You can already drive, maybe you sat in with your kids when they were learning, why not become a driving instructor?
Well it seems like an easy way to escape the 9 to 5 job, and the advertisements on the TV and in the newspapers seem to offer huge incentives, like ?30k/year and a fully maintained car. And all you need to do is hand over a chunk of your hard earned cash for this new career. Unfortunately it is not that simple. Driving Instructor Training in the UK is largely unregulated, but to qualify as an instructor (ADI), you need to pass 3 very stringent exams, and the overall pass rate can be under 10%.
Even if you make it to the third and final instructional techniques exam, you have less than a 1 in 3 chance of passing this exam in the 3 attempts you are allowed.
Now I don't want to put people off, because the job itself is great, very challenging, stimulating and satisfying, but the truth behind the sales pitch is much more complex than it may seem to be at first.
If you are interested in a career as a driving instructor - do some research. The first port of call could be Driving Instructor Training Advice, which is home to the undercover adi. Next, log in at the ADI forums, www.adiforum.co.uk, and www.drivertrainingtoday.co.uk, and start asking some questions. Remember, the sales people for these courses are after your money - you want to get good value - sometimes these don't always go together!
