Thinking of a change - any driving instructors?
Discussion
Just wondering how the market is really. I was thinking of looking into doing the training and getting into something where I control my own destiny/income and enjoy. Bored with my current job and my experience all revolves around sitting behind a desk and talking to people on the phone.
I like to think that I have very good interpersonal skills, lots of patience and am a competent and safe driver.
Can anybody guide me a little bit more?
Cheers
Steve
I like to think that I have very good interpersonal skills, lots of patience and am a competent and safe driver.
Can anybody guide me a little bit more?
Cheers
Steve
VTECBOY said:
I have just passed my test and my driving instructor used to work on the riggs. He changed to being a instructor and he said hes never looked back!. I mean what £23 for 40-60 mins? 9 hours a day ? = £207
GREAT!
And how much is insurance, costs for maintaining the car, costs for fuel...my step dad did this for a few years until it became to much hassle! think carefully!GREAT!
smashing said:
VTECBOY said:
I have just passed my test and my driving instructor used to work on the riggs. He changed to being a instructor and he said hes never looked back!. I mean what £23 for 40-60 mins? 9 hours a day ? = £207
GREAT!
And how much is insurance, costs for maintaining the car, costs for fuel...my step dad did this for a few years until it became to much hassle! think carefully!GREAT!
£207 a day (and that is on a busy day - you are not guaranteed that) is not that much taking out the above. Also you won't have work on some public holidays, you may become ill or have to be off the road for a few weeks.
Obviously if you do get the people you are quids in. Do the research first!
VTECBOY said:
I have just passed my test and my driving instructor used to work on the riggs. He changed to being a instructor and he said hes never looked back!. I mean what £23 for 40-60 mins? 9 hours a day ? = £207
GREAT!
Spectacularly naive post.GREAT!
That £207 is providing you have a lesson (1 hour) every hour during a 9 hour day.
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
And you won't because people are at work/school during the day so can't/won't want to learn to drive in that time.
And you won't because the market has been flooded with instructors promised £30k per year for working their own hours sitting on their arse all day in a learner car.
And you won't because £23 per hour is fecking expensive.
Reality of a driving instructor?
Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays when people are available.
Turning up at someone's house to find out people have forgotten/gone out
Scrimping around for business
Dealing with incompetents who abuse/wreck your car
Paying through the nose for fuel/insurance/maintenance.
The above if you're not part of a school who kick you in the balls every day for commission
Working whilst everyone else is off. Off whilst everyone else is working
£30k a year? Jackanory I'm afraid.....
Muzzer79 said:
Spectacularly naive post.
That £207 is providing you have a lesson (1 hour) every hour during a 9 hour day.
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
And you won't because people are at work/school during the day so can't/won't want to learn to drive in that time.
And you won't because the market has been flooded with instructors promised £30k per year for working their own hours sitting on their arse all day in a learner car.
And you won't because £23 per hour is fecking expensive.
Reality of a driving instructor?
Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays when people are available.
Turning up at someone's house to find out people have forgotten/gone out
Scrimping around for business
Dealing with incompetents who abuse/wreck your car
Paying through the nose for fuel/insurance/maintenance.
The above if you're not part of a school who kick you in the balls every day for commission
Working whilst everyone else is off. Off whilst everyone else is working
£30k a year? Jackanory I'm afraid.....
And the biggie... tax?That £207 is providing you have a lesson (1 hour) every hour during a 9 hour day.
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
And you won't because people are at work/school during the day so can't/won't want to learn to drive in that time.
And you won't because the market has been flooded with instructors promised £30k per year for working their own hours sitting on their arse all day in a learner car.
And you won't because £23 per hour is fecking expensive.
Reality of a driving instructor?
Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays when people are available.
Turning up at someone's house to find out people have forgotten/gone out
Scrimping around for business
Dealing with incompetents who abuse/wreck your car
Paying through the nose for fuel/insurance/maintenance.
The above if you're not part of a school who kick you in the balls every day for commission
Working whilst everyone else is off. Off whilst everyone else is working
£30k a year? Jackanory I'm afraid.....
iphonedyou said:
Muzzer79 said:
Spectacularly naive post.
That £207 is providing you have a lesson (1 hour) every hour during a 9 hour day.
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
And you won't because people are at work/school during the day so can't/won't want to learn to drive in that time.
And you won't because the market has been flooded with instructors promised £30k per year for working their own hours sitting on their arse all day in a learner car.
And you won't because £23 per hour is fecking expensive.
Reality of a driving instructor?
Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays when people are available.
Turning up at someone's house to find out people have forgotten/gone out
Scrimping around for business
Dealing with incompetents who abuse/wreck your car
Paying through the nose for fuel/insurance/maintenance.
The above if you're not part of a school who kick you in the balls every day for commission
Working whilst everyone else is off. Off whilst everyone else is working
£30k a year? Jackanory I'm afraid.....
And the biggie... tax?That £207 is providing you have a lesson (1 hour) every hour during a 9 hour day.
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
And you won't because people are at work/school during the day so can't/won't want to learn to drive in that time.
And you won't because the market has been flooded with instructors promised £30k per year for working their own hours sitting on their arse all day in a learner car.
And you won't because £23 per hour is fecking expensive.
Reality of a driving instructor?
Working evenings, weekends and bank holidays when people are available.
Turning up at someone's house to find out people have forgotten/gone out
Scrimping around for business
Dealing with incompetents who abuse/wreck your car
Paying through the nose for fuel/insurance/maintenance.
The above if you're not part of a school who kick you in the balls every day for commission
Working whilst everyone else is off. Off whilst everyone else is working
£30k a year? Jackanory I'm afraid.....
)Muzzer79 said:
Which you won't because you have to factor in travel time between lessons.
My instructor had that sorted. The end of the hour lesson would take us to the next learners house. They would then drive me home whilst gaining 'experience' in the process. WINThe rest of your post was unfortunately accurate.
I've just gone through the qualification process, so might have some input for the OP...
In terms of earnings, I think it pays to do your homework. The going rate around here is about £23 an hour, of which about £9 will go on fuel/tax/other business expenses. If you do 90 minute lessons and have, for example a conservative estimate of 10 pupils, you're looking at £250ish gross profit per week. Have you got a strategy for finding work, or an "in" to teenagers (schools, am dram companies, youth club work etc?) Reading the various instructor forums, there seem to be a vast number of folks who qualify with no prior thought to this, and then post up saying "help, I've put 50 [yes, fifty] business cards through doors, I have no pupils, a £200 franchise fee to pay this week, how do I find work before I go out of business?!"
With regards to the qualification process, you need to box clever and go in eyes wide open. Under no circumstances pay a big lump sum in one go to one of the big instructor schools. You want an independent instructor trainer who will do pay as you go lessons. Read up as much as you can on the process, work out what it will involve, where your strengths are etc. Try and gain some experience in one-to-one teaching. I teach instrumental lessons part time (have done since uni), music theory, and teach kids to ring church bells - all of that experience came in useful, and shortened the training process considerably.
For the part 1 test (theory), do your revision, buy the hazard perception DVD, get to know your stuff inside out and pass the test. Don't pay out hundreds on course materials or a school offering classroom time.
For the part 2 test (driving), read Driving: the Essential Skills from the DSA, and practice, practice, practice. I only ended up having two 2 hour sessions with my trainer before taking the part 2. If you're good, reflective on your own performance, and self critical (qualities you should have anyway as a potential instructor), you can do a lot yourself for this part.
For the part 3 (instructional ability) there is no substitute for a good trainer. Find one, have weekly sessions, do your homework and preparation, and be clever - the document that the examiners read from to tell them how to conduct the test (as a role play lesson) is available online, for example. Read it, and you'll get inside the exmaminer's mind.
I managed to get through the process and pass my part 3 first time after about 34 hours with my trainer on the part 3. All in all, including the test fees, I managed to get qualified for about £1500 - so it is doable.
Edited to add: OP, feel free to PM me if you have any questions. There's also a number of more experienced ADIs than I on this forum who gave me some good advice in the past
In terms of earnings, I think it pays to do your homework. The going rate around here is about £23 an hour, of which about £9 will go on fuel/tax/other business expenses. If you do 90 minute lessons and have, for example a conservative estimate of 10 pupils, you're looking at £250ish gross profit per week. Have you got a strategy for finding work, or an "in" to teenagers (schools, am dram companies, youth club work etc?) Reading the various instructor forums, there seem to be a vast number of folks who qualify with no prior thought to this, and then post up saying "help, I've put 50 [yes, fifty] business cards through doors, I have no pupils, a £200 franchise fee to pay this week, how do I find work before I go out of business?!"
With regards to the qualification process, you need to box clever and go in eyes wide open. Under no circumstances pay a big lump sum in one go to one of the big instructor schools. You want an independent instructor trainer who will do pay as you go lessons. Read up as much as you can on the process, work out what it will involve, where your strengths are etc. Try and gain some experience in one-to-one teaching. I teach instrumental lessons part time (have done since uni), music theory, and teach kids to ring church bells - all of that experience came in useful, and shortened the training process considerably.
For the part 1 test (theory), do your revision, buy the hazard perception DVD, get to know your stuff inside out and pass the test. Don't pay out hundreds on course materials or a school offering classroom time.
For the part 2 test (driving), read Driving: the Essential Skills from the DSA, and practice, practice, practice. I only ended up having two 2 hour sessions with my trainer before taking the part 2. If you're good, reflective on your own performance, and self critical (qualities you should have anyway as a potential instructor), you can do a lot yourself for this part.
For the part 3 (instructional ability) there is no substitute for a good trainer. Find one, have weekly sessions, do your homework and preparation, and be clever - the document that the examiners read from to tell them how to conduct the test (as a role play lesson) is available online, for example. Read it, and you'll get inside the exmaminer's mind.
I managed to get through the process and pass my part 3 first time after about 34 hours with my trainer on the part 3. All in all, including the test fees, I managed to get qualified for about £1500 - so it is doable.
Edited to add: OP, feel free to PM me if you have any questions. There's also a number of more experienced ADIs than I on this forum who gave me some good advice in the past
Edited by timbob on Saturday 16th June 14:47
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