How to become a tutor
Requirements for private tuition
How to become a tutor? What do you need? We have all asked ourselves these questions before entering the world of private tuition. Today we have good news. There is only one requirement: to find students to give private tuition to.
But the fact that there is only one requirement does not mean that just anyone can be a tutor. This profession requires commitment and responsibility. Let's take a look at what parents and students look for in a good tutor:
- Education. Private tuition does not require specific qualifications, as you will need to test your knowledge in the field. However, it will make it easier for you to have some knowledge of the subject you teach or some knowledge of teaching in general.
- Would you like your first job to be teaching private tuition? Go ahead! Nothing is stopping you. Experience is not a requirement, although if you have already worked in voluntary work or even helped your colleagues to understand certain concepts, all the better for you.
- Didactic material. It goes without saying that you will need materials to prepare your private tuition. Most of the time it will be the student himself/herself who will lend you his/her textbook or notes, but you should not rely on this alone. Your job as a tutor is to look for other resources and to complement your student's education.
- What qualities do you have? Are you responsible? Empathetic? There are many different qualities that a tutor should have. Our advice is to look within yourself for what makes you special and bring it out.
The key to finding jobs for tutors
Finding a job as a tutor is a simple process. Here we explain in three steps how you can work as a tutor online in no time at all:
- Portal for private tuition. The first step is to find a website for private tuition. These websites act as a job board for tutors in the private tuition sector. The advantage of these platforms over general job boards is that students and tutors meet only for tutoring. Therefore, the process is more straightforward.
- Create a tutor profile. This profile will serve as your CV. It will be your letter of introduction to your potential students, so take care of the content and put as much information as you can!
- Promote private tuition. Another way to find a job for tutors quickly is to advertise it. Have you thought about spreading the word on social media or telling your friends and family about it? Contacts are very important at this point.
How to find students for private tuition
Without students to tutor, you can't be a tutor. Would you like to know how to get them? The first step is to ask for private tuition at your school, tuition centre or university. If that doesn't work for you, fear not.
We are in the technological age and it is possible to find students online. By searching for a private tuition portal you can contact people and introduce yourself to them. This is how you can do it:
- Post an advert. Advertising yourself as a tutor is key. They will be able to find out all they need to know about you and contact you.
- Gain visibility. You must take action to position your ad and attract attention for you. Depending on the platform you apply on, there will be different ways.
- Contact tuition centres or students. Did you know that on websites such as FindTutors you can directly contact students or tuition centres that have published job offers for tutors?
How to place an advert for private tuition
Private tuition advertisements should answer a series of questions based on the interests of the students who would seek you out. In general, these are the characteristics that should define your advertisement:
- Subject. Logically, describing the subject you teach and what you specialise in is the most important part of the advertisement.
- Do you want to give online tuition, private tuition at home, face-to-face tuition or group tuition? When writing your advert, you should take into account the type of classes you want to give.
- What level are you aiming for? For example, if you want to give English classes, you should specify if it is for B2, C1 level... The same applies to music classes (there are advanced and beginner levels) or science classes.
- Price. It is common to wonder how much to charge for private tuition and what price to set. Here is a guide to the price of private tuition to help you find your way around.
- Timetables. Defining your timetable is also important. In this way, you will ensure that the students who contact you can fit in with your schedule.