Have you been thinking about applying for university tutor jobs? Are you confused about what skills you would need to step into a new tutoring role? In the following article, I have selected some guidance on what skills and qualifications you would need.
University tutors help a wide range of students to achieve their potential during their academic studies. Most tutors would agree that it can be an incredibly rewarding job. You could talk about a subject area that you genuinely enjoy. You get to see young people’s love of their subject increase and their academic performance improve. You may have the opportunity to guide them in their choice of a future career. You could share with them your deep interest in your field and inspire them to develop a career in your area of expertise. You could empower and encourage your students on a daily basis. For some of your learners, you may be the first person who has ever believed in their potential. You could help your students develop their self-confidence and become aware of their strengths. Students can make you change the way you think about your academic work and can be a source of inspiration.
Working with students can however be both varied and challenging. While in a traditional nine-to-five job you might be dealing with the same issues, your job as a tutor is varied every day. You may be delivering seminars, marking assignments, or researching new course materials. You could use the latest digital tools to make your teaching more engaging and interactive. You may need to support students who go through emotionally difficult times. You may need to work with learners who do not engage with the learning materials or struggle to understand complex concepts.
Tutors are either employed by the university or they work on a freelance basis. Often, tutors are referred to as lecturers. To receive a position, most universities may ask for previous teaching experience and a postgraduate degree. The application criteria and the responsibilities may vary from job to job. However, you could expect to be involved in the following tasks:
- Delivering lectures and seminars
- Marking students’ coursework, projects, and exams
- Mentoring students and providing academic advice
- Developing academic courses
- Providing 1-2-1 supervision to students
What qualifications would I need?
Ideally, you would need to have completed a relevant postgraduate degree (master’s or a PhD). It is helpful if you have an additional teaching qualification. Although some universities have criteria for previous academic teaching experience, others are more lenient. They may consider individuals with training and coaching skills if they have sound professional experience in a related field. If you do not have a separate teaching qualification, you could be offered the opportunity to complete one in the first year of working as a tutor.
What are some of the skills I would need?
Confidence
You may happily speak with students on an individual basis yet addressing a small group of young people can be a daunting challenge. The more you practice speaking in front of others, the more confident you can become. You could consider joining a public speaking organisation such as Toastmasters. It is a supportive network which helps people improve their communication and public speaking skills.
Resilience: Having resilience means being able to cope with whatever life throws at you. Although resilient people do experience difficult emotions, they are able to bounce back quickly from setbacks. As a tutor, you might have difficult students in your class, and they might challenge your teaching approach. You might need to meet competing deadlines and face pressures to align with targets.
Continuous learning
Tutors need to be genuinely interested in their chosen field and seek to continuously broaden their skills via training courses, books, online resources and sharing knowledge with colleagues. You need to be committed to making a positive difference to the lives of young people. The more you engage in continuous learning, the more your critical thinking will develop. You will be able to look at challenges from different perspectives and make better decisions. One of the best strategies to avoid professional stagnation is by constantly expanding your knowledge.
Creativity
According to an article called ‘Eight Steps to Becoming a More Creative Teacher’, teachers can take practical steps to develop their creativity in the classroom. The article suggests that creative teachers bring more to class than just the knowledge of teaching. They are educated in other areas, and they can skilfully use knowledge in other fields to enrich their teaching approach. They also seek to broaden their teaching ‘toolbox’ to provide interactive lessons.
Interpersonal Communication
Being a tutor, you will communicate with students on a one-to-one basis. Despite their familiarity with technology, many students still prefer to meet with the tutors face-to-face, especially if they need to discuss work or personal problems. While not being a trained counsellor, you need to be able to put the students at ease and encourage them to discuss their challenges with you.
Organisation and time management
You will most probably need to balance a busy schedule with tutoring, marking, lesson preparations, researching and completing administrative tasks. Organisation is an essential skill for tutors. The more organised you become, the more you could feel in control in your classroom.
Team working
As a tutor, you may be working in a closely knit academic community. You will need to develop positive working relationships with colleagues from a range of different educational, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. In addition to working in teams, you would also need to be able to work independently.
Cultural awareness
Whether working face-to-face or virtually, you could be supporting students from a range of different backgrounds. Some of your students may speak English as a second language and may struggle to understand complex academic words. It is essential that you are aware of differences between cultures. You need to communicate effectively with people across different cultures and tailor your communication and teaching approaches to suit your learners.
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