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Tips in Gaining Credibility as a Home Tutor
Home tutors have become more popular in recent years since the demand for supplementary lessons for students in Singapore have also skyrocketed. With this, there are no many people who think or want to try their hands at home tuition. It’s a fairly easy job to get into – you can work part-time or full-time. And the wage is also generally fair, plus there’s a certain flexibility and satisfaction in this work that many find appealing. As such, with the rise in demand, competition between home tutors is also more pronounced than ever.
If you are a home tutor, then you are aware just how the competition around your area, especially in smaller ones, is. That said, how can you climb up the home tutor ladder and make sure that this career will flourish for you?
The only way to continue and ensure your future as a home tutor is to gain credibility and good reputation as one. If a home tutor lacks these factors, chances of them getting hired by parents continuously or for long-term will be slim to none. Saying you are a good home tutor isn’t exactly the same as proving you are. After all, before the tuition begins, it’ll only be words and promises.
So, how can you ensure that you have the elements to succeed in you home tutoring career? We’ve compiled a list of tips to help promote home tutors and gain clients’ trust.
1. Create a good profile
When you are just starting as a home tutor, it’s better to build an attractive and compelling tutor profile before anything else. If you’re a freelance home tutor, you might need to put more effort into creating this. Parents tend to scan through tutor profiles and select the tutors with the best credentials.
If you are new, make sure that your profile contains the important and basic information such as your name, address, and contact information. Take time to also select a good profile picture and even write a little bit about yourself as well as your experiences.
If you are applying via a home tuition agency, chances are the tuition agency will be the one to make a profile for you. However, you should still provide the information necessary to make your profile as attractive as possible. After all, this will be the first thing your clients will see.
2. Show them what you’re made of
This will probably be the most important tip to gain credibility as a home tutor. If you are fairly new or just getting started, it’s normal for you to feel intimidated by all the highly-experienced home tutors around. But if you think you are as good or even better than them, learn to act like it. If you are a good home tutor, you better show it.
Nothing builds a reputation better than actually showing parents and students what you are capable of. If you first get a job as a home tutor, make sure to do the best you can to ensure that the students you’ve tutored reach their goals ad gain good grades. Nothing says an effective home tutor than actually helping students get better.
By providing effective and satisfactory service to your clients, you will not only build credibility as a home tutor, but possibly open up a stable stream of business from other parents and students also looking for an effective home tutor. Credibility and good reputation may take years to build but you can do this with the right mindset and dedication to your work.
3. Don’t undervalue yourself
Charge according to your abilities, not according to your clients.
Some home tutors, especially when they are starting, will charge significantly lower than market value. This may work for some as there are still some parents who prefer to pay lower. However, you shouldn’t undervalue yourself or your capabilities. Parents might go for home tutors who offers lower fees, but Singaporean parents do want the best for their children. This means, they will value the quality of education their child would get rather than how much they can save on tutoring fees.
If your abilities and skills are at par as that of an experienced home tutor, don’t be afraid to charge for the rate you deserve. More so, once you gain more clients, you can raise your rates also. With more students and parents opting for quality education, the success results will build your own reputation for you.
However, it should also be said not to overvalue yourself and/or overcharge clients. You’ll only be making yourself look bad if you charge higher than your abilities and skills. Learn to set a rate you deserve and then work from there.
4. Know your value and don’t be afraid to advertise them
Don’t be afraid to tell people what a great home tutor you are. If you believe you have what it takes to be a good home tutor, learn to embrace it and advertise it. You might need proof for this, especially when you are only starting out. However, the more people you will know and the more people you will teach, the more references you will get.
Build a strong network based on the virtues you value the most such as honesty, trust, respect, loyalty, and competence. It’s important to let you future clients know that you’re not only a good teacher but you also value and impose traits to make students be better, well-rounded individuals.
5. Set a specialization
Students will generally hire a home tutor for one subject or even a topic that they particularly struggle in. There will be less instances of students hiring home tutors for all subjects. As home tuition is more personalized and the lessons are tailored for the student’s needs, home tutors should also set a specialization they can offer the students and their parents.
It’s important that as a home tutor, you expose which subject you are most knowledgeable and most skillful in. This way, students will easily know your expertise. You can also delve deeper into your expertise such as in Math, it would be more appealing to list down yourself as an “Expert in algebraic expressions” rather than just saying you’re good in Math.
6. Be confident in yourself
Some students will not learn well in school because they lack the confidence in themselves to actually perform and stay true to their potential. The same can be said for home tutors who don’t own it. If you think you are a good home tutor, then be confident in yourself.
When you act confident about your expertise, your knowledge, your teaching skills and methods, parents and teachers will also see this and accept you. If you act more unsure with your skills, they may also see this and be more apprehensive in hiring you.
By showing your clients and future clients that you’re trustworthy and you can do your job well, you’ll be building a name for yourself as a good home tutor whom students can get quality education from.
7. Manage expectations
Some parents think that by hiring a very credible home tutor, they’ll be securing the highest grade for their child. While it may be tempting to promise this to the parents, you should also learn to set their expectations realistically. The first step in home tuition is to learn about your student’s needs and struggles. This will help you create a basic outline for the goals the student can achieve.
However, it should also be realistic. Instead, talk to the parents and guarantee them a realistic result for their children. You will earn their respect for your honesty and it would also be so much better if the student gets more than the goal. It will not only make you look better in their eyes, but it would also be a pleasant surprise for both parents and student.
8. Manage students and parents
Learn to build rapport with both the students and parents. By having a good relationship with them, you’ll be earning their respect and they will value you as an asset. If you are in their good graces, getting good referrals and reviews from them might just be what you need to build a good network for your services.
Conclusion
Credibility and good reputation are an integral part of your success in the home tuition industry. To be as great as a tutor, you will need to start acing like so for others to see it and believe you. Ensure that you deliver the quality education that you’ve promised your clients. Learn to also help parents and students manage their expectations. And lastly, build a good relationship with the parents and students.
Remember than building good credibility and reputation takes time. However, they can also be lost within moments. Don’t let a slip of a chance destroy the career you’ve worked hard on building. Instead, take your time to build it solidly. It might take long but if you are invested and patient, this might just be the career for you in the long run.
Interested in becoming a home tutor? Visit us at FamilyTutor, Singapore’s best home tuition agency. We offer over 200 subjects in 28 districts of Singapore. We offer tuition to students from pre-school and even beyond university level. If you are interested in becoming part of our team, click here!
Want to hire a home tutor for your child, click here to request a tutor!
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
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About FamilyTutor!
FamilyTutor is an established home tuition agency in Singapore! We match suitable home tutors for our clients not just to improve the students' academic grades, but also to build a strong rapport and meaningful relationship with the students and even the their whole family. FamilyTutor put every student in good hands!
If you need an excellent home tutor, feel free to call/WhatsApp us at +65 8777-2168! Our matching service is free!
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FamilyTutor is an established and the people’s favourite home tuition agency in Singapore! We match a suitable tutor for you not just to improve the student’s grade, but also to build a good rapport and meaningful relationship with the student and even with the student’s whole family! With FamilyTutor, every Singaporean son & daughter is in good hands.
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