Being a private tutor is often the choice for many students and freelancers who want to make some extra funds. However, if you want to earn a lot from this venture, you need to show parents and your potential students that you should be the one to hire.
Whether you are starting out as a private tutor or you are already in this game for a few years, we are going to help you to increase your income as a private tutor with these easy tips.
Let’s break that income ceiling of yours!
Rewrite your CV and Be Honest!
If you want people to hire you as a private tutor, you need to show them that you have the right abilities to help them. Your CV or your curriculum vitae is a good measure on how well you know the subjects you will tutor your students on.
Before you offer your services as a tutor, review your CV and rewrite it. Show your entire education history and include your accomplishments on it. It will help parents see that you have the qualifications to help their child succeed.
You should also ask your teachers, family members with high positions or former colleagues to give you a character reference. These references can help sell you as a tutor and give potential parents an idea of how you are like in person. This is important as they are trusting their precious gem’s future in your hands!
If you don’t know where to start redoing your CV, look online for samples or ask your friends to help you out. Some schools offer special classes for CV writing to help you to prepare for employment.
Take on Extra Courses and List it on Your CV
It is not a bad thing to learn new things even if you are getting older.
For tutors, it is important that they are always up-to-date with their subject specializations. Enrol in online courses to learn more about the subjects you are teaching and see how you can incorporate your lessons to your tutoring plan.
You should also include these online courses as part of your CV. Do not be afraid of all these qualifications will make your CV longer. These qualifications will show to your potential clients that you are doing an extra effort to improve your skills as a tutor.
Get testimonials from your Current or Past Students
If you have a few students in your tutoring roster, do not be afraid to ask them for a written appraisal. People will consider you more if they know that your present students approve of your teaching style and that your efforts have paid off.
Once your student has passed their test with their help or if they are now ready to take on their lessons on their own, ask them for a short testimonial. Post these testimonials on your profile for others to see. If they have a social media account, have them post their testimonials in your profile.
These testimonials can help potential clients see that your tutoring can deliver the results they are looking for. These satisfied students can also become your indirect promoters because they can tell others that you are a tutor to consider.
Research and set a Reasonable Rate
If you are new to tutoring, you should do your research on how you can set up your business. Even if you are tutoring for a long time, rates can fluctuate or increase depending on demand so it is good to keep an eye on education-related news.
Research about the price asked by local tutors to students. If your fees are higher than others, potential students will not consider you. Sometimes, parents also look into the subjects tutors specialize in before they are considered. Usually, this is done if parents want their students to learn more from their tutors or if a student is failing a certain subject.
Once you have done your research, set a reasonable hourly rate and just adjust it as your student improves. If you have to travel to your student’s location, you should also look into the travel costs and adjust your fees accordingly. If you do need to travel to your student’s location, check how much time you need to travel and how you can adjust accordingly.
You should also research your area if there are a lot of students looking for a tutor.
Use social media and forums to check on tutor advertisements and ask for their locations. If for some reason you cannot visit your students personally, research for alternatives like online tutoring or advanced lessons.
Start advertising everywhere
Once your profile is complete and your pitch is flawless, you can now create your perfect advertising post.
You should start advertising your tutoring services in online forums, notice boards, community halls, and Social media. You can also put your advertisements on ad sites. Make sure to fill up all the spaces in these sites, so potential clients can get a clear image about you.
If you want to reach people easily or can’t find students through these sites, you can sign up with a tutoring agency like ours. SmileTutor can help connect you to potential students and act as your contact.
In Summary
Becoming a tutor is not a walk in the park even if you have the skills and qualifications necessary to be an effective tutor. You have to make sure that you can handle the workload, offer the right rates and prepare alternatives if your session is interrupted by various circumstances.
If you plan to become a tutor, do your research, advertise yourself correctly and start small. It will take time for you to reach your targets and you need to make a lot of effort to help your students.
Once your students show results with their scores, potential students will come to you and you can start raising your fees. When you do, make sure, to be honest with your students. Your students will agree to it and will be happy to pay more as long as your tutoring can help them become better.
Happy tutoring!
For more tips on how to be a better tutor, here are some articles that may interest you:
How to Increase Your Online Presence as a Tutor
Essential Phone Interview Tips A Tutor Ought To Know
Facebook