How to Become a Driving Instructor

Are you a calm, confident and experienced driver? Do you enjoy being behind the wheel? As a Driving Instructor, you could help others enjoy the freedom that driving has to offer by helping them work safely towards gaining their driving licence.

What do they do?

Driving Instructors teach people of all ages and backgrounds to drive either a manual or an automatic car. Often the same Driving Instructor will see a student through from the moment they first put the key in the ignition, to the day they pass their test. However, Instructors will also take on students who perhaps have had a few lessons years ago, given up and come back to try again, or who haven’t had a very positive time with another instructor.

Students will take to driving at completely different rates – some can take weeks and others may take months (or even years).

The typical responsibilities of a Driving Instructor are:

• Teaching new pupils the driving basics.
• Critiquing them in a constructive manner as they practice what they’ve learned, to help them become better drivers.
• Taking them out on public roads to show them how to make manoeuvres such as reversing, turning and parking.
• Teaching them the rules of the road – including awareness of road signs, and how to use different traffic systems e.g. junctions and roundabouts.
• Preparing students for their test and helping them book it.
• Supporting pupils on test day and thereafter if things don’t go to plan and the student needs to retake the test at a later date. Even students who pass may return to their Driving Instructor for refresher lessons at some point if they need a confidence boost, or help with a particular aspect of driving they are struggling with. Some students may also return to take lessons in advanced forms of driving – such as night time driving, or driving in rain and snow.

What skills do I need?

The right person will:

• Be calm and confident – even under pressure. If you’re someone who gets anxious behind the wheel, then a career as a Driving Instructor is probably not for you.
• Be patient – everyone learns differently and some students will learn faster than others. Driving instructors should be prepared to work with a student for as long as they need in order to pass their test.
• Have excellent communication skills – being able to communicate clearly and succinctly will help speed up your student’s learning, but it is also essential in critical moments out on the road.
• Have good judgement and concentration. You should be able to see potential problems on the road and mistakes that your student may make ahead of time, so that you can intervene when necessary.
• Have driving experience. You must have held your licence for at least three years.
• Enjoy driving and be happy sitting in the car for several hours a day.
• Have a good sense of direction, so you can confidently direct your student and reroute them if they make a wrong turn.
• Have an encouraging attitude, especially when dealing with less confident students.
• Be reliable and trustworthy. You’ll be placed in a position of trust and your students will perform better if they feel comfortable and safe in your presence.

What will I love about the job?