Sti_Prodrive

How does one become a driving instructor? What is needed & how to apply... Anyone

Paul3446

I don't know, but I'd check out the financial viability first, I heard ages ago it was tough to make much money and that was before the petrol prices went up. Not sure any driving based job is a great idea at the moment?

PeteBrant

First step is to completely ignore such rip off parasitic leeches adverising at the moment, such as RED and "The instructor college" such like, I would imagine.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Tried that route and it wasn't for me. The hours you'd have to work to make a decent living was ridiculous.

Passed 1st and 2nd exam first time (theory and driving ability). The 3rd test is of your ability to teach which is obviously very different than the first two.

Failed my first attempt at which point I decided it wasn't for me.
I think a lot of schools offer a training package for around 2.5 - 3K, so it aint cheap.

Just do your research for you jump ship!

corradoboy

Look for a small local school who can prove they have an ORDIT registered tutor, and preferably a grade 6. As said above, the first two parts are easy and you can prepare and pass them yourself.
Read the Highway Code, cover to cover, no matter how boring it seems. Then read The DSA Driving Essentials, cover to cover. Get a practise DVD from Morrisons (or wherever) and get to grips with the hazard video clips, and check your knowledge of the HC before attempting part 1.
Practise your own driving to try and get it to an exceptional standard, then book a couple of hours with the ORDIT guy before you do part 2, which is a 1 hour driving test, during which you are allowed 6 minor faults.
After passing part 2 you can apply for a pink 'trainee' badge which allows you to teach real pupils for money, but you must be sponsored by a registered ADI (fully qualified instructor). This lasts six months, during which you can have 3 attempts at the part 3 test. If you can prove exceptional circumstances then you may be granted an extension to the pink badge, which everybody asks for because the appeals process takes 3-5 months+, during which you can continue to work on the pink extending it to 9-11 months
The part 3 test see the chief examiner of your area pretending to be a learner of two different abilities for 1/2 hour at a time. The first half he will role-play a relative novice and you will have to teach them what you are requested at the start for the test from a list of PST's (pre-set tests - there are 10 pairs of tests, designed to test your core-competency skills (ability to identify, analyse and remedy driving faults)) and in the second half he will play a test standard or qualified driver who needs tidying up in a key area.
The company I work for offer a training package for £1595. I trained with Instructor College, but wouldn't recommend them personally. I paid under £3k, but that included test fees and badges, so the final balance was under £2.5k.
As for making any money, I don't need to as I have a good job anyway and teach in what was my free-time, using it as mortgage reduction and a safety-net in case of unemployment. I pay £35 a week for them to market and supply me customers. TBH, once you start to make a name for yourself the customers arrive through recommendation, and I may be going freelance very soon. I supply and run my own car.
The big companies like Red, Go, RAC, AA, BSM etc will rob you of £300+ a week, but supply a new car every 6-12 months, and offer insurances against ill-health, bad weather etc, as well as cut-price training for career progression. You have to work a lot of hours to get that £300+ though, before you see a penny of money for yourself.
Doing it my way, I'd buy and run a car anyway, so 2 hours of teaching meets my franchise fee, two more covers my diesel and another two covers just about everything else, so half way through Monday I begin earning money. With the big boys you might not get a penny until Wednesday or later each week.

HTH

Sti_Prodrive

Cheers every1. Thanks alot for everyone's feedback. I will check it all out & I will have to do more research..

stilover

I looked into this a couple years ago. BSM were advertising a recruitment day, so I booked an appointment and went along. Discussions went well, and I felt pretty good about quiting my job and training to be a driving instructor. At the time I was very p1ssed off with my job & wanted a change.

It was only when I got home and did the calculations of who much I'd earn.
The answer was not much. Compared to what I was earning at the time. Basically you have to work 6-7 days a weeks from 7-8am till 7pm just to get a decent wage. This was based on working for someone. Going independant would see more money in your pocket per lesson, but you have to find your own customers.

In the end the working stupidly long hours for less money than I was on made me change my mind.

Apparition

As said by all above but also, watch out for the number of schools in your area.
My brother was a very successful instructor BUT, then a school for instructors opened in his town and there was a glut of driving schools , so students were very thin on the ground.
In the end, he packed it in because he was forever fishing around for new students once his had passed and it was terribly competetive out there.
He drives buses now.
Yve