take it, it will only further depress wages for the rest of us. If you want to make a decent amount of money, just come here on your own and find something. It’s not that hard and you’ll do much better than 530 an hour. Also the amount of hours they are offering is dick. That’s barely over 40,000 NT a month. After you get taxes, labor and health insurance deducted you’ll barely crack 30,000 NT a month, about $1000 USD. That is a pitiful sum and you’ll find yourself scraping by, unless you enjoy eating the shite local food and don’t want to drink, party or even do any domestic traveling. Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll be able to afford a plane ticket out of Taiwan at the end of one year if you really pinch every NT dollar.
The average is NOT NT$600/hr. That’s the lowest anyone should ever think about accepting for a job and that would be with no experience and no TEFL/CELTA certification.
Do they honestly expect you to live in a tent? The level of wage you’d earn on 530 per hour at 80 hours per week would barely break 40k gross. That level of pay is just unconscionable, especially for major cities here. Foreign laborers get a better deal. They may earn a bit less, but at least their accommodation is provided and they take their savings to countries with favourable exchange rates.
Yeah, it’s just over 43,000 a month for 80 hours. Pretty terrible! Though I forgot to add it does also offer 27 days holiday pay and a bonus at 6 months and 12 months to reimburse the flight (so they say). I have an interview at another place soon so will see how much more they offer. Thanks for your replies 
Knowing Shane, I’ll doubt you get that many hours anyway. I’m wondering what do the other similar schools offer, like kojen (I think), and HESS?
About $19,000 a month last I checked, and many have to pay a good portion of that to the sourcing agency that brought them to TW in the first place. (My wife was making $24,000 at her first job out of college, by the way.)
That’s not to say we should accept low wages, just know that it’s not as low as it goes. And if you complain about 40k to most Taiwanese people, they’ll scratch their heads at where the problem is.
Fucking A! 
Don’t think too much and don’t mind the naysayers too much around here. The pitiful thing about the $530 an hour is it’s the same that’s been offered for about 12 years.
However, it’s a ‘training/probation’ standard for fresh off the boat, inexperienced teachers. If you can last three months, you will get a pay rise, and if you are still breathing after six months, you will get more.
This pattern will continue until you hit a glass ceiling, go mad, run home with your tail between your legs, or drop dead.
Considering the high value of the New Taiwan Dollar, and the sinking feeling you get when holding NZD, you are not doing too bad at the moment.
Disclaimer: I have a bias toward Kiwis, and many of my best mates and girlfriends have been from The Land of the Long White Cloud. I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve seen it on TV, and in movies.
About $19,000 a month last I checked, and many have to pay a good portion of that to the sourcing agency that brought them to TW in the first place. (My wife was making $24,000 at her first job out of college, by the way.)
That’s not to say we should accept low wages, just know that it’s not as low as it goes. And if you complain about 40k to most Taiwanese people, they’ll scratch their heads at where the problem is.[/quote]
I am aware of the rates foreign laborers earn. There may have been some exaggeration in my statement, but not much. If you’re making barely 40k before deductions, have no other supports and need to pay rent etc, you are not in fact doing much better than someone making 20k per month who has free accommodation. It’s a terrible wage and you’ll struggle to live any sort of life on it. Again, I’m not out to minimize the plight of foreign laborers; only to highlight just how bad 40k is as a salary for a person who needs to support himself independently.
I’m also married to a local and have been for some years. I’m aware of local salaries. Yes, they sometimes suck, but there are options. My wife was offered jobs at 24k or thereabouts after graduation too and she turned them down. She does somewhat better than that now. A few things: there are other bonuses/benefits involved in the salaries. Local employees get promoted. They also more often have local supports such as family and friends. They aren’t thousands of miles from home, needing to purchase international airline tickets to visit home, nor having to save up seed money to re-establish themselves in western countries, and all the expenses that entails, when they’re done with their job.
[quote]
just know that it’s not as low as it goes[/quote]
FYI, based on what you’ve said in your posts here, I’ve been living here roughly 3 times as long as you stayed here. Really, “just know” I do know how low it goes and a lot more besides.
Um, no, they won’t, unless the only people you know are 20-somethings in their first jobs. At best, 40k is a so-so salary. And if you mention that it comes with no annual bonuses, no holiday entitlement or pension plan, “they’ll scratch their heads” at why you took such a crappy job.
But back to the real point: It’s a terrible wage to offer an FT. Even 600 nt per hour is too low. 530 is just cheek and exploitation.
Don’t think too much and don’t mind the naysayers too much around here. The pitiful thing about the $530 an hour is it’s the same that’s been offered for about 12 years.
However, it’s a ‘training/probation’ standard for fresh off the boat, inexperienced teachers. If you can last three months, you will get a pay rise, and if you are still breathing after six months, you will get more.
This pattern will continue until you hit a glass ceiling, go mad, run home with your tail between your legs, or drop dead.
Considering the high value of the New Taiwan Dollar, and the sinking feeling you get when holding NZD, you are not doing too bad at the moment.
Disclaimer: I have a bias toward Kiwis, and many of my best mates and girlfriends have been from The Land of the Long White Cloud. I’ve never been there myself, but I’ve seen it on TV, and in movies.[/quote]
Lord of the Rings, by any chance? 
It’s definitely worth a visit if you can! I think being from NZ, that’s why Taiwan appeals so much. I like that it’s also small, mountainous, friendly, and overshadowed by a louder and much bigger country that people often mistakenly think it’s a part of! It’ll feel like home in no time.
Thanks for your encouraging words. I’m prepared and expecting to start at the bottom to gain experience, I just don’t want to begin below the bottom line if I can help it. 
To be honest, if you want a country that is easy to get started in go to Korea. They pay for your airfare upfront, put you in a furnished apartment as soon as you get there, and it’ll only take about $1000 USD to get yourself started there until you get your first month’s pay which will allow you to save at least $1000 USD right then and there. You could easily save $10-15K USD in a year. Then you could come to Taiwan and work for peanuts. But if you have a good amount of money already, then just come to Taiwan.
I know that Korea is a more logical choice money wise and I thought about going there for a while, but for some reason it really just doesn’t appeal. Call me stupid, but money’s not my first priority. I’m in the process of deciding between Vietnam and Taiwan
I know that Korea is a more logical choice money wise and I thought about going there for a while, but for some reason it really just doesn’t appeal. Call me stupid, but money’s not my first priority. I’m in the process of deciding between Vietnam and Taiwan [/quote]
Just looking at this post a year later. How did everything go?
Hi, where did you end up teaching?
What is a good salary for teaching in Taiwan or Shane? Most people on this post said that the salary is too low but I don’t see anyone talking about the actually numbers of a good and reasonable salary at Shane.
Shane’s from Kent.
Never sell yourself short. That is a disgusting wage. Shame on Shane, I hope they will remove that union jack from their logo.
What do you mean Kent? Never heard of this before. I’m looking for actually and realistic salaries for a English teaching jobs in Taiwan. I remember in your previous comments mentioning that you are currently or have taught in Taiwan. How much did you make then?