How To Become a Personal Tutor

Have you pondered with the idea of working for yourself and would like more freedom in your work?  An interesting conversation with a friend about online teaching may have led you to the discovery of an opportunity you couldn't resist. But like with all new ventures there is a space of the unknown and now you are left with a few unanswered questions.

In this article, we will be addressing the following points:

• Why you should become a tutor and the benefits of doing so
• What is the simplest yet the most effective way of becoming a personal tutor
• The best possible channels for working as a tutor online

After reading this article you can be assured with more confidence to start your new journey as an online personal tutor. Let's begin.

Why Should I Become a Tutor?

Did you know that just over 15% of South Africans are self-employed?

But why?

What does it mean to be self-employed and why do so many South Africans opt for this way of generating income?

A person who works for themselves either owns a business or works as a freelancer. They don't earn a salary like someone that is employed by someone else. They earn the profits generated by their business or freelance work which means their income can fluctuate monthly meaning they can generate more or less income than an employed person.

But if there's a chance that your income is not very stable then why do so many choose this way of work?

Freedom!

When you are self-employed you have more freedom which forms part of a lifestyle that brings you more happiness in your professional and personal life.

In the last 10 years the self-employed rate in South Africa has increased by 75.4%. Another factor to consider when looking at this increased figure is jobs scarcity. It is a reality that jobs are not easy to come by in South Africa. Therefore, many young and aspiring adults seek self-employment to generate another source of income to keep them going.

A private tutor gives bespoke academic support to students and adults.

Being a tutor is a self-employed profession that many find rewarding because like with other self-employed professions you have more independence.

Does that sound like something you would be interested in?

Whether you are a student, recently retired or have a full-time job, in-person or online tutoring may be the golden opportunity you have been looking for.

Here are a few more reasons you should consider becoming a tutor.

• Travelling to work every day takes up so much time in our daily schedules, especially if you are one of those who needs to be drive through crazy traffic every day. When you are a tutor you can determine your own schedule which means you don't have to travel at peak times and save time and energy.
• The flexible schedule that comes with being self-employed is an attractive prospect for many because you can have a healthy work-life balance.
• You can supplement your income or make it your main source of income.
• Be in the driver's seat when it comes to choosing how much you would like to charge. We recommend you stick to industry standards when choosing an hourly rate depending on your level of expertise on the subject.
• Tutor a subject you love and which you are passionate about.
• You can choose to teach in the way that works best for you. You can teach one on one, in a group, online or in-person.

Before you can reap the benefits of being a tutor you need to first follow a few steps in order to become one. Let's move on to the next important step as you learn how to become a tutor.

How to Become a Personal Tutor?

Becoming a tutor is quite easy if you are already an expert in some field. Whether it's a language, a school subject or playing a specific instrument.

The possibilities of what to teach are endless.

Often, there are individuals that would like to learn something new or gain advanced knowledge about a subject.

If you are not yet an expert in your field and only have basic knowledge about a subject but would like to give lessons, it's important to up-skill yourself. Get a relevant qualification like a diploma or a university degree, research and read up on that subject daily.

It is vital that you know all the ins and outs of a subject so that you can help your student to the best of your ability.

Of course, you won't always know everything and there will be times a student asks you something that you don't know, but that's okay.

One of the perks of being a tutor is you always learn. There is a constant two-way stream of learning and exchanging information between you and your students.

Another important aspect about becoming a tutor is to have certain characteristics. You will not only be an important figure in your student's life for a brief moment but it will be a character building exercise for you too. To start off with the following skills will help you a great deal:

• Patience
• Excellent time management
• Organisational skills
• Exceptional communication skills
• Enthusiasm and motivation

Not only will you teach your student the subject but you will have the opportunity to teach them a few life skills by leading as an example.

Now that you have learned more about how to become a personal teacher let's move onto the next important step in your tutoring journey.

Possible Job Opportunities As a Personal Tutor

After you are confident that you are well educated and equipped with all you need to be an adequate tutor you are ready to explore the various job possibilities.

To get started, you need to decide if you would like to give lessons in-person, online or both. This will depend on where you live, how far you willing to travel and how flexible your schedule is according to your responsibilities.

Digital sessions can be cheaper because you don't have travel costs or need to spend time travelling. This means you might get more students because your rates are more affordable.

If you are someone that likes to give your students a more personal experience, in-person classes might be a better fit for you.

Newt, you will need to start marketing yourself and your qualifications to schools, universities and colleges. You can even tap into the world of digital marketing and advertise your services on social media or Google Ads.

Another possibility would be to sign up to tutoring platforms online. The benefit of this is they already have an audience searching for tutoring services all the time.

In the beginning it's important to utilise all channels that can bring you students so that you can get your business up and running. With time you will come to realise which channels work the best and brings you the most students and income.

So don't forget to measure all your efforts to determine what works best for you!

One online tutoring organisation worth mentioning is Superprof. We have thousands of academic tutors who offer in-person or online classes. You can sign up whenever you are ready, and create your teaching ad for free!

Here are two further benefits of signing up with Superprof:

1. You can give lessons in more than one subject
2. Students looking for online tutoring services are not limited to South Africa. You can expect an audience of students from over 40 countries.

You will see with time, effort and patience your business will also start to grow by word of mouth. If you give an excellent experience to your students I can guarantee you they will spread the word and you will be gifted with more opportunities.

We started with one question at the beginning of this article, now we leave you with another:

Are you ready to embark on your new teaching journey?