Congratulations on receiving a job offer from your school or college. Now let the negotiations begin!

Negotiation depends upon which position you’ve been offered, but salary is usually the main item up for discussion. Your school is likely to have a figure in mind for your salary. However we’d recommend not accepting or rejecting the first offer at this stage.

Ask your school whether there is flexibility on the salary. You may feel there’s room for negotiation, depending on your experience in or outside of the education sector. You may also consider the long term: accepting a lower salary will be more acceptable if there will be regular salary reviews.

If you’re looking at teaching abroad, there may be more room for negotiation because you’re likely to incur additional costs living abroad, such as international flights.

If you’ve been offered a teaching job in an independent school, there may also be more room for negotiation.

Although salary is important, it’s also worth thinking about whether the job is right for you, and whether it offers potential for your career development.

All the best at this stage!