What happened to you in your childhood that you would even consider it?

PsyGuy, you are too kind and referential, as always.

To the original poster, I recommend ensuring that you are at the table of the schools you prefer as early as possible. And being highly attractive physically. It's a meat market. End of story.

Only stay with him if he's Alpha.

Cold and in at least one of the schools, highly homophobic. There's always Amsterdam!

I am glad art has not been entirely discontinued by MakerSpace mania. At too many schools libraries, labs, and art rooms have been destroyed and in their place 3D printers and cork floors. Vile.

Be hot.

It's sort of like musical chairs in South America these days. I would steer clear of all of it until a few of the democracies fully collapse and recycle into command and control dictatorships again. At that point, I would shimmy on in.

Don't put the cart before the horse...

It's worth it the same way that wearing a condom is worth it: not ideal but protects all parties from even less ideal situations.

To the original poster: I think you may have an addition problem.

At every school in which I've ever worked there should have been many more firings. Actually, I would have been fine with outright purges. I also find the most heartless heads are certainly British. American heads are way too slow to fire in my experience.

@PsyGuy

I would do €500K if single, €1M if I had one or more dependents.

Search has 'retired' Sally!

I don't think I've ever had a head of school who wasn't either a pathological liar or viciously abusive - or both.

You could not pay me 100,000 euros to work in the main international schools in Paris. I'd rather work in Genoa, and that might be a living nightmare.