There are many factors a teacher considers which will affect whether they accept a teaching position. The most obvious factor would be the content of the position (i.e. what is going to be taught). What is the school asking of you as a teacher? You must ask yourself if the ESL TEFL TESOL job is interesting and fits into your career plans as a teacher. The person/ESL school you will be working for is also an important consideration so you must take the time to talk to them either via email or phone. It would also be beneficial to ask to speak to other teachers from the school to find out their impressions. Finally, it is good to know if there is any special TESL TEFL TESOL training required by the school or visa/immigration rules. Knowing what the job is, what is required and whom you will be working with are the first step in deciding whether to pursue it further.
Some may say that the most important consideration would be salary and benefits but these should be a secondary consideration to what you want to do and who you will be working with. Regardless of the salary paid, most people will not stay at a position where they feel unsatisfied or have no growth. In addition, the people you work with or for have an enormous impact on your job satisfaction. However, when considering salary and benefits, do not focus as much on the starting salary but rather on the potential for growth and increases. Does the school have growth potential for you as a professional? Do they spell out cost-of-living increases and meritorious raises? Benefits are other areas that can supplement a position where the starting salary is not as good as you would have wished. Get a list of benefits from the company and formulate any questions you may have regarding them so that you can better discuss the position with management and other teachers at the school.
Another factor that may come into play with many teachers when evaluating a position is the ESL TEFL TESOL resources provided by the school for the teacher to prepare their lessons. Teachers spend a large majority of their time preparing for upcoming classes. This requires readily available resources such as teacher edition books, computer, printer, internet access, and preferably a reference library. In addition, there should be a work area set aside at the school for teachers to plan and prepare. Whether the school already has a set curriculum/syllabus for the class to be taught and ESL TEFL TESOL student books because the teacher may be asked to help to create these resources (i.e worksheets) for your school year if they are not provided. I have known many teachers that have felt the need to move on because of the demands of planning for a school year without adequate resources.
