Question: I just finished all of the ITA quizzes, and now I am moving on to finding tutoring clients so that I can get in some hours and evaluations (positive evaluations, I hope!). I don't have any experience, and to be honest, I'm not feeling too confident. How do I find these clients?
Thanks for your help, Micki,
Eleanor
Answer: Hi, Eleanor, thanks for your question! Believe it or not, it is actually not as hard as you may think to find new tutoring clients. Whether the economy is good or bad, tutoring is still a respected and valuable service that many people (students and parents alike) consistently support.
Also, keep in mind that many tutors start out exactly where you are, without experience or tutees, so don't be intimidated by that - just get out there and be the best tutor you can be! Have confidence in your tutoring abilities and everything else will fall into place.
All right, I know - enough with the pep talk, what you need are actual ideas! :-)
1. Go for the old fashioned technique:
Try posting flyers at local schools, colleges, libraries...anywhere that students and/or parents may frequent. I have gotten quite a few tutoring clients this way over the years. My most successful flyers have been the ones that include the little tear off tabs at the bottom of the page. These are great because, if a person is busy, they can snag your contact info quickly without digging around for a pen and paper.
I also make sure to include my name, phone number(s), subjects I tutor, that I am certified, and the age ranges I tutor. When you get a little more experience, you may also want to include the number of years you've been tutoring, a few testimonials, and any other credentials that give you credibility. If you don't have these things right now, don't worry - you'll develop them over time.
2. Go high tech:
There are online resources out there that will help you find tutees in your local area, or people who are seeking tutoring online. TutorNation.com, for example, is a fantastic resource that we have partnered with for years. Here's how it works: You enter your information (your location, subjects tutored, etc.), and TutorNation.com goes to work for you, finding you a tutoring client match! It is a really easy to find tutoring clients in pretty much any subject and any age range, and I would recommend checking it out.
You may also think about signing up to be an online tutor. This can be a great option for tutors who are looking for tutoring work, but need to work non-traditional hours, or want to broaden their geographic availability.
*Full Disclosure: TutorNation.com is a website we have partnered with for years, and they offer a 30% discount to TutorNation.com members who are interested in ITA tutor training.
3. Word of Mouth:
Having a happy student or parent talk about you ("...a great tutor!") is often the only advertising you need to build a successful tutoring business. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, and will help you build your tutoring client base really quickly.
4. Do some pro bono work:
If you can afford to, offer some tutoring free of charge to friends, friends' children, co-workers, relatives...pretty much anyone who will be willing to provide you with tutoring experience and evaluations. They may even be able to provide you with some word of mouth advertising, and a positive testimonial for your flyers.
I hope that I've been able to help give you a few good ideas to build on and use when looking for new tutoring clients. Get creative, be tenacious, and try to stay confident. Implement these ideas, stay focused, and pretty soon you'll be so busy tutoring that you'll need to turn down work!
Good luck out there, and as always, happy tutoring!
2 comments:
On my business card, can I put -Certified ITA Member?
Hi Anonymous,
the short answer to your question is - Definitely!
If you are a member of ITA, we encourage you to put your membership and/or certification on your business card. We have talked to quite a few tutors who have done this over the years (some simply put "Member of ITA," while others wait until after they are certified so that they can put "Certified ITA Tutor" on the business cards), and they have all said that it worked out well for them.
Based on my own experience in utilizing my ITA membership, I would wholeheartedly recommend putting it on your cards.
I have had tutees (and parents of tutees) tell me that they liked seeing my membership and certification upfront, and that they appreciated the fact that I was specially trained in tutoring techniques.
It is also a quick way to let your clients know that you take your tutoring career seriously enough to put in the time and effort to belong to a professional tutoring organization.
So, a long answer to your short question :-) - definitely put your ITA credentials on there - advertise your tutoring excellence every time you hand out a biz card!
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