In this modern day of age, tuition is booming! As you can read in our blog about ‘5 reasons to become a tutor.’ It is a great way to earn a little extra money as a student, especially if you’re very social and like to work with people.

As great as tutoring sounds, there are a couple of things that you need to do before you can actually get started. It is not very easy to find a lot of tutoring jobs yourself. Therefore, I highly recommend joining a tuition agency. A tutoring agency will help you find students, which will save you a lot of time. In exchange for the tutoring company’s work, they take a percentage of your earnings.

There are many tutoring companies in the United Kingdom and they’re all very different. In order for you to choose the right agency, it is important that you consider the following things:

Reputation

Needlessly to say, before you join a particular tutoring agency, doing your research is very import. If a company has a really bad reputation and is known for being unprofessional, and terrible customer service, you might want to reconsider applying for a Job there.

Online vs Face to Face tutoring

As I already mentioned, every tutoring agency is different. Some agencies only offer Online tuition, and others require you to go to the student’s home, a tuition centre, or a library.

In general, a face to face tutor gets paid more than an online tutor. In addition to that, it is a lot easier to build a relation with your students if you are meeting them in person. The chances of being rebooked for another session are significantly higher with face to face tuition compared to tutoring online.

On the other hand, if you are doing your classes online, you are more flexible and also save transportation costs and time. Also, most tutoring companies require you to do a DBS background check (Disclosure & Barring Service) if you are working (face to face) with children. This is a little extra work, and there are some additional costs involved as well.

As you can see, online and face to face lessons both have their advantages and disadvantages. Simply go for the one that you think suits you best.

Business Management

Most tutoring companies use software like TutorCruncher for their business management. If the tutoring company you apply for is using software like this, you can log-in to your account, plan your lessons, see all of your payslips, and easily enter all of the extra expenses (e.g. travel expenses) that you make during your sessions.

Not only is the use of tutoring business management software a sign of professionalism, but it also makes your life a tutor a whole lot easier and less complicated.

Pay rate

Most likely one of the main reasons why you want to become a tutor is because you want to earn a little extra money. Before you start working with a company, it is important that you discuss your pay rate. Generally speaking, companies that are more hands-on take a higher commission, however, they might also give you more Jobs. It is up to you to negotiate a fair rate that works for both you and the tutoring company.

Conclusion

To summarize, tutoring is a great way to earn some money during your studies, however, it is import that you choose the right tutoring agency to work for. Firstly, make sure that the agency you are applying for doesn’t have a bad reputation. Secondly, decide whether you want to tutor online or face to face. Thirdly, I’d highly recommend tutoring companies that are using a business management portal like TutorCruncher, as it shows professionalism and it makes your life as a tutor a lot easier. Lastly, make sure that you negotiate a fair pay rate that works for both you and your agency.