"job" advice

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Hi everyone,

Around mid april I got accepted for a tutoring job. I am technically self employed but with the "protection"of being employed but I have not gotten any work yet. I am sent postcodes of families who are either outside of London which I obviously dont have money to travel to, far away from where I am in London which would cost a lot of money (like £6-8 a day for only a 1 or 2 hour tutoring session on £8 an hour) so I would basically only get paid for one hour a day or my wage would just go on travel... or if I am given postcodes then told by my boss actually they only want experienced tutors. I have had two meetings with families, one lied to me saying she would take me on and then didnt and the other family was rude to me by saying theres no point in me coming as I live too far away (even though its only 30 mins away) and I wasnt experienced enough, even though my boss told her beforehand I didnt have experience so I didnt get that job either.

I have told my bosses that I am frustrated not being given work and being rejected by families because they are fussy etc and I cannot afford not to be working but my bosses say to me "hang on in there, we will find you work, it is worth it" etc well, they are getting a wage arent they? I am not. It has been like 10 weeks now and nothing!! ! It didnt say in the job description families can reject you.

I have always gone into meet the families dressed smartly, am polite, lots of questions about the children etc so I know I am not doing anything wrong. I would quit but if I leave within six months I have to pay back training money even though I dont get a wage. However,if I do get a wage they take money out of my first and second wage anyway but at least I would have a bit of money to pay for it.

Am I being conned? What do I do? My bosses know about my ASD btw.

Thanks guys.

Hindsight is always 20-20, but any "opportunity" you need to pay for upfront (be it fees, training etc) is usually a scam. There is a reason they want money from you upfront, and that is because they know the chances of you getting money after are slim so are just looking out for themselves.

But isnt it quite common to pay for training? What should I do? I am stuck.

THIS, for thie win.

...

@Alexinwonderland: Is your first language something other than the Queen's English? There's something about the structure of your post that indicates you may be from someplace other than England. What with the U.K.'s referendum on seceding from the E.U. and all the fuss and bother surrounding it, I would be surprised if any foreign national gets hired for a job that any neighborhood Brit could do.

Even though the job description doesn't specify that the clients can reject her services, that is a given in all hiring situations; and right now, it is an employer's market - an individual has to be exceptional in all respects to be hired. If there is nothing to make the person stand out from the other candidates, then there is little chance of being hired on-the-spot. You may not like it, but that's the way it is.

And I also think that you've been conned. Sure, and you may have to pay for training in some skilled industries - medical practice comes to mind - but are you actually being trained for the work you want to do?

It's ALWAYS a scam if somebody asks for money "up front" for you to get a job.

Please listen to the people giving advice here. It's good advice.

I am British, born and bred here, but I suppose my sentence structure isn't great compared to highly intelligent people .
I have a.2.1 degree so my sentence structure can't be terrible. Anyway, online forums aren't being graded by a teacher so I am not bothered how my sentence structures are judged by other users, all I want is an opinion about these so called "bosses" of mine.

I have not paid any training up front. I had training for two days when I first started but if I leave within my six month probation I have to pay it back, even though I have not had any work. However, even if I do get tutoring jobs my first and second months wage will still be deducted for that training. Since I had zero amount of money I cannot leave as I cant pay for the training.

Does 2:1 mean "higher second class honours?" Or "lower first class honours?" Congratulations! Well done!

I hope you get tutoring jobs soon.

Is there a program for disadvantaged students? Maybe you should explore this--as they probably need tutors really badly.

Higher class honours, so basically a B grade and thank you achieving my degree was a massive confidence boost for me.

I am not sure, I just accepted this tutoring job so I could get some experience working with disabled children as the experience could help me get a TA job in a school .

I have recently been accepted for a job, (0 hour contract but better than nothing) for mostly summer work, and maybe after school work as a playworker for disabled chidren. I should be starting that in a few weeks.

I just dont know how to leave this tutoring BS because I cannot afford to leave

I'm sure you'll get tutoring positions when they do the "common entrance" examination, or whatever it's called nowadays. That's the test for 10-11 year olds which determine which secondary school they get into.

Oh its not that kind of tutoring, its theraputic/play therapy. I was told during my training they had over 50 families in London wanting tutoring and me and 4 other tutors were the first london tutors to be recruited, so I dont know whether they were lying or what as I should have be given a child to tutor by now >.<

I'm wondering if you'd have to wait until school starts again (August/September) before your tutoring starts.

I would gently enquire into this every so often. Like once a week at least.

In the meantime, I feel that it just might make sense for you to pursue the "other" type of tutoring as well. Especially if it's of the online variety.

This is definitely bad news. They are screwing with you- I wouldn't recommend telling people about the AS unless you have to/need the accomodations, because people hear that and say "Oh, that means I can get away with messing with you" <- to put it nicely.
You're easy to manipulate.

I'm sorry they conned you into this- sounds a bit messy. You seem to be trying and want to present well despite the fact that they seem to be taking your wages and such.
They are NOT paying you well enough for one. Even with no experience I know in the states at least they generally pay about $20/hr and up for that sort of thing.
If they are not well funded then about $15/hr but that's a bit of pity work at that point...
Edit: I am not sure that's called tutoring/now I'm confused slightly as to what type of work you are referring to lol.
Anyway, you should be working more too.
That's messed up....
Never pay for training up front like that unless it's a school setting or a super official program- like a government program or something.
You don't pay for training. Training you is something that the employer takes on.
How young are you exactly? Have you worked elsewhere before- doesn't sound like it (I don't mean that in a bad way).
DO NOT PAY FOR SH*T TRAINING- you aren't in medical school or some specialized field. They aren't doing much for you- this is BS, you're wasting your time and money. You're essentially free labor for them it seems.
Even at s**t fast food or retail jobs (I've worked those in different settings for about 7 years...) they (if they are more unethical) either don't pay you for training (they should) or they pay you.
YOU are not the one that pays- unless MAYBE for a uniform (even that is pushing it- such things should be covered in their Operational costs).

You need to get a secondary job to defer costs until you can leave. If anything think of it as an unpaid internship, and don't expect them to write any letters of recommendation or such.

I am almost 27 and I have had about of jobs but they didnt last long due to me being bullied out by the managers and refusing to make legal reasonable adjustments, I.E me needing written information and instructions as I cannot procress verb information all that well.

This tutoring job is basically play therapy for disabled children but its called tutoring.

Yeah £8 is kinda s**t tbh, I know the lead tutors get about £15 an hour.

My managers advertise for students or grads, probably because we are easy to manipulate and its flexible work, pick when you want to work.

My parents told me some jobs require you to pay for training and I do not do anything without their approval.

I just dont know how to get out of this mess.

1) Open up a business bank account in your intended business domain (i.e. 'Therapeutic Play Services') - many banks here in the UK offer free business banking for the first year/two years (if things don't work out, just close the account).

2) Contact schools/education authorities directly. Being a business, you can also sell your product (i.e. your tuition) at b2b (business-to-business) rates.

PS charge too little and they'll think something is wrong. Business rates should be considerably higher than individual rates.

If anyone is paying you - businesses or private clients - have them pay the business, not you. Yes, they could pay you by cash, but it's better if they transfer into your business account etc.

3) Make up posters etc/advertise locally. Libraries may not advertise as they are council bodies - if I remember correctly, they aren't allowed to advertise services that aren't part of their authority. But it possibly depends on where you are in the UK. In any instance, contact local nurseries etc. Also try private schools.

4) Use the internet as a frontispiece for your business (i.e. have a page explaining what you do/services offered) - but don't expect to make much money from online - especially given your domain. Unless you are very clever/have many contacts very familiar with online marketing etc, you will potentially waste years of your life pursuing 'internet sales'. But do have a page people can visit that lists your services.

5) Have business cards made (try the likes of vistaprint) - give some to education authorities when you meet them.


The sourcing company are doing nothing for you that you can't do yourself. It sounds like they are asset holding i.e. the more people they have on their books, the bigger they can describe their business as being. Many businesses work this way.


You'll probably need the likes of £20 to get some posters etc - after that, it's simply time investment.

PS £8 an hour is ridiculous.

You should be charging much more than this - especially in London.

The company are not helping you.

Try not to see what you hope to see in something, but the reality of your situation. Help yourself, and if the business ever contacts you with regards tuition, so be it. If they don't, it won't matter, as you'll have your own business anyway.