How to Accept/Reject a Job Offer

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How to Accept/Reject a Job Offer: Congrats! You got the job!
Updated 13 November 2009

If you're offered a position, there's only one of two things that you can do: accept it or reject it. When you are offered a job, try to wait about a day before answering. Answering too quickly can make you seem desperate. Answering too slowly can make you seem rude or disorganised.

Don't simply reject an offer because of the salary or benefits. Contracts are usually negotiable. They have offered you a position, now it's your turn to make a counter-offer. Even if they're not negotiable, it's rare to find a perfect contract that explains everything clearly. More likely than not, you will have to change the contract in order to clarify items.

Remember that while you can usually make a couple of changes to the contract in order to get a better deal or to clarify items, you can't change it completely. If there are too many things in the contract that you don't like, or you have accepted a position elsewhere, or for some other reason cannot accept the job, then you will have to reject their offer.

Option 1: Rejecting a Job Offer
If you reject a position, please email the person and let them know. It's not polite to simply ignore their job offer. When letting a school know that you will not accept their position, just write a quick, polite response to let them know. Something like "Dear Name, Thank you for offering me a position at X school. I'm afraid that at the moment I can't accept the position. Thanks Your Name." This will usually be enough. However, if you are asked why you can't accept the position, just be honest, but polite.

Don't say something like "I heard that your school treats its teachers badly" or "the salary is way too low" or "I accepted a much better position than you offered" Instead say something like "I'm looking for a position with room to grow professionally" or "I'm looking for a position with more responsibility" or "I'm afraid I already accepted another position"

Option 2: Accepting a Job Offer
If you accept the position, it's time to negotiate. Here's a bit of info about negotiating, you can find more in Negotiating Your Contract. Keep in mind that while often the worst an employer can say is "no" to your requests, some employers may decide not to offer you the position if you ask to many questions and want too many things changed in the contract. I still believe that you should always negotiate, however, you should keep this in mind while you negotiate. Make sure that you know the answers to the questions in Questions to Ask a Prospective Employer.

You'll need to write to the school and thank them for the job offer. Something like "Dear Name, Thank you for offering me a position at X school. I'm very excited about the prospect of teaching at your school. I have received the contract and have a couple of questions I would like to ask/clarify about it."

Now list your questions (numbering them makes it easier for the person to respond), remembering to be polite. I would first list the items that I wanted to clarify because I didn't understand, and then list the changes I would like to make.

For example, in the contract, it says that a teacher will teach 25 hours, you could ask how long an hour is. Sometimes 40 or 50 minutes is considered an hour in contracts. After you discuss the clarifications, then discuss the changes.

For example, in the advertisement it says teachers are paid 1000-2000 USD. You are an experienced teacher with five years experience and they have only offered you 1100 USD. You could say something like "I have a question regarding the salary. In the contract it says that I will receive 1100 USD, however, I feel that my five years experience, participation in national conferences, and being head teacher at my current position would make me eligible for a higher salary." Try not to name a salary, sometimes they will offer you a much higher salary than you expected it. When they come back with an offer, then you can make a counter-offer.

While sometimes employers have a chart to determine salary, like a BA is X, a BA + TEFL cert is Y, etc, other times they don't and are just trying to get you to work for them as cheaply as you can. You need to know how much teachers are paid in the country that you are looking at and you need to know how much a teacher with your qualifications and experience should earn.

Signing the Contract
Once you get an answer and you both agree on the contract, it's time to sign the contract and start visa procedures (if they're getting you a visa). Now's the time to start getting accustomed to the school and area. Here’s some suggestions to help make the transition easier.

● Book a flight and inform your school when you will be arriving. Ask them if there will be airport pickup.
● Talk/email with current teachers and ask them for tips about the school and city.
● Get all the necessary paperwork together so that they can get a work visa.
● If you're going to bring materials with you, start looking around for suitable books and materials.
● Observe some classes before you start teaching.
● Familiarize yourself with materials.
● Start thinking about lesson plans.
● Familiarise yourself with the town. Moving to a different place and starting a new job are stressful, but with patience and time you'll adjust and you'll soon get used to your new environment.

Here are a couple articles that might help you with your transition. Dealing with Culture Shock, Moving to Another Country, Creating a Budget, Getting Private Students, and Learning the Local Lingo

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