Private Tutor

Description:

This is not an excitingly new job idea, but the creative aspect comes in how you market yourself. I'll explain this concept in the latter portions of this document. Firstly, your job would include networking and always looking for new clientele to teach. You would also be responsible for studying the material ahead of time for those you teach. You would also be responsible for preparing lesson plans for the meetings. Be sure to take classes from difficult professors so you can then turn around and be a private tutor for the class. Professors will even sometimes help you publicize your work.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

I just fell into this position. I took ECON 110 for Kearl, a stereotypically difficult class and I excelled in it. I thought about how many people fail it and realized I could probably make quite a bit of money while at the same time staying current on the Economic principles for my major. I have started networking and I have always had more than enough people to teach.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

One challenge I faced was initially building a clientele. One idea I had was to sign up for the course I wanted to tutor for at the beginning of the semester and download all the course documents including the syllabus for that class. This way I could be aware of when the tests were. People usually fail the tests so if I was ready at the testing center with a sign for tutoring, then there is some instant clientele. You then ask for referrals from your clients and off you go.

What I learned:

I learned that you can take the skills that you already possess and you can turn them into a lucrative job. The key is that you just need to pursue your skills in an imaginative way.

Writing Tutor

Description:

Finding a job that is both flexible and helpful in the future during college can be a difficult task. Being a tutor at BYU’s Writing Center is a great college job because it is flexible and helpful in future endeavors. The Writing Center is open Monday through Friday and tutors work in two-hour shifts with as few as sometimes six and as many as twenty hours a week depending on the tutor’s needs. The job consists of working with students one-on-one discussing writing related topics. The job is more satisfying than many college jobs because many students struggle with writing and all students are benefited by discussing their writing with another individual. Besides the daily tutoring, working at the BYU Writing Center also involves developing and teaching mini-classes like Speed Reading and MLA Formatting. Future employment in most fields is benefited by improved writing abilities. This job fits around a student’s schedule and also grants the student increased marketability later in life because of the improved writing skills that naturally develop while working as a writing tutor.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

I knew that my future career goals would be benefited by both teaching experience and improved writing skills. I knew that working at the BYU Writing Center would help me in both of these areas. To get the job I simply went to the Writing Center and inquired about the requirements for hiring. After completing an internship (for which credit was received), I was hired.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

With a job like this there is a certain prerequisite level of knowledge required. I worked hard to improve my familiarity with writing and improve my skills as well in order to qualify for employment. The challenge has been to continually learn how to interact with students who posses varying levels of writing skill and offer useful feedback. Since the job is not simply editing papers, it is also a challenge to be able to create a discursive learning environment and avoid monologues

What I learned:

I have learned that tutoring can be difficult and fulfilling as well. While there is a learning curve (which probably is always ascending) the learning benefits the tutor because s/he can then apply that knowledge in a variety of ways to professional and personal pursuits. I enjoy my job because I know that it is more than just a job that pays the bills.