You possess expert knowledge, experience educating clients both online and in-person, and a record of high-performing students. And now you’re looking for more clients.
And your future students will want to know more about your credentials and experience and understand why they’ll be in good hands working with you. A well-drafted cover letter is a perfect opportunity to highlight your knowledge and values. And it allows you to differentiate yourself from the growing crowd of tutors in today’s freelance-friendly marketplaces.
Here’s how to take that first opportunity to connect with your future pupils with a standout tutoring cover letter.
How to write a professional cover letter for a tutoring job
Becoming a tutor can turn your desire to help others into a rewarding experience and profitable freelance career. Unlike teaching positions at schools, which are often full time, tutoring roles allow you to keep your day job (if any) or continue teaching students.
Once you meet your new student, your skills and experience will speak for themselves. But as you look for pupils, you must be that voice. Here’s how to transmit your message in a cover letter that hits all the points a future student wants to see:
- Include your contact information: Head up the text with your contact information, including a phone number and an email address. If you don’t yet have a professional email address, create one. You can simply use your name if you don’t have a formal business.
- Personalize your note: Whenever possible, start a cover letter by addressing the recipient by name — whether the student or a recruiter at a tutoring agency. If you host your cover letter on a job site, use “Hello” or “To the Hiring Manager.” Try not to write “To whom it may concern,” as this can seem robotic. Then, open with a sentence acknowledging the services the recipient is seeking. If writing to a tutoring agency, research the institution to explain why you’re a good fit for that particular environment. If approaching an individual, address their needs directly.
- Hook your audience: After briefly demonstrating your knowledge of the person or institution you’re writing to, highlight your achievements and use statistics where possible. For example, mention how you helped raise your previous students’ standardized test scores.
- Explain why you’re a good fit: Once you grab the reader’s attention with a compelling introduction, highlight your educational background and skill set. For example, you can tell the reader that you’re a great Spanish tutor because of your first-hand experience with the language during your five years in Argentina. This is also the right place to refer to any educational background that shaped your abilities, like your master’s degree in Latin American literature or teaching certification. And don’t forget to touch on your soft skills, such as patience and tenacity.
- Sign off professionally: Keep your final thoughts brief but remind the recipient that you’re looking forward to working with them, and they can reach out should they have any questions. Choose your words wisely, so don’t seem overeager.
- Proofread: Your prospective clients expect you to be perfect as you aim to grab a tutoring role. So after writing your cover letter, let it sit, and consider whether there’s anything you could add or change. Read through the text several times, checking for spelling and style errors. Run your letter through a proofreading app to ensure you haven’t missed any mistakes.
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What if I don’t have tutoring or teaching experience?
While having teaching or tutoring experience may make it easier to land a job mentoring students, the most critical factor is having the right skills and subject-matter expertise for the role. When writing a tutor cover letter with no experience, highlight the skills and previous work that still make you a good fit for the job. Here are a few tips:
- Share relevant work experience examples: Even if you’ve never held a tutoring role but have worked in a chemistry lab for 20 years, you can teach chemistry students. Mention this experience to persuade a future employer or pupil. Also, include teaching-adjacent roles, such as volunteering with children or teens and leading professional development workshops, if any.
- Highlight transferable skills: Tutoring involves patience, organization, planning, and time management. You don’t need to work in a tutor role to acquire these –– you could’ve earned them in another role. Include where you learned and how you applied these skills.
- Remind the reader you’re passionate about educating: Share your excitement for the position. Shed light on what draws you to tutoring –– is it your desire to help others excel, or do you enjoy sharing your niche knowledge? Informing prospective clients beforehand will help them understand your “tutor” personality.
Cover letters for tutors: Best practices
As you review your cover letter seeking ways to improve it, consider the following expert tips. Even the most experienced tutor has an opportunity to polish their message.
- Hit the main points in the job description: Respond directly to client needs in the job posting. When addressing specific skills or role particulars, use the same or similar language in your letter so that a reader can quickly identify those terms if scanning the text.
- Keep your letter clear and to the point: A strong cover letter only needs a few paragraphs and less than a page of text. Cut back on wordiness and repetition, and avoid including information irrelevant to the role. You can go into more detail in a job interview or resume.
- Use action verbs: Empower the language in your letter by using action verbs. Instead of saying you served as the head of the department, write you headed the chemistry department. These small shifts create better writing and clearer visuals.
Seek inspiration from this tutoring cover letter example
Before writing your letter, check out examples online or use a template to structure your text. Here’s a cover letter sample to help you get started:
Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs [hiring manager’s surname],
I am writing to express my interest in tutoring [subject] students at [tutoring agency name]. Thanks to my [years of experience] teaching advanced high school math and preparing students for standardized tests, I would be an excellent fit for the role.
I hold a [degree in the subject]. Throughout my teaching career, I worked with more than 300 students and helped them achieve the highest scores on college admissions exams and advanced placement (AP) tests. During my tenure, the math department saw an overall increase of 10% in standardized test scores. I developed a methodology that combined knowledge and test-taking strategy to help high school students ace their assessments. I also became proficient at identifying students’ unique needs and helping them tailor individualized study plans.
Patience, perseverance, and lesson plan development are the vital skills I honed during my career. I aim to support students through their education and work tirelessly to help them reach their goals.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing back and discussing the role further. If you have any questions or need more information from me, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Best,
[Your full name]
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