I agree with strawberrye, it'll depend from centre to centre. A lot of it has to do with the culture and management of the centre itself. I reckon a good idea for you to learn about whether or not a particular centre would be right for you in terms of work would be just to give them a call and ask to speak with the person managing the hiring. A good centre should always be willing to answer those questions especially if they're in the process of hiring new tutors.
Like strawberrye said it's difficult to generalise. I can however give you some good questions that have been asked to me about working at our tutoring centre that I feel all individuals considering to tutor at a centre should ask. None of these is listed in any particular order of importance.
You should ask:
- How much the centre pays? (i would look to www.glassdoor.com and see if the centre is there to get some ideas about wages that have been paid there from previous employees)
- How much support do they provide to the tutors?
- How much work is conducted outside class hours and if there is an expectation for you to complete work outside class such as marking homework, keeping in contact with students, etc...
- What sort of individual would make a good tutor at your centre? (to get an idea about what there philosophy and culture of tutoring is)
- How and why did you start your tutoring centre?
- What are the works hours like? and how will you be scheduling classes to me? And what are the procedures like If I can make certain hours due to temporary events such as exam week or a wedding?
There are more but that is all I can think of at the moment.
Additionally on top of asking them questions directly it's also equally important for you to do research on their company. I'd recommend checking out there social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram, etc... and their website as well as any reviews their tutoring centre may have on google or other classifieds.
Truth is if you pursue tutoring after finishing high school it's most likely going to be one of the first jobs you'll have, so it's important to make sure you find the right place to apply for and hopefully work for so it won't ruin your impressions of what a good working environment and culture should be.
Having said the above as well, if you are just beginning to enter the work force it's important for you to also look up the regulations and laws regarding Employee Rights and the laws associated with employment. My advice is to just get a general idea of the National Employment Standards as a starter.
Also, be aware that if you are brought on as a tutor and they attempt to classify you as a 'contractor' "chances" are you are not a contractor and more likely a casual or even a part time employer. You should read up on these laws and rules as well, a lot of this is covered on the fairwork website. Any professional and legitimate tutoring centre will be aware of these rules. However, do not take my word for it, you'll need to make your own judgements and follow your own understanding of the regulations. Disclaimer: I don't claim to be a lawyer or to be providing legal advice here.
Just some of my thoughts. Best of luck!
