One in five people in Australia changed jobs in 2021 and over a quarter are considering leaving their current job. This is all part of the worldwide 'Great Resignation' that is seeing people in both the public and private sectors deciding they don't want to return to pre-COVID work conditions; instead, they are looking for more job satisfaction and a better work-life balance.
Will this shift continue and will it be like a legacy of the pandemic?
As horrifying as the last two years have been, if anything, people have started to understand that their time is precious and if they are going to pursue their dreams, there is no better time than now.
With all the lockdowns, people took the opportunity to engage in some online learning to increase their work skills. As such, many of us have branched out to work for ourselves in our own start-up businesses. A large number of people have also moved into the online teaching space as freelance tutors.
If anyone knows and can understand the trials and tribulations of online teaching, it is teachers. The past two years have been a massive learning curve for almost every teacher, whether they work in the primary education sector, at high school or in a university. Nothing beats face-to-face teaching with children and young students, however, there is a lot to be said for the online experience as well and some teachers have expressed an interest in continuing this, at least part-time.
Whether you are a teacher or come from a different job background, if you want to become a tutor, Superprof offers an easy-to-navigate platform and great support.
Keep reading to find out how it all works.
So, You Want to Become a Tutor?
You don't need to have skills in any particular academic subjects, like maths, chemistry, physics or English, to work as a tutor with Superprof. Nor do you need to be a qualified teacher or even have oodles of prior experience tutoring online.
If you have a set of skills that other people want to learn — be they African dancing, knitting or playing the ukulele — you can be a tutor.
Of course, if you have a passion for economics or you're in your third year of an engineering or biology degree, you may also appreciate a few tutoring jobs to earn some extra cash.
And, you're also very welcome if you're a qualified teacher with 25 years of experience or a maths whiz with a superhuman brain.
The point is, if you have skills and are keen to share them with others, then a tutoring job could be for you.
To get an idea of what other tutors offer, have a look at all the different subjects on the Superprof platform.
Unlike other tutoring agencies, if maths, English, physics and chemistry are not your cup of tea, you are not going to be sent packing.
Set aside some time to browse through tutor profiles. You will notice that there is a huge range when it comes to:
- skills
- level of experience
- specialisations within subjects
- preferred student levels
- background (from qualified teachers and business executives to first year university students).
It stands to reason that tutors with more experience or high qualifications will be more in demand. However, some of the best tutors are those with minimal experience but huge enthusiasm for their subjects and the act of teaching — students pick up on this and will be keen to learn because of your attitude. Then, once the student testimonials start coming in, new students will be clicking on your profile to find out more.
Speaking of your profile, this is one of a few administrative tasks you will need to deal with before starting your first private tutoring job. Other tasks include:
- registering yourself as a sole trader with the Australian Business Registry
- obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- register for a tax file number (if you don't already have one)
- obtain a Working with Vulnerable People check if needed.
Once you've finished with the formalities, you can go about creating your Superprof profile.
How to Create Your Profile
Spend some time creating your profile — the more relevant, easy-to-read information you include, the more students will come your way. Here are a few profile pointers to get you started.
Photo
It's all about the visual if you want to capture attention as students scroll down. Make sure your photo is good quality and authentic. (Don't put in a shot a friend took at a party!) The ideal photo will have you looking natural and relaxed. If you can, make sure there is something in the background that represents what you provide tuition on.
Lesson details
Provide as much concise information as you can about your lessons, making sure you include:
- type of lessons (online, in-person, private, group)
- location of lessons (Zoom, Skype, coffee shop, your home)
- level of students (primary school, high school, university, adult, young children)
- subject or subjects you tutor (academic subjects: maths, English, economics, biology, physics, chemistry; recreational subjects: cake decoration, yoga, singing etc.)
Rates
Be clear on your hourly rate and the conditions (e.g. short notice cancellation). Make sure you are clear about whether you offer the first lesson for free and for how long.
Bio
A paragraph or two about you.
- Prior experience
- Education and pedagogy beliefs
- Interests
- Your education background
Other information
There are a number of 'interview questions' provided by Superprof that you may wish to answer and include in your profile. These questions are designed to give potential students all the information about you that they need to make a decision.
Your profile can be as long as you need — just be sure you use your words wisely to prove to students that you are the Superprof tutor they need.
Determining How Much to Charge for Private Tutoring
It is important that tutors understand how the Superprof platform works (and what makes it different from other online tutoring platforms).
First and foremost:
Superprof is free for tutors to use.
Yes, you read that correctly. Free. Not only do you not pay for the advertising Superprof provides but you do not have to pay to have students reach out to you. If, however, you would like your tutoring profile to have higher visibility, you can opt to join the subscription-based Premium Club. A monthly subscription also gives tutors insurance on their listings and dedicated support from the team but it is completely optional.
Now that you know that you can keep all of what you earn, it's time to set your fees. Remember, it's not just a random amount picked out of the air — your fees need to cover your costs, including preparation time, online setup equipment and other business-related fees you may incur.
Here are a few things to take into consideration as you set your fees:
Where do you live?
Factor in transport costs if you are teaching in-person lessons. Also, consider your living expenses.
What are you teaching?
Not all subjects are equal and this goes for tutoring prices, too. If your subject involves highly specialised skills, you can probably charge more. If there are dozens of tutors doing what you do in, lowering your price may help. Don't forget your level of experience and expertise, along with the materials and equipment you may require.
When are you available?
If you're only working your tutoring jobs on the weekend or late in the evening, then a lower price may offset your limited availability. However, if tutoring is your full-time career, you can charge a little more as you'll be available when other tutors aren't.
Before you take on your first student, it could be useful to understand the payments and charges system with Superprof to determine the best way to collect payments but also the best way to help your students save a little.
And, Now For the Lessons ...
While it's not mandatory, most tutors provide the first lesson with each student for free. This may seem like you're working for no reason but it has been proven to create credibility with potential clients when you show you understand the value of their time and money.
In addition, this first 'free lesson' is actually more of an opportunity for tutors to get to know their students and for both tutor and student to work out if they are a good fit for ongoing tuition.
Use this free lesson to find out how you can best help and support each student to achieve their goals. Find out about their preferred learning style and exactly what they need help with or want to learn. Also, use the opportunity to explain to the student about your teaching style.
At the end of the hour, you should both understand how the ongoing private lessons are going to work.
You should gain enough information from this hour to start planning your lessons with the student. Once your student has booked in for their first paid tutoring lesson, make sure you understand the following:
- lesson structure — review time, new concepts, questions
- student goals
- whether there is a need for study skills coaching as well as tutoring.
Finally, the most important thing to work on is developing a good rapport with your students. They need to trust you in order to perform well. Encourage your students to leave you a rating on the platform and a testimonial that covers your teaching, subject knowledge and the impact of your support. Reviews are what bring the tutoring jobs in and they also boost your confidence that you are delivering private tutoring that is value for money and achieves results.
In a nutshell, this is how Superprof operates — connecting students and tutors and giving people an avenue to utilise their skills for their benefit.
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