Become an Online Tutor vs. In-Person Tutor – Are the Steps Different?

Are you fresh out of college, in between jobs, or feel underappreciated in your current role, and are seeking a side hustle? Tutoring might be just the thing for you.

The good thing about offering tutoring services is that you don’t need specific qualifications or experience to get started. You can tutor as long as you have excellent knowledge in a particular subject, love learning, and are a good communicator. You get to dictate your hours, clientele, and even rates. 

Tutoring is also financially rewarding and can help improve your resume. If you’re considering venturing into this field, you can either become an online tutor or an in-person tutor. But which one is better? Here’s a quick comparison to learn more:

1.   Consider the Application Process

Unlike teaching, there aren’t specific qualifications you need to become either a tutor-online or an in-person tutor. However, having a higher degree in your subject of choice can help you sell yourself and actually get hired.

While qualifications are more or less flexible, the application processes for online tutoring and in-person tutoring are both quite different.

You’ll find that online tutoring is much easier. You can apply by either signing up on an online tutoring website or creating your own platform. But as for in-person tutoring, you’re going to have to find local students in need of your services yourself.

2.   Mode of Delivery

Tutoring is usually a part-time job. So, it’s pretty flexible in terms of location and time. With in-person tutoring, you need to be where your client is, to deliver your services physically. That means you’ll likely commute to the student’s location for classes.

Online tutoring, however, is location-independent. You plan your classes and deliver them to your students through your computer or tablet. Lessons can be live via video conferencing or they can be pre-recorded and made available on a tutoring website.

Online tutoring has the advantage of not being time-bound. You can simply create video lessons in advance and sell them to whoever is in need.

3.   Consider the Flexibility Provided by Each

When it comes to scheduling your lessons, you have more flexibility with tutoring online than with in-person tutoring. That’s because tutoring usually happens during after-school hours. That is, in the evenings- from 4 pm- and the weekends.

This means that if you’re limited to your locality, you can only work during specific hours of the day. But with online tutoring, you’re not limited by geographical location. Your services can be accessible to anyone connected to the internet. So, you can target students from anywhere across the world.

You can also take advantage of differences in time zones to fill up more hours in your schedule, and in turn, make more money.

What’s Holding You Back from Becoming an Online Tutor?

Tutoring can be a good side gig, and sometimes even a full-time job. It is one of the best ways to earn extra income, while also polishing your resume.

Online tutoring, in particular, is easy and cheap to start and provides convenience, both time and location-wise. You don’t need specific certifications to start tutoring online and there are plenty of platforms you could try and apply.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.