How to write the perfect TEFL tutor profile

If you’re looking for career flexibility, the chance to build a career at your own pace, and to decide your own rates of pay, TEFL tutoring is where it’s at. There are countless amazing platforms and companies to choose from, while there’s also the opportunity to go completely freelance. As a tutor, you have control over so much. 

If you’ve ever wanted to work from home (wherever home is - you decide!), choose who you teach to, how long you teach to them, and what times of day you do it, TEFL tutoring is a choice you need to make. Whether online or in person, tutoring can be the ticket to unlocking the perfect work/life balance, finding students you can work with long-term, and inspiring learners to achieve every language goal they set.

To do it, though, you need to win people over. A perfect TEFL tutoring profile is crucial for finding those amazing students, achieving the career you’ve always imagined, and earning the kind of income you need to make.

So, how do you write a perfect TEFL tutoring profile? Here are the steps you need to take.

Why do I need to fill out a profile?

Before we go any further - why is filling out a TEFL tutoring profile necessary?

The fact is, whether you’re using an online platform , you’re working for an online company , or you’re advertising yourself as a freelancer , you’ll need to provide information about yourself. No information, no students. It’s that simple.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as wanting to be a tutor and hoping the world gives you students that pay you outrageously well. You need to be in the marketplace, and you need to stand out as a good option. 

Unless you’re already incredibly well-connected, you’ll need to advertise yourself as a TEFL tutor in some form. 

Know yourself

Socrates said : “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom”. He was onto something, as it’s also the beginning of writing a great TEFL tutoring profile. Knowing what your skills and best traits are as a TEFL teacher is the pathway to making yourself attractive to students.

So, what are your strengths? What are you particularly good at? What should learners know about you, specifically? What kind of experience do you have as a teacher? Who do you want to teach?

These are important questions to ask yourself before we get into writing your tutoring profile. Sure, they’re quite general questions, but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, for starters. After answering these questions, consider whether you have a specialist interest or a niche which can make all the difference. This is especially true if you’re somewhere with an emergent economy or a robust educational sector. Talking of geography…

Know your audience

Where are you based? This still matters online, as you’ll need to adapt to different time zones . Depending on the kind of teacher you are, you’ll have different demographics who are more likely to respond to you.

For example, are you based somewhere where English is taught in schools? Being available to tutor young learners who want to excel in class will make you a busy tutor. Do you work somewhere that emphasises the economic benefits of Business English ? That’s something worth knowing about. What about higher education - can you teach English for academic purposes to learners at local colleges and universities? Or, can you prepare students for exams like the IELTS or TOEFL ?

Consider your audience at a local and international level and the kind of teacher you are. Where are the match-ups? Where can you excel? 

To use an example of audience awareness, we spoke to Anne Crutchfield (LA English Tutor) for ‘ I Taught English Abroad ’. Based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Anne knew that if she learned how to teach students who needed English for auditions in the entertainment industry, she’d find work. In a city as diverse as LA, where there is already immense demand for English tutoring, knowing the needs of an audience on your doorstep can make all the difference.

Killer opener: What makes you stand out?

So, let’s get to writing your tutoring profile. You need a killer opener to make you stand out. Immediately, you want to give a learner a clear idea of who you are, what your lessons might be like, what your values are and how you might help a learner achieve their goals. 

Let’s say you’re a highly qualified teacher and you’re working in a city with a strong university presence. You could write an opener like: “With a BA in English and a Level 5 Diploma in TEFL, I can be the English teacher who helps you get a degree.” Immediately, any college or university student for whom English isn’t their first language will feel inspired by your confidence, clarity and qualifications. 

Perhaps you’re an experienced teacher looking to work with young learners after school. Your opening line should be directed at parents navigating online teaching platforms. A line like this might work: “As a TEFL teacher with (x) years of experience, I can help any learner get to the top of their class.” This displays determination, a clear goal and how long you’ve been working as a teacher.

If you have a specific TEFL passion, be sure to use it. We’ve already covered academia, but if your interest is in Business English, use that. For some teachers, sport is their passion, and plenty of sportspeople require English lessons. If you have a specific interest that can be translated into an appealing angle for TEFL tutoring, it’s worth shouting about!

What if I don’t have…?

Now, all of this is fine, and well, if you’ve got years of experience, more advanced TEFL qualifications than you can count, and loads of specific interests, that would be perfect for tutoring. 

Don’t read any of this with anxiety, though. Selling yourself as a TEFL tutor isn’t about what you might lack. It’s about where your strengths lie. If you don’t have much in the way of teaching experience, you need to talk about your enthusiasm, about your passion for teaching, and your new ideas and approaches.

If you don’t have a degree, show off your TEFL certificate, talk about your experience as a teacher, and use any reviews or testimonials you might have from previous students (we’ll get on to that). 
Big yourself up. That’s what it’s all about. Frankly, a learner just wants to hear about how they can benefit from your tutoring. They don’t want a frank, self-effacing diatribe about anything you feel you’re missing. Keep it upbeat, summarise the high points of your CV, and prove you’re the best option out there.

Testimonials and reviews

If you’ve already been tutoring for a while, you should have learners who’d happily write a review for you. Ideally, you already have a bunch of positive reviews and testimonials, whether you teach for a company, a platform or for yourself. 

These are crucial. Positive reviews are always great fun to receive (as we’re well aware here at The TEFL Org), but they’re also vital in terms of bringing in new business. A couple of persuasive quotes from current or former students can turn a curious browser into a tutee. 

Don’t be afraid to ask your current tutors for a review. They’ll typically have no problem helping you if they're happy with you. A good tutor has a positive relationship with their students and normally shouldn’t have any problems garnering a keen word or two to help you grow your business.

What are you waiting for?

Getting your tutoring profile perfect can take time, but once it’s right, you’ll know. How? Well, you’ll have plenty of interest and a full schedule.

Fine, it might take a few goes to get that desired outcome. Tweaking your profile, whether it’s the wording, structure or what skills you feel you need to emphasise, is never a bad idea if you feel that interest has plateaued. Speaking to other TEFL tutors for advice is never a bad idea - the TEFL community is typically very friendly and outgoing, with very strong opinions (in the best way). You won’t have to wait long to get some guidance!

It’s also a fun opportunity to show some personality and be creative. Fine, you’ll have a limited word count, and you need to get to the point, but your prospective learners should also feel drawn to you as a person. Being likeable matters!

So now you’ve got all of our primo advice, what are you waiting for? Write that perfect TEFL tutoring profile, start taking control of your schedule, and thank us later!

Eager to start your TEFL journey? Take our highly-rated 120-hour Premier Online course and join thousands of former students who’ve become fantastic teachers!