Want to be a driving instructor
Discussion
After being turned down for promotion yet again, I think it's time for me to look for a new career. Been thinking of training to be a driving instructor. There always seems to be a few adverts in the papers for these jobs, I suppose what puts most people off is the initial cost of the training (about £2000 IIRC?)
Are there any driving instructors on here that could give a few words of advice? Would be very much appreciated.
Enjoy your sunday afternoon.
Are there any driving instructors on here that could give a few words of advice? Would be very much appreciated.
Enjoy your sunday afternoon.
£3500 with the Instructor college.
They really do gloss over the benefits of it and this is what wound me up.
Firstly they mention the great flexibility etc, what utter crap. Yes, if you work from home or want to subsidise something, maybe as an aditional income while kids are at school etc it is fantastic, otherwise I don't think it's as good as they make out.
To make £30,000 a year you need to lose all flexibility and do at the very least 50 hours a week, working that many hours loses the flexible side imo.
Also the atitude they had to teaching was awful, they seemed overjoyed at knowing it takes on average 45 lessons to pass and seemed happy with the slow rate of progress which was pushed.
Went into the meeting with my eyes open and optimistic, came out with a bitter taste!
Go to the meeting and see what you think, just make sure to get them to explain the numbers and put it on the board, they seemed very reluctant to do this and it came across as incredibly smarmy!
Dave!
They really do gloss over the benefits of it and this is what wound me up.
Firstly they mention the great flexibility etc, what utter crap. Yes, if you work from home or want to subsidise something, maybe as an aditional income while kids are at school etc it is fantastic, otherwise I don't think it's as good as they make out.
To make £30,000 a year you need to lose all flexibility and do at the very least 50 hours a week, working that many hours loses the flexible side imo.
Also the atitude they had to teaching was awful, they seemed overjoyed at knowing it takes on average 45 lessons to pass and seemed happy with the slow rate of progress which was pushed.
Went into the meeting with my eyes open and optimistic, came out with a bitter taste!
Go to the meeting and see what you think, just make sure to get them to explain the numbers and put it on the board, they seemed very reluctant to do this and it came across as incredibly smarmy!
Dave!
My sister is a driving instructor and she loves it. She recently recruited a mate of mine who used to be a valeter and he's never looked back.
Fair enough, you won't compare salary-wise with an IT bod but £30K is not to be sniffed at and can easily be achieved if you don't pay a huge franchise fee to the likes of BSM. And you won't need to work seven days a week to achieve that.
When you fancy a bit more money you can just take more hours on, to suit yourself.
Fair enough, you won't compare salary-wise with an IT bod but £30K is not to be sniffed at and can easily be achieved if you don't pay a huge franchise fee to the likes of BSM. And you won't need to work seven days a week to achieve that.
When you fancy a bit more money you can just take more hours on, to suit yourself.
Some other down sides,
I trained and worked as a driving instructor after graduating from uni. I thought it would be better than working in a call center.
You have to pass a very strict driving test, my instructor said that the instructors' test made the IAM test look like a walk in the park.
You only get three attempts to pass the test. If you fail all three, you have lost all of your investment and will have to start again.
Once you pass the test you can only work for 6 months as a trainee before you have to take a further test with a driving test examiner playing the pupil. You have to give him (or her) two half hour lessons (of their choice) before you get the full licence.
Once you pass the lesson test you can be asked to sit a check test with an examiner at any time and will be required to do so at regular intervals. Fail the test and .......you get the picture.
Once you pass all of the tests you have to mind your manners. Gain too many points on your licence and you loose your licence, livlihood and possible instructor status. Get caught drink driving and ......you guessed it.
During the six month trainee period you have to work with another instructor as part of their school. You are not allowed to advertise or market yourself. The school decides which appointments you get, how much work you get and which clients you get. There are some real nutters out there who go from school to school causing all sorts of problems on the road.
Once finally passed and licensed there is no financial incentive to work with any other instructor. Which is why you see so many one man bands about.
The insurance required is also quite expensive, look into that for a start.
But if you do want to do it you get to spend lots of time doing what you enjoy, dirving. You will also find that the instruction needed to get to the driving practical test will sharpen up your driving skills.
For instance, ten years after I stopped teachng people to drive I volunteered to drive a company minibus. The company insisted that I take some training with a police class one driving instructor. We drove for an hour, he put me in some nasty situations, like narrow bridges just round blind bends and at the end he had only one small suggestion for improvement. SMUG MODE OFF
Do it if you want, but do all of the homework first. GOOD LUCK
I trained and worked as a driving instructor after graduating from uni. I thought it would be better than working in a call center.
You have to pass a very strict driving test, my instructor said that the instructors' test made the IAM test look like a walk in the park.
You only get three attempts to pass the test. If you fail all three, you have lost all of your investment and will have to start again.
Once you pass the test you can only work for 6 months as a trainee before you have to take a further test with a driving test examiner playing the pupil. You have to give him (or her) two half hour lessons (of their choice) before you get the full licence.
Once you pass the lesson test you can be asked to sit a check test with an examiner at any time and will be required to do so at regular intervals. Fail the test and .......you get the picture.
Once you pass all of the tests you have to mind your manners. Gain too many points on your licence and you loose your licence, livlihood and possible instructor status. Get caught drink driving and ......you guessed it.
During the six month trainee period you have to work with another instructor as part of their school. You are not allowed to advertise or market yourself. The school decides which appointments you get, how much work you get and which clients you get. There are some real nutters out there who go from school to school causing all sorts of problems on the road.
Once finally passed and licensed there is no financial incentive to work with any other instructor. Which is why you see so many one man bands about.
The insurance required is also quite expensive, look into that for a start.
But if you do want to do it you get to spend lots of time doing what you enjoy, dirving. You will also find that the instruction needed to get to the driving practical test will sharpen up your driving skills.
For instance, ten years after I stopped teachng people to drive I volunteered to drive a company minibus. The company insisted that I take some training with a police class one driving instructor. We drove for an hour, he put me in some nasty situations, like narrow bridges just round blind bends and at the end he had only one small suggestion for improvement. SMUG MODE OFF
Do it if you want, but do all of the homework first. GOOD LUCK
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