There Has Never Been a Better Time to Recruit High-Quality Tutors

One of the keys to a successful test-prep business is recruiting strong, competent, and reliable tutors. Having top-notch curriculum materials and courseware is crucial, but so is having someone to wield them to creatively and effectively craft personalized test-prep instruction.

Despite the current state of “Test-Optional” admissions policies, demand for test prep (and testing opportunities) persists. While much of today’s tutoring is being done remotely, there are still plenty of students out there seeking to improve their ACT® and SAT® scores. To reach them, you need a staff that has the competence to deliver distance learning-style test prep. Thankfully, given the current state of the education world, the candidates you need are out there - perhaps more than ever before.

Candidate 1: The Teacher Looking for a Side Hustle

Some of the best tutors you can recruit are teachers. They have the pedagogy, patience, and expertise to deliver instruction to students of all skill levels. What’s more, those who experienced the rapid shift to pandemic-induced distance learning last spring now come equipped with first-hand knowledge of online learning best practices - vital to modern test prep.

Under normal circumstances (remember normal?), many teachers turn to a variety of side hustles to supplement their salaries: coaching, proctoring tests, leading after-school clubs, offering before-school care, etc. The problem is, these opportunities will be few and far between during the outset of the 2020-2021 school year. Online test-prep tutoring will be one of the few education-focused avenues for extra income available to educators.

If you are looking to bolster your stable of tutors for the coming season (especially if you are seeking to extend your test-prep offerings to a broader online customer base), these teachers may be some of the best and most driven candidates you will find. What’s more, our free tutor-training course will provide more than enough support to bring these educators up to speed with getting the most out of Clear Choice materials and software.

Candidate 2: The Teacher Leaving the Classroom

Taken a step further, the current worries and frustrations over school plans for the 2020-2021 school year have driven many educators out of the classroom entirely. Some are opting to take leaves of absence for health reasons or to support their own children’s remote learning. Others are taking early retirement and leaving the classrooms altogether.

In either case, many of these educators still have a passion (and boatload of expertise) in connecting with and instructing students. Unlike teachers with classroom responsibilities this fall (be they in-person or virtual), these candidates may have availability to tutor and support students outside of typical school hours.

Since many students will be operating on asynchronous learning schedules to start the school year, there is opportunity to offer SAT® or ACT® tutoring at times that are typically out-of-bounds for a test-prep business. Furthermore, taking your tutoring business outside your local market means the potential for instruction across time zones. Having tutors with educational expertise, but less restrictive schedules, can help you better take advantage of these opportunities.

Candidate 3: The Remote-Learning College Student

The best test-prep tutors don’t have to be certified educators. Oftentimes, college students (read: those who have recently gone through the test prep and college admissions cycles themselves) can be ideal hires for your test-prep business. In many cases, they can serve as both relatable and authentic mentors for students who are reluctant or unsure about their college-bound prospects.

This year, with more colleges and universities opting to start the year with online-only, off-campus courses, there are plenty of students who will be home with time on their hands. The typical work-study opportunities like dining hall jobs and on-campus tutoring centers won’t be automatic sources of income for job-hunting undergrads.

That’s where you come in. Tap into your success stories and see if there are former students ready to share their successes with a new generation of college-bound test-prep students. Reach out to local colleges and universities to inquire about posting opportunities for student job-seekers. There are qualified candidates out there if you make the effort to reach them!

Finding Quality Tutors Now Will Pay Off In the Long Run

These unprecedented times won’t last forever (right?). However, put in the work now to recruit, vet, train, and support successful test-prep tutors from what could be the best pool of candidates in a generation. Treat these new-hires well, put the right tools in their hands, and you can lay the foundation for your business’s ongoing success.

Ready to get hiring? Contact us for a demo of our free tutor-certification course, so your new test-prep tutors are ready to maximize their instructional powers.