Tutoring is a hugely rewarding job, allowing you to make a real difference to young people's lives, at a time when it really matters. It gives you the chance to inspire and engage bright young minds, helping to put them on the road to success. And it even gives you the opportunity to put your knowledge to real use, as you share some of the exciting things you’ve learned throughout your degree.

 

There are currently a huge number of young people in need of private tutors, with the UK Department for Education finding that 61% of UK children qualifying for free school meals received a D grade or worse in their Maths and/or English GCSE. Despite successive governments prioritising education, the fact remains that a huge proportion of young people are still slipping through the net. That is why we in the UK spend an estimated £2 billion on tutoring every year.

 

The idea of getting started with a tutoring job might seem a little overwhelming at first, however, this can be a hugely rewarding job. Though it is by no means like a standard hourly paid job, tutoring is a valuable way of generating income while studying. So, if you’re interested in doing some tutoring yourself, here are a few tips for getting started.

 

Start with your own network

Whether you’re still attending university or college or you’ve recently left, reach out to your own network to get started. Ask family friends if anyone they know needs tuition and you can make a start by helping them over the holidays. Likewise, if you start to get in touch with your lecturers, tutors or student mentors and discuss your plans to start tutoring, you’ll probably find they know of individuals in need of some tuition.

College and university staff may be able to introduce you to people who can help you get started with a tutoring job, and they may even be able to connect you directly with students in need of assistance. Leave no stone unturned - all you have to do is ask!

 

 

Find experience in the local market

There are a number of ways you can get relevant experience in your local area. From volunteering at a school to working in a summer camp or Saturday school. Saturday schools provide tuition services to hundreds of children, and they’re quite often on the lookout for new tutoring talent. Look up local Saturday schools in your area and find out if there are any holiday camps nearby which offer tutoring during school breaks.

 

Get your foot in the door at one of these schools and you’ll have the comfort of regular work, as well as being on their list for future opportunities. Even if there are no current vacancies available, it’s well worth making yourself known to these companies. You never know, they just might give you a call when they do have a job up for grabs.

 

Browse tutoring platforms

The fastest way to get started with tutoring work is by embracing the digital era and using online platforms to put yourself out there, with there being a number of sites dedicated to matching potential tutors with students. The great benefit of this is that you have access to a database of prospective clients who are actively looking for help, making your search for work a lot easier. With this, you can find out what people need help with from the opportunities posted directly by users. This makes your life a lot simpler, allowing you to apply to the opportunities that are best suited to you.

 

 

 

Yet, many online tutoring platforms do more than just matching tutors with candidates. Some platforms also offer professional development opportunities, such as tutor training courses and workshops. You might even find that your chosen platform offers volunteering opportunities and the chance to have your tutoring observed in order to gain valuable feedback and progress your tutoring career. For example, Tutorfair tutors are given the opportunity to volunteer at the Tutorfair Foundation and provide help to students who might otherwise not be able to receive one-to-one tuition.

 

Tutoring sites and other online platforms are particularly useful for those starting out in the tutoring business as they offer a sense of community, enabling you to connect with others in a similar situation, sharing ideas and tips as you go.

 

Perfect your CV and profile details

Like any job, tutoring requires a great CV to attract potential students. Remember, you should never use a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to writing your CV. It’s far better to tweak it and include or remove certain aspects of your experience depending on the job you’re looking for. So, if you’re looking for tutoring work, naturally you should make sure your CV outlines all relevant experience surrounding tutoring and the subject you’re looking to tutor young people in.

 

Don’t forget to include additional information about yourself which might attract students, too. Include your likes and dislikes, any proud moments you’ve had that haven’t been work-related (like running a marathon, for example) and anything else which you think might be relevant. It’s great to inject a little personality into your CV in order to stand out from the competition.

 

Once your CV is complete and you’re happy with the way it sounds, you can start drafting a profile to use online when searching for tutoring work. Your CV can provide the basis for this, though be careful to ensure that it gives off a more friendly and approachable tone – this will make parents and students much more likely to get in touch with you.

 

Harness social media

Social media is another invaluable tool in any online job search, and it’s great for tutoring too. Ensure that you’ve got a complete profile on channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and appeal to potential students using the tools that they use the most.  If you’re on tutoring sites like Tutorfair you’ll also have your own custom link to share on social media, allowing clients to click through directly to your profile.

 

To ensure your social channels are as effective as can be, we recommend you share plenty of content which relates to your field of study as well as simply advertising your services. Don’t forget about hashtags, either. It’s worth spending time looking into tutoring hashtags and working out which hashtags are currently popular in the tutoring community.

 

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Tutorfair connects tutors with parents and students for local or online tuition. For every lesson taught, Tutorfair makes a donation to help a child who would not otherwise benefit. So far, Tutorfair has helped thousands of students from challenging schools. Sign up to get started with your tutoring job today.