Arash trained in Manchester with us and passed after fitting it in around being a private maths teacher.
Why did you want to become an instructor?
I didn’t know much about being an instructor but I knew I could be a good one as I was working as a maths private tutor and I knew this was also a teaching job and I knew about the process of learning and I knew about teaching. I also chose this work because I knew it was a demanding job and I could plan it around my existing jobs. I needed to be sure that I had a full time job and I knew if I added this job to my two other jobs I would always have a full day booking in my diary.
What did you do at the time?
I was self employed maths teacher and interpreter
What made you choose us?
I searched the Internet for courses and made phone calls to few schools and found out they all offer similar package but smartdriving was much cheaper and they explained to me the reason was that they didn’t spend large amount of money for advertising like other schools.
What did you enjoy about your training?
I enjoyed the challenge it gave me to learn a new skill and I knew if I worked hard at the end it would be a career that I could enjoy for a very long time
What didn’t you enjoy?
I can’t think of anything in particular as I had a plan and I knew what I wanted and how to get it. It was hard as I had to train and study and go to work everyday but I enjoyed the whole process. I was very busy all the time but it didn’t bother me.
What advice would you give another person looking to be an instructor?
I guess my advice would be make sure this is for them and they can actually pass part 3 as it is the most difficult part. Research and learn as much as they can about the job and the tests and then make their decision. Make sure you understand what part 3 is all about and do as much research as you can. Then practise when you are driving for part 2 and 3 and get to the habit of driving correctly. If you understand it then that understanding would work as a foundation for your learning and then you can build on it and improve. So train with the best and learn from the best otherwise you won’t be able to build that foundation and subsequently you won’t enjoy your work because you haven’t understood it.
How has this changed your life so far?
It has made me independent. I wanted to be self employed. I am a qualified maths teacher and civil engineer, I did experience being employed and work as an engineer for few years and after that as a teacher but I wasn’t happy and I wanted to be in charge of my own business and my time. I decided to take the risk and became self employed. I spoke another language and always worked as an interpreter part time as well when I could so I started doing that and teaching GCSE and A Level match privately. It wasn’t guaranteed that I would earn enough and I was worried about the future. Now I have more bookings than I can accept. I enjoy doing the three jobs and I have found a way to do them all. If I’m quiet with interpreting and teaching maths I can always rely on driving because you can have as many as pupil as you want.
