You remember my the post from a few days ago, where I had to make a decision on a teaching job in London? The one that I had made up my mind about; where your comments backed up my decision to wait it out for a better offer.
Well, I sort of changed my mind. [bashes head against wall]
Yesterday I sent off an email to the agency, explaining why I probably wasn't going to accept the post - the transport was killer and the pay rate that was offered simply didn't make it worth the time. She was very understanding and called back soon after, trying her best to offer me different solutions. Her solution involved seeking a higher wage for me, to make it more worthwhile. She emailed me not long after, saying that the school was willing to pay what I was asking for, so the decision was in my court.
Shit. Bloody decisions. I ended up making a list to work out what to do next, because honestly ... this is all so new to me, and I have no qualms in admitting that. Thank goodness I have Jason to help me look over contracts, work out travel options, figure out tax rates etc for me.
(And I love lists even more than I love piles of rocks.)
PROS:
*Perfect grade - year three
*Lovely headmaster - very positive and friendly
*School practically perfect - lots of planning, very excited
*Pay increased - good daily amount
*I'll have my own classroom!
*It's in a good area - lots of shops and seems safe
*Employed from January to July - ready for USA holiday!
*Working straight away - will be paid weekly from day one
*As it's temporary, I can give instant notice if I don't like it
*Won't have to do daily supply, ending up all over London
*No stressful job hunting, means I can relax until January 4th
CONS: (& how to solve them in Italics)
*Getting up early to travel (Will get into a routine.)
*Getting home later (Again, will get into a routine.)
*Three trains and a bus (Can think of productive things to do to pass the time. I can make it work. Hell, maybe I can even write a novel on the way in. No matter what job I take, there will always be travel involved. Stinkin' travel.)
*Could be horrible class/school - might hate the whole thing (Can always trial it for a few weeks and if I'm unhappy with school, can seek work elsewhere at the same time.)
I think you can see where my list is heading, right?
I'm most likely going to be accepting the job.
The pay increase was about 12 pounds a day extra, which makes the daily rate very reasonable and higher than my earnings here, which is what I wanted. It doesn't make the travel go away, but even if I was offered another perfect position at a later date, it might still be the same amount of travel. It might offer less pay. It's hard to say.
I've been trying to go by my gut feeling and by Jason's instincts, and I can't get the lovely school out of my head. Now that they have agreed to higher wages to keep me, it makes me think that I should give it a shot and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, I can try something different. If it does, fabulous.
I'll never know unless I give it a go - and after all, that's what this London move was all about in the first place.
I'll keep you posted.
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29 comments:
I think you're making the right decision. It sounds like a decent place to work, and if they're willing to raise their offer to get you to work for them, that's always a good sign. The travel sucks, but like you said, nothing's set permanently in stone. So you'll see how it goes, either love it or hate it, and continue from there. Best of luck to you!
I would take the job too -- now you are getting better pay! That sounds excellent. And, you can always look for something else if it sucks. Sounds like a win to me.
If it's temporary, you can totally give it a trial run. No harm, no foul. :)
well just think of it this way, if you get a better offer you can always take that instead :)
but i think you've already made up your mind!
good luck, i'm so excited for you!
I think the money was your biggest factor. So it sounds like they made it a really good offer.
Take it from someone who has had many jobs and tends to get laid off, if you don't like it, you can leave. Whether it is a temporary job or not. You're too young to be in a miserable situation. So, if you take it and it doesn't work out, there are plenty of other jobs out there for you!
But I have a feeling you are really going to like it! They REALLY want you! And the commute time is time to write blog posts so we can all know how you're loving London!
It sounds perfect! And if you don't like it, you can leave without worrying about tricky contracts. It makes me wish I was off to teach in London...
Whatever you decide, you knwo the whole internet is going to back you on this. It sounds like you've got all sorts of the details worked out, the back-up plan, and the AWESOME idea of being able to relax from now to January, and not have to start your London adventure groveling for a job makes this whole thing seem that much better. Hope you will love it! hope it is perfect! Goodness, I am so excited for you!
xoxox
I think that their willingness to pay you a higher wage is a good sign overall. Paying more for a talented person shows that they value qualified teachers and want the very best. Despite my PREVIOUS advice, I think you're right to reconsider.
*As it’s temporary, I can give instant notice if I don’t like it...
sounds like your answer right there!!
xx
The pay raise does make it very tempting and if you could just quit, I would probably accept it. But make sure you know what the commuting is going to cost too! London public transport is pretty expensive! Maybe you could also get them to pay for that, hehe.
trial run=best of both worlds. give it a shot. if the travel sucks, you can move on.
What everyone else said...especially since you won't be locked into it if it's not working for you.
Good for you! I think it sounds like an exciting opportunity (now that the pay matches your desired/deserved wage, of course). Oh, and I am also a big fan of listing!
About making the time while away on the trains and buses, you can get a Nintendo DS and some puzzle games. Or lotsa novels. Whichever works out cheaper, depending on how fast you read. :)
Aw well congrats! You'll be able to read a lot of books on your commute :)
Pay increase? Yay! I told you it was worth telling them why you were turning it down. Based on your list, I think you should take it now. Travel time on public transport does mean you get time to relax and space out.
Sounds like a great job except for the travel. Any chance you and jason could move to somewhere closer or at least an area where you wouldn't have to change bus so often. There could always be someone working there that lives near you or goes past you who would be happy to give you a lift.
If they're willing to meet you on the salary, they obviously want you. That's always a great place to bargain from. Go for it! By the time this adventure is all over, you'll be a pro at making decisions like these.
can they offer you a transportation stipend to help pay the cost of the THREE trains?
okay, you're sorta convincing me....
It sounds like you're doing the right thing. After all, a decently paying job is better than no job and you can always keep an eye out for something better (and closer).
Stinkin'.
HAHA.
money talks! good work my dear. and yes, now the ball is back in your court. just don't let it hit you on the head :-)
Whatever decision you make will be fine - and since it's temporary, you can't make too big of a mistake. So give it a shot, and see how bad the commute is. Still, three trains and a bus! Ouch! I don't know if I'd take on that commute, but then again, you'll have papers to mark and things like that. Good luck with it!
Whatever you decide (and it seems you're definitely leaning towards taking this job), it will work out. I say go for it! If the commute ends up being too expensive, or if the position itself is not what you thought it would be, then it sounds like you could easily leave and find something new. I say go for it!! Congrats!
First of all, my stupid feedreader finally started working as did the rest of my viewing stuff and my goodness, your blog looks so pretty! I love it! Secondly, it sounds like you're making a very logical decision, and like you said, if you totally hate it, you can just look for something else and have it entirely within your rights to quit! I think it sounds perfect :)
i LOVE your new look....love the design and the colors. it's so pretty!!
also, it sounds like they really think you'll be a good fit as they were willing to raise their offer for you. as you said, just go with your gut and it will all work out.
good luck!!
Good for you. You found the balancing point and made your decision. And your cons? definitely don't seem to outweigh the pros anymore.
Tricky, very tricky! You could always correct and do lesson plans on the bus/train. But I'd say your cons are less valid than your pros. Congrats on getting picked up so quickly!
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