So here\u2019s how to go about it:<\/p>\n
1. The Initial Offer<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/person-offering-money.png\")
<\/p>\n
After you finish\u00a0your final interview, most schools will send you an email with a contract that contains the terms of your employment, as well as your salary. This is exciting, but take the time to review the details of the contract. Some important things to take note of are the amount of holiday time, bonuses, housing or housing allowances, health insurance, and the hours you’ll work per day.<\/p>\n
Some high paying positions are high paying because they have very demanding schedules. Some lower paying positions compensate with great bonus schemes or extra holiday time. If you\u2019re not taking these things into consideration,\u00a0then you\u2019re setting yourself up\u00a0for failure and disappointment, because many of these things cost the school money and will affect how much salary they will be willing to offer you.<\/p>\n
2. Negotiation<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/negotiating-salary.png\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nSo you\u2019ve taken into account the benefits of the position and you feel you\u2019re worth more than their offer. Time to negotiate! The first thing you\u2019ll need to do is ask them! It might seem obvious but the school will never know that salary was a pertinent factor in your decision to turn down an offer if you don\u2019t at least ask.<\/p>\n
Decide why you\u2019re worth more<\/strong><\/h3>\nThe best way to go about this is to look at the requirements for the position in the job description and compare them with your own qualifications.<\/p>\n
Maybe the position requires 2 years of prior teaching experience and you have 3. You can use that to defend your\u00a0request for a higher salary! If the position requires experience with IB curriculum and you have it\u00a0– perfect! Anything that highlights why you\u2019re a great fit for the role is a fantastic way to justify a bump in your salary. If you don\u2019t meet many or any of the requirements for the position, then maybe you should reconsider whether negotiation is appropriate.<\/p>\n
Decide how much you want<\/strong><\/h3>\nYou\u2019ll also need to decide how much more you\u2019d like to ask for, and again, the job\u00a0description is your friend here. Look at the salary range advertised in the position, as this will give you some clue as to how much they\u2019ve budgeted for the position.<\/p>\n
If the salary they\u2019ve offered is on the high end of the scale, there\u2019s not going to be much more wiggle room. Conversely, if the salary they\u2019ve offered is on the low end, then you know that there\u2019s some good potential for a bump in salary.<\/p>\n
There is little point in asking for a salary way above the given salary range, the school will have a budget for all of their teachers and they won\u2019t be able to afford to blow the whole thing on a single teacher. This can also come off as rude if you’re asking for way more than the\u00a0top end of the advertised salary range.<\/p>\n
However, it can also be pertinent to ask for slightly more than you want so that if they make a lower counter offer it will be close to what you want.<\/p>\n
3. Asking<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/man-asking-for-more-salary.png\")
<\/p>\n
Now comes the asking. The most important thing is to do so politely and professionally, there\u2019s no point getting super aggressive or rude, remember you\u2019re trying to work with these people! A polite message will allow you to gracefully accept the original offer if they can\u2019t or won\u2019t raise your salary, should you still want to.<\/p>\n
An email will allow you to word things properly and avoid any miscommunication that might take place over the phone or in person if you\u2019re nervous.<\/p>\n
For example:<\/p>\n
\n\u201cDear Mr.\/Ms. Principal, <\/strong><\/p>\nI wanted to start by thanking you for your offer. I really enjoyed speaking with you, and I\u2019m very excited about the opportunity to work at _________ School. I\u2019ve reviewed the terms of your contract, and I wanted to ask if there is some room to negotiate my salary? I am aiming to make at least\u00a0$________ with my next position. Would a salary at this level be possible with YY School? I feel that given my extensive experience with\u00a0________ and my qualification in\u00a0__________ I more than meet the requirements of the role and will bring a wealth of\u00a0__________ knowledge to YY School. <\/strong><\/p>\nWarm Regards,<\/strong><\/p>\nMs. Smith<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nNo professional organization is going to take offense or retract your offer for trying to negotiate, so long as you go about it in a polite, professional manner. Any organization that does react in this way is likely one you don\u2019t want to be working for anyway, so you can consider yourself lucky to have dodged a bullet!<\/p>\n
4. The Counter-Offer <\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/teachingnomad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/fencing.png\")
<\/p>\n
The school will respond to this in one of three ways:\u00a0<\/p>\n
a. Make you a new offer with the salary you requested (Woo!) <\/strong><\/h3>\nIf they give you the salary you asked for, it\u2019s time to accept the offer. Most organizations will not look kindly on a second round of negotiation when they\u2019ve given you everything that you asked for in the first round. You\u2019ll come off as greedy or like you don\u2019t really want the job. Not a good look for anyone, least of all a teacher.<\/p>\n
b. They\u2019ll tell you that an increased salary isn\u2019t possible<\/strong><\/h3>\nIf they tell you a salary increase isn\u2019t possible, then it\u2019s time to consider how badly you want the position. Sometimes it can be worthwhile\u00a0to consider a position where you\u2019re underpaid if it\u2019s going to present you with the right career opportunities. It might be worth it to do this if later on, you’ll have the ability to take on a much higher paying position at a different school or if there are opportunities for advancement within the school that you’re considering.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also a good idea to consider how much time is left before the start of the school year. It\u2019s much harder to secure a specific position in the middle of the school year than at the start. If\u00a0it’s March or April, you have plenty of time to find a new position, if\u00a0it’s July or August, then the recruiting season is coming to a close, and it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll get many more offers before September.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve weighed\u00a0out these factors and you still feel the opportunity is not worth it, then don\u2019t be afraid to politely decline. You never know when you might interview with the same principal or hiring manager at a different school further along in your career. If you leave them hanging without a response, they\u2019ll remember it. If the school really wants you and has the ability to\u00a0make it work, then they\u2019ll quickly make you another offer, but if not, this particular opportunity may not be for you.<\/p>\n
c. They\u2019ll make you a new offer somewhere between the original amount and the amount you requested, or they’ll offer you some other less quantifiable benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis is probably the trickiest outcome, as you\u2019ll need to be the judge of whether the increase in salary or benefits is sufficiently close to what you asked for to clinch the deal for you. If it\u2019s not, then you can simply proceed as if they hadn\u2019t increased your offer at all and hope that they change their minds and increase your offer. If it is, then it\u2019s time to sign the contract and get ready for your new job!<\/p>\n
Still looking for your perfect overseas teaching position<\/a>? Check out our job board to find the teaching job that’s right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\nSo you\u2019ve taken into account the benefits of the position and you feel you\u2019re worth more than their offer. Time to negotiate! The first thing you\u2019ll need to do is ask them! It might seem obvious but the school will never know that salary was a pertinent factor in your decision to turn down an offer if you don\u2019t at least ask.<\/p>\n The best way to go about this is to look at the requirements for the position in the job description and compare them with your own qualifications.<\/p>\n Maybe the position requires 2 years of prior teaching experience and you have 3. You can use that to defend your\u00a0request for a higher salary! If the position requires experience with IB curriculum and you have it\u00a0– perfect! Anything that highlights why you\u2019re a great fit for the role is a fantastic way to justify a bump in your salary. If you don\u2019t meet many or any of the requirements for the position, then maybe you should reconsider whether negotiation is appropriate.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to decide how much more you\u2019d like to ask for, and again, the job\u00a0description is your friend here. Look at the salary range advertised in the position, as this will give you some clue as to how much they\u2019ve budgeted for the position.<\/p>\n If the salary they\u2019ve offered is on the high end of the scale, there\u2019s not going to be much more wiggle room. Conversely, if the salary they\u2019ve offered is on the low end, then you know that there\u2019s some good potential for a bump in salary.<\/p>\n There is little point in asking for a salary way above the given salary range, the school will have a budget for all of their teachers and they won\u2019t be able to afford to blow the whole thing on a single teacher. This can also come off as rude if you’re asking for way more than the\u00a0top end of the advertised salary range.<\/p>\n However, it can also be pertinent to ask for slightly more than you want so that if they make a lower counter offer it will be close to what you want.<\/p>\n Now comes the asking. The most important thing is to do so politely and professionally, there\u2019s no point getting super aggressive or rude, remember you\u2019re trying to work with these people! A polite message will allow you to gracefully accept the original offer if they can\u2019t or won\u2019t raise your salary, should you still want to.<\/p>\n An email will allow you to word things properly and avoid any miscommunication that might take place over the phone or in person if you\u2019re nervous.<\/p>\n For example:<\/p>\n \u201cDear Mr.\/Ms. Principal, <\/strong><\/p>\n I wanted to start by thanking you for your offer. I really enjoyed speaking with you, and I\u2019m very excited about the opportunity to work at _________ School. I\u2019ve reviewed the terms of your contract, and I wanted to ask if there is some room to negotiate my salary? I am aiming to make at least\u00a0$________ with my next position. Would a salary at this level be possible with YY School? I feel that given my extensive experience with\u00a0________ and my qualification in\u00a0__________ I more than meet the requirements of the role and will bring a wealth of\u00a0__________ knowledge to YY School. <\/strong><\/p>\n Warm Regards,<\/strong><\/p>\n Ms. Smith<\/strong>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n No professional organization is going to take offense or retract your offer for trying to negotiate, so long as you go about it in a polite, professional manner. Any organization that does react in this way is likely one you don\u2019t want to be working for anyway, so you can consider yourself lucky to have dodged a bullet!<\/p>\n The school will respond to this in one of three ways:\u00a0<\/p>\n If they give you the salary you asked for, it\u2019s time to accept the offer. Most organizations will not look kindly on a second round of negotiation when they\u2019ve given you everything that you asked for in the first round. You\u2019ll come off as greedy or like you don\u2019t really want the job. Not a good look for anyone, least of all a teacher.<\/p>\n If they tell you a salary increase isn\u2019t possible, then it\u2019s time to consider how badly you want the position. Sometimes it can be worthwhile\u00a0to consider a position where you\u2019re underpaid if it\u2019s going to present you with the right career opportunities. It might be worth it to do this if later on, you’ll have the ability to take on a much higher paying position at a different school or if there are opportunities for advancement within the school that you’re considering.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a good idea to consider how much time is left before the start of the school year. It\u2019s much harder to secure a specific position in the middle of the school year than at the start. If\u00a0it’s March or April, you have plenty of time to find a new position, if\u00a0it’s July or August, then the recruiting season is coming to a close, and it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll get many more offers before September.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve weighed\u00a0out these factors and you still feel the opportunity is not worth it, then don\u2019t be afraid to politely decline. You never know when you might interview with the same principal or hiring manager at a different school further along in your career. If you leave them hanging without a response, they\u2019ll remember it. If the school really wants you and has the ability to\u00a0make it work, then they\u2019ll quickly make you another offer, but if not, this particular opportunity may not be for you.<\/p>\n This is probably the trickiest outcome, as you\u2019ll need to be the judge of whether the increase in salary or benefits is sufficiently close to what you asked for to clinch the deal for you. If it\u2019s not, then you can simply proceed as if they hadn\u2019t increased your offer at all and hope that they change their minds and increase your offer. If it is, then it\u2019s time to sign the contract and get ready for your new job!<\/p>\n Still looking for your perfect overseas teaching position<\/a>? Check out our job board to find the teaching job that’s right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/strong><\/p>\nDecide why you\u2019re worth more<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Decide how much you want<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Asking<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\n
4. The Counter-Offer <\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\na. Make you a new offer with the salary you requested (Woo!) <\/strong><\/h3>\n
b. They\u2019ll tell you that an increased salary isn\u2019t possible<\/strong><\/h3>\n
c. They\u2019ll make you a new offer somewhere between the original amount and the amount you requested, or they’ll offer you some other less quantifiable benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n