Earning a Stable Income as An Online Teacher: An Introductory Guide
The thought of online teaching was not even a concept 50 years ago, but over the past few decades, life has certainly changed. The ability to learn from anywhere in the world is among the greatest aspects of our global, digital economy, and fueling that ability are highly skilled, qualified online tutors. Online teaching jobs have skyrocketed in recent years leading to a severe need for more teachers. If you have a desire to help others expand their mind while you make a stable living, here is how to get started.
Choose a Subject
The best teachers, whether online or in-person, specialize in a specific subject. Take some time to examine your interests. You do not have to just pick one, singular subject, but it is a good idea to narrow the field. Do you have a desire to teach a foreign language, a special skill; such as cooking, or some other essential trade? The possibilities are endless and online tutoring jobs abound; but it does take some time to discover exactly what avenue you wish to take.
Get Certified
We all have a special skill we feel we can teach to others and not every in-person teacher is actually required to be certified, depending on the field of study they choose, but online studies are different. Certain trades are often taught by those that merely have experience in that particular field. The teacher needs to be able to produce certification to provide confidence to their students in lessons they will teach. The way of accomplishing this is by becoming certified for tutor jobs.
Thankfully, online teaching certification is far easier than the traditional four-year colleges most teachers are required to attend. You need not enroll in a high-end university and go to endless hours of classes just to get your foot in the door. Sites that offer online tutoring jobs, such as Preply, are among the best ways to find quality online teaching jobs in a wide range of subject matters.
Career Path Choices
Once your certification for online teaching is in hand, you will have a choice to make. Whether you want to pursue teaching jobs with an agency or prefer to go the freelancing route is a big decision; and there are pros and cons to each path chosen…
Teaching Agency
Getting an online tutoring position with a teaching agency is great for those who are devoted to teaching; but they are not always so easy to come by. Teachers in these agencies may have to take on additional certification requirements to further prove their skills. The primary benefit to teaching agencies is a more stable teaching position. As an agent, you will take on students provided by the agency and not have to search for job postings. However, the main negative is that you are often required to work on the schedule required by the agency; and may not have as much free time as you desire.
Freelancing
Another career path for online tutoring jobs is being a freelancer. This path is not for everyone, but it can be profitable for those who are self-driven and self-motivated. Freelance teaching requires the teacher to do most of the footwork involved in finding teaching jobs. Pay is based on your skillset, but you can pick and choose which jobs you want without having to take every job that an agency sends your way. Your schedule will be more free form with freelancing, but it may not be as steady as you desire.
You May Have to Start Small
Teaching jobs online are vast, but also highly competitive. Even the most qualified and devoted teachers often have to start small. This does not mean online teaching is not profitable because it is certainly a lucrative career choice. Starting small simply means taking on one or two teaching jobs to get your foot in the door of the industry. Online teachers often start out teaching while keeping their stable job. Once they have received their certification and are beginning to take on more online teaching jobs; they can move away from their regular job and into online teaching full time. Do not be discouraged if you have to start small, the path is different for everyone in this industry.
Conclusion:
No matter how far we come as a civilization, we will always need qualified teachers. Where in-person learning has always been an avenue; more and more teachers are turning to tutor jobs online as a means of freeing up their time while still fulfilling their passion. If you have an interest in online teaching, now is the time to try it out. You can have a highly profitable career in online tutoring while enjoying life to the fullest.
