How to become a tutor: your complete guide

What qualifications do I need to be a tutor?

There are no set qualifications you need to become a tutor. If you decide to work for a tutoring company, they may have their own list of requirements like having a degree or working towards a degree.

If you decide to work as a freelance tutor, you’ll need to prove to your clients that you're qualified for the role. This means that, at a minimum, you should hold the qualification for whatever you are tutoring. For example, if you are tutoring maths GSCE, you should have a GCSE certificate in maths. Your clients will be expecting you to be the expert, so you should have at least a B (or equivalent) in the subject.

Would I be a good tutor?

Being a good tutor is more than being an expert in the subject area. Working with young people takes patience and understanding. You’ll need to be able to communicate the topic clearly and in interesting ways, and be ready to change your approach if the student isn’t getting it.

However, if you’re asking yourself the question 'Would I make a good tutor?' then you're halfway there! The best tutors are the ones who are constantly looking for ways to improve to reach their full potential as a tutor, and help their students succeed.

What are the benefits of being a tutor?

Flexibility

Prefer working in the evening so you can make the most of your day? Want to work on Saturday mornings to supplement your income? No problem! As a tutor you can work as much or as little as you want, and when and where you want.

Uncapped earnings

Because you set your working hours, you have the opportunity to make as much or as little as you want. Tutoring is also a great way to supplement your current income.

It’s rewarding

Watching your students’ confidence grow as they learn will give you a sense of satisfaction knowing that you helped them to succeed.

Professional development

Working as a tutor helps you to develop your communication and leadership skills, which look great on your CV.

How do I start working as a tutor?

The first thing you need to do when starting work as a tutor is create a great tutor profile. This will be how your clients decide whether you are the right tutor for their child, so make it as persuasive as possible. Mention your educational background, any past teaching or tutoring experience that you have, and what you love about tutoring. You can also add in a few (appropriate) personal hobbies to make yourself seem approachable and help the client get to know you.

The second thing you’ll need to do is decide whether you want to be a freelance tutor and promote yourself to clients, work for a tutoring company, or a bit of both!

Should I work for a tutoring company?

Working for a tutoring company has a few benefits. Tuition companies make it much easier for tutors to find clients. Self-promotion can be time consuming and challenging, but tutoring companies take away this step for you. Because they are more well-known, they have a constant stream of tuition requests waiting for you to fill.

Tutoring companies also take away the admin and uncertainty of being a freelance tutor. They usually collect the payments on your behalf, making sure that clients pay on time and in full. They may even provide resources and training to help you reach your full potential as a tutor.