Becoming a tutor opens doors to new opportunities. Offering private tuition lets you learn through teaching and develop your professional network by meeting new people. You gain experience as a mentor and develop valuable skills to succeed in the future. No wonder tutoring is considered to be one of the most attractive alternative jobs for teachers.
Tutor jobs give you the skills that employers are looking for, including good interpersonal skills and being open to new concepts. Employers appreciate the enthusiasm, authenticity and all of the soft skills needed to meet the demands of tutoring roles. Each of these traits comes as part and parcel of your experience as a private tutor.
In this article, we will show you how:
- your tutoring experience is valuable in the job market
- online tutoring can help your career
- you can claim your place in the private tutoring market
- you can tutor even as you continue your studies
We will also discuss why becoming an online tutor is a good idea. As an educator, you get to draw on your students' strengths to create tailored tutoring programmes which will lead them to academic success. In the same way, you can become a learner by interacting with your pupils. This partnership, where tutor and tutee work together, is called 'reverse mentoring'.
Key Takeaways
- Tutoring boosts your CV by developing all those skills that recruiters value
- You do not need any qualifications or pass any exam to become an online tutor.
- Strong communication skills and a passion for teaching are enough to begin on your tutoring journey
- University students can benefit greatly from online tutoring, as it creates an extra source of income and adds to their CVs
- Online platform sites like Superrpof make it easy for tutors with no experience to easily set up an account and begin teaching
Want to give private lessons?
Join the Superprof community and share your knowledge with interested and motivated students.
Why Become a Tutor?
You might wonder if using your skills to encourage others will truly benefit your own future as you consider becoming a home tutor. But you won't take long to realise that private tutoring offers plenty of advantages over teaching privately.
Tutoring allows you to increase your income while working from home, an ideal situation if you are still in school, at university or job hunting. More importantly, private tuition is valuable personally and professionally, as it's an experience to improve your CV.
You can give lessons and teach in any subject you are passionate about. You can find innovative ways to teach maths, English and any other subject you excel in. You can help pupils build the skills to become lifelong learners. You could even teach languages, history, geography or even the piano.
You can conduct lessons in different ways. You can teach just one pupil at a time or a small group that can learn with each other as a form of peer tutoring. You might even tutor online.
One-on-one tutoring can help children with specific learning difficulties or disabilities (SpLDs) such as dyslexia. These students need guidance to develop personalised study skills and feel confident in school. And don't forget that sharing your knowledge this way requires you to exhibit skills which employers love.
What is An Online Tutoring Service?
An online tutoring service refers to tutoring where lessons between students and teachers take place on an online platform. Online tutors may work with individual students or conduct online study lessons. They also administer regular tests and assessments to measure a student’s preparation level.
The biggest benefit of online tutoring is that it transcends the traditional methods of teaching and extends beyond geographical borders.
Online tutoring can be conducted in various ways. In one-on-one online tutoring, the student receives personalised attention, and lessons can be customised to the student’s learning pace. In group tutoring, multiple students are taught at once, and it is often more affordable. Lessons involve a mix of collaborative sessions, live chat, and peer discussions.
For on-demand tutoring, students are provided with 24/7 support. Students just need to log in to the dedicated system and select the subject they want help with, and are matched to a tutor for assistance.
One-on-one Online Tutoring
- The student receives personalised attention
- Lessons are customised to the student’s learning pace
Group Tutoring
- Multiple students are taught at once
- Lessons involve a mix of collaborative sessions, live chat, and peer discussions
- Is more affordable
On-Demand Tutoring
- Students are provided with 24/7 support
How Online Tutoring Differs from Traditional Tutoring
Online tutoring differs from traditional tutoring in several ways, including the way sessions are delivered and the flexibility they offer. Here is a table summarising the difference between the two.
| Online Tutoring | Traditional Tutoring |
|---|---|
| Is done remotely | Is done in a physical setting where both parties meet in person |
| Students can access from anywhere | Students have to be present in-person |
| Sessions can be scheduled at any time | Sessions depend on the tutor’s availability |
| Makes use of digital resources | makes use of printed material |
| Is more cost-effective | More costly due to transportation |
| Requires stable internet | No technological requirements needed |
How Online Learning Works
Online tutoring is an excellent way to strengthen your CV for the Singapore job market, and there are several ways you can implement to make it effective.
1. Selecting a Video Conferencing Platform
Choosing the right video conferencing platform is a key step in creating an optimal online learning environment. With several options available like Skype, Zoom, and Google Meet, choose one that meets your needs and requirements.
2. Using a Virtual Whiteboard
Virtual whiteboards are necessary for effective communication and collaboration in online classes. Virtual whiteboards replicate a physical whiteboard by providing real-time writing features mimicking a traditional blackboard.
Choose a whiteboard that has a user-friendly interface and is compatible with your chosen video-conferencing tool to enhance your online tuition experience.
3. Ensuring Reliable Internet Connectivity
Strong internet connectivity is necessary for smooth, uninterrupted online tuition sessions. To ensure strong internet connectivity at home:
Use a high-speed internet plan for proper video streaming
Put your Wi-Fi router in a central location for uninterrupted connectivity
Use a wired Ethernet connection wherever possible
By following the above steps, you can create an effective online learning environment that enhances your online tuition experience in Singapore and helps you get an edge when applying for tutoring jobs as an online tutor in Singapore.
Want to give private lessons?
Join the Superprof community and share your knowledge with interested and motivated students.
How To Be an Online Tutor with No Experience
Do you want to be an online teacher but are worried that you don’t have the relevant experience?
Don’t worry!
You can be an online tutor in Singapore with no experience.
While there is no denying that having a degree gives you an added advantage, it is not a compulsory requirement to become an online tutor. Many tuition agencies and online platforms take in tutors with no prior teaching experience. After all, everyone begins somewhere, and your first opportunity is going to be the perfect means to showcase your talent and skills.
However, you need to possess certain qualities to become an online tutor with no experience.
- Strong subject matter expertise in the subject you wish to teach
- A genuine passion for tutoring
- Good interpersonal skills
- The ability to adapt to different learning requirements
Ultimately, becoming a tutor with no experience boils down to having strong subject matter expertise, a love for learning, and a genuine desire to help students understand the subject.
Tips to Become a Successful Tutor
Every dedicated tutor at some point in time wonders how to become a successful tutor. A tutor's role goes beyond mere teaching of topics. It's also about guiding students and inspiring and motivating them to achieve their personal goals. For example, a successful tutor would be someone who tracks each student's progress personally and gives them specialised attention when they are preparing for tough examinations like PSLE or A-Levels.
In order to be a successful tutor, they should have:
Strong communication skills
Should be empathetic
Ability to adapt to different learning styles
Should have a deep understanding of the subject
Should have proper time management skills
Get Involved in the Growing Market for Private Tuition
Teach because you love teaching, as part of the bigger picture.
The educational support business is booming. Private tutoring is not a new concept, but it has evolved from its early days. Business-minded individuals realised they could profit from the demand for personalised tuition. They established companies to connect learners with teachers. Today, there is an abundance of organisations that specialise in home tutoring, such as Kumon and Superprof.
Those with means have long engaged private tutors to keep up with schoolwork and pass grammar school entrance exams. Many also received help to pass the PSLE, regarded as one of the important exams in Singapore.
The future of private tuition remains bright. More and more people are looking to find a tutor whom they can pay for hourly private lessons. That means you can earn some extra cash by giving supplemental instruction.
Tutor Alongside Your Studies
Private tuition is more popular than ever, which means you have all the more reasons to become a tutor. Don't let being at university be a problem because undergrads can provide educational support too. University students are ideal tutor material since they are also in education. You might peer-tutor your classmates or help A-Level candidates revise, drawing on your experience not too long ago.
Let's say you did A-level sciences and you're now studying for a BSc in Applied Mathematics. Your help as a maths tutor or even a physics tutor could be invaluable to an A-level student coming to the end of their school career. The same applies to those studying humanities, who might be able to give lessons in English writing skills or reading comprehension.
The university lifestyle often means that students who become tutors have a flexible schedule, which can be beneficial for busy families. Many university students who have tutor jobs in Singapore and teach younger pupils are more likely to be successful in their own studies, as it helps reinforce their learning, while helping their students achieve their specific goals.
If you struggle financially, as many students do, home tuition can top up your income. Being a tutor is also far more interesting and rewarding than stacking shelves or making coffee because you earn more than just a payslip.
Tutoring jobs are especially perfect for undergraduates who are more familiar with the education system. These students are well-equipped to provide help for test-taking and essay writing. Your subject knowledge and exam skills can be priceless to someone who needs them.
With online tutoring options, you will be helping others while keeping yourself on your toes in your own area of study.
Perhaps the best thing about tutoring is the opportunity to create your own timetable that fits around your lectures and other commitments, as well as those of your clients. Organising your work schedule around your classes is difficult with other student jobs. Becoming a tutor as a student is advantageous because you earn good pay, make effective use of your time and keep an eye on your own progress.
How is your Tutoring Experience Valuable to an Employer?
Being able to earn money through tutoring jobs is a great benefit, but working as a tutor helps you start your professional life on the right foot, too. The specific experience you gain through working as an online tutor, through online tutoring, or taking on roles as a tutor with students, by providing tutoring services, makes you an attractive job candidate for future employers.
Recruitment websites constantly emphasise five qualities employers look for in candidates: optimism, adaptability, curiosity, good interpersonal skills and conviction. Some people possess these naturally, but teachers with experience teaching get to cultivate these characteristics and develop them further.
- Tutors build optimism in students and give them the confidence to overcome the difficulties they face.
- Adaptability is necessary as every student is different, and you will have to adjust your lessons accordingly when you work with students with different learning needs.
- Curiosity both about your subject and your pupil goes hand-in-hand with teaching, more so when you start teaching or begin tutoring new learners.
- Good interpersonal skills are essential, too. Teaching isn't easy. The best tutors are, above all, positive and open to other people when sharing their subject knowledge.
- Finally, conviction matters: to have an impact on your pupil, you need to be confident in what you are teaching.
In a lot of ways, a tutor functions as a project manager who has to demonstrate project management and organisational skills as well. In other words, the teacher will have to take an interest in their pupil and do a basic assessment, irrespective of whether you choose to teach online or continue in face-to-face tutoring. They must also establish achievable goals to get the desired results.
How Can Tutoring Help Your Career?
By now, you will be aware that you have many reasons to become a tutor. Whether you are at university, already working or retraining, the advantages of tutoring are too good to miss. You could specialise in homework help or exam preparation. If you play a musical instrument or have a special skill, you could combine your passion with your job.
You might wonder if being passionate is enough to guarantee high-quality teaching. Starting out as a private tutor is an excellent way to gain the relevant experience to become a certified teacher. Regardless of the subject you choose to teach, tutoring will enhance your knowledge and professional accomplishments.
For example, if you want to be a team leader in the future, tutoring will help you learn organisational and managerial skills. If you want to start a business, you will already have experience marketing your services at a reasonable price.
If you aspire to be an engineer, you will know how to make abstract concepts simple to foster understanding. Your pupils - and later, your clients, bosses and junior team members will look to you for explanations of what they don't grasp. Whichever path you choose, interacting directly with clients will no longer be a daunting task for you.
Tutoring and educational support are more than just a way to earn money; they're a path to self-development. You can help primary school students keep up with their classmates or give secondary school students refresher courses. You can specialise in helping students prepare for a specific exam or teach a leisure activity you excel at.
The demand for tutors is ever-growing. Few jobs can give you such self-confidence or prove that you are focused and competent. And even fewer give you a springboard to your career. Aren't those great reasons to become a tutor?
Want to give private lessons?
Join the Superprof community and share your knowledge with interested and motivated students.
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