Tutoring: It's Not Just a Great Way to Earn Extra Income

The most obvious benefit of tutoring is to earn some extra money. Who couldn't do with some extra cash? Tutoring generally pays more per hour than many other types of casual work. If you are good at what you do, and are prepared to put in a real effort, tutoring can be as financially rewarding as any part-time job, but with much more flexibility.Tutoring, however, can be a satisfying and rewarding proposition in other ways, too. I have worked in many fields, as an employee of the government, within universities, in the private sector, and in small business. While each has had its own good points, private tutoring has been something I have always found the most satisfying. Satisfying for many reasons.I began taking private students while I was still a University student. In fact, I began tutoring part way through my first year at University. Private tutoring enabled my boyfriend and me to enjoy a far better than average standard of living than most other students. The money I earned doesn't seem like a lot now, but then, it meant being able to go out for a movie and a nice meal most weeks!Tutoring also keeps you sharp. If you're a professional using the discipline you're tutoring, there is nothing quite like the rigour of having to explain concepts to students to help cement your understanding of the discipline.Tutoring helps develop your spoken communication skills. A student who does not understand what you're talking about will look at you blankly or tell you outright that they don't understand. A colleague at work might be more likely to pretend to understand what you're saying in order to avoid 'looking stupid'.If you're still a student yourself, to be able to say on your resume that you tutored privately demonstrates entrepreneurial ability, a capacity to instruct others, maturity, personal motivation and drive, and an ability to manage your time. I mentioned my private tutoring work in my resume when seeking a graduate position straight out of university, and I found this really impressed the selection panels. It certainly made me stand out from colleagues who'd worked in 'low end' jobs!Tutoring can help you develop your personal self-confidence. While awards, job promotions, good performance reviews and pay rises are great for one's ego, there is nothing quite as deeply satisfying as seeing someone succeed because of what you did. You'll find too, as did I, that most students are genuinely appreciative of your help. My students have constantly surprised me by keeping in contact for years after I took them through their degrees. I frequently received cards, gifts, and even dinner invitations from grateful students. Tutoring was one of the only areas of my working life in which I felt I had 'made a difference'.Tutoring is something that has many advantages over other types of self-employment. I urge you to consider looking into this enjoyable and profitable small business.Aletha Blayse is a former tutor and author of You Can Tutor: A Guide to Getting Started as a Private Academic Tutor, published by Lulu Press, Inc., and available for purchase for just US$21.95 for a paperback copy or US$10.95 for an instantly downloadable e-book.