Is it viable to be a Full Time Tutor in Singapore? What considerations should I have? Currently I earn around $3.8k monthly in a 25 hour work week.?

My friend is in full time tutor line, so maybe I can share some thoughts on this.

Maybe let me put it down in some hours, dollars and opportunity cost for each choices:

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(A) Current situations:

Currently earning 3.7k monthly dividend by 26 workdays a month (rest on Sunday) = $142.30 per day. Assuming you work 4 hours (3-5pm, 7-9pm) a day, hence hourly you earn about $35.60.

Total hours of work per month = 4 x 26 = 104

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(B) Single student full time job offer: 5k/month

29.5/week divided by 5 day week = 5.9 hrs/day or 129.8hr/month for 22 workday a month.

Assuming a month of 22 days school, with your rate of $35.6, so 1 month total earnings on your current rate is $4,620.88.

So if you take this job, you're:

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Pros:

(1) Earning a bit more about $380 more/monthly by serving only 1 customer with the more hours. Or 5k-3.7k = 1.3k more if you consider current vs future earnings.

(2) Work 1 days less per week (5 day instead of 6 day week)

(3) However, each day you're working 2 hours more (if you currently work 4 hrs a day)

(4) Less tiring / travelling and less transport cost since don't need to travel to diffeent student place but only 1 student school/house/etc.

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Cons:

(1) Have to drop all existing students left 1 or 2, not easy to let go and some really needed you to learn effectively.

(2) Serve 1 student/customer(parent/relative) only means you cannot take up new students, and hence even referrals also cannot take up. Like taking a break but only serve 1 customer, but it's focus and easier.

(3) Serve 1 student/customer(parent/relative) only and if they are not satisfied (putting all eggs in 1 basket risk), you'll have to go back to find many new students, paying all the agent fee again and lost some agent fee $. But it also means don't have to deal with lost of initial new student cost (agent commission).

(4) 1 student means lack of exposure to variety of student and training to deal with all kinds of student/parent profile for the future. On the other hand, it also means simpler life.

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Conclusions:

I think, you should find out more about the routine of the student and the parent's expectations, the student profile and assess yourself if you can handle him/her well and if you can accept to go with the routines.

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If you can accept and are confidence that you can handle well, then consider if all the pros above is what you want and most importantly, that you can live with the cons above (or pros if seeing it the other way), to be more mentally sure to accept or reject this "unique proposal" :)

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Cheers! All the best! :)

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hi Wen Bin

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Sure. I've gathered further facts you've shared @ Fb post and reply consolidated here:

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Further info and Kids profile:

1) ADHD so can have family/tutor sit in class.

2) Having PSLE next year.

3) 3pm onwards.

4) Living in Sentosa

5) Have to be with the boy in school for his lessons for English, math, and science and the parents will be paying me 45/hr. Then after, I will head to his house for additional lessons (around 3 hours).

6) The 5k includes only working 29.5 hours on weekdays only.

7) They might need weekends as they have 2 more children that needs additional lessons. Which adds up to approximately 7k or so per month.

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Analysis:

=> ADHD Means hyperactive and unable control their impulses, hence you need extra patience, energy and constantly watch their safety since it's at Sentosa either the Apartment or the double storey bungalows with own swimming pools. What they need most is routine and someone to execute it with them most of the time.

=> Extra 2k at 45/hr = 44.45 hours for weekend 8 days for 2 more kid.

Assuming combine means 8 weekend/month hence each Sat or Sun you will work 5.56 hours (approximately 6 hours)

=> Total income of 7k but it means you have to work 7 days a week! Can you do that ?

Do you have love one, boyfriend, husband or kids or family? Can do manage to work 7 days a week ?

=>Staying at Sentosa means they are high net worth Expat, means they are quite demanding and school holiday they will usually take month long break to go back and some even stretch longer holiday before and after school starts. => This you can ask them but most likely this will be your break time too but also down month => No income!! For this you need to save extra in normal months from the 7k to survive for the no income school holiday day with their extended stretch school holiday going back hometown.

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Summary:

(1) Overall, this is an almost doubled jump from 3.7 to 7k.

(2) One kid with ADHD for weekday and assume the other 2 kids on weekend is normal, but you have to pay extra attention always to the one with ADHD and execute the routine with him/her always.

(3) I see this is one in a lifetime chances where if you think you can handle ADHD kids, why not have it a shot ? Since it's also an experience dealing with ADHD where you can bring about the experience to other family that look for tuition of kids with ADHD.

(4) Furthermore, you still have to take care of the other 2 kids on weekend, so there's a bit of diversifications rather than all eggs in one basket.

(5) Suggest if you can negotiable a min commitment month on both side, sign a contract say trial at least for 3 months to guarantee your income for jumping out and quiting on all other students for them. Any backing out from either side will have to compensate the full 3 months, this will guarantee the benefit for both side.

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Finally, just think carefully if you're willing to take up challenges handling ADHD kids. If you're willing and will not give up (at least for the 3 months contract period), then by all means go ahead!

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I have been in the education sector (Private school, tution centre, private tutoring) for some time before, and the main reason why I prefer schools rather than tutoring is really the timing. If you are prepared to sacrifice social life (not that we don't have free time, but we usually work when others are not, and are free at times where others are working), then I would say it's a rather great earner and all in all, a fun job as well (as long as the parent's are not the difficult to handle kind).

To be objective, the pros are:

Great money

Don't have to wake up so early

Once you develop syllabus, the teaching part is relatively easy

If reputation develops, group tuition can earn you quite a bit

Some people ask "what about the flexibility? that's good right?" but flexibility is really only for the student. If they can't make it, you are the one who has to arrange your whole schedule for a make up lesson. Same for when either party is sick. During holidays, they go overseas at different weeks, you want to go for holiday at different weeks too, then how do you re-arrange the schedule?

Cons:

Have to deal with parents (although some are really nice)

Have to deal with students who can't be bothered (most tiring)

The whole "flexibility" thing I talked about

Weekends are usually packed with classes (because that's the prime time for tutors)

If you do something wrong (even if it's not true) it affects your rep really fast

All in all, teach if you have passion for it, do tutoring if you don't mind the committing your life to growing young minds (who talk back). I loved my teaching days, but I have also seen my fair share of bad times!

See if you have chemistry with the boy first. If have then offer a try out period of 1 week? I think it's a good opportunity to expand skill sets. As a tutor, it's not about the quantity of jobs that matter but the improvements you see in the kids. So 3 kids, if they do well, the satisfaction is not less than say 30 kids. Personally i will prefer to focus on fewer kids, i don't see it as putting all eggs in 1 basket.

Then for the other 80% tuition kids, pass to a friend first ba...

Do it. Higher income + connections! Even if this household kid grows up, if u do a good job, u might be recommended to other rich families. :)