Could a career in teaching be your dream job?

There has been a great deal of debate about whether a career in teaching is a good choice for a graduate as often it is seen as a stressful job with a poor work life balance but teaching can be a rewarding and well-paid career choice and can lead to quite rapid progression.

If you decide that it is the career for you, you will need to have a relevant degree or be working towards one. Some primary teachers study for a B Ed degree as within the course a higher percentage of time is spent on teaching skills than on subject knowledge. On the other hand if you are considering a career as a secondary teacher a deeper subject knowledge will be required and so many decide on a BA or BSc or even a one-year PGCE degree after obtaining a degree in a specific subject.

At times during the course which may be three or four years long you will be given the opportunity to work in schools on teaching practice. This is a useful way of finding out if you like working in school and to see for yourself the responsibilities that teachers undertake.

There is no doubt that teaching has its challenges, but many teachers say that it is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do.