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If you love driving, then you might be considering a career where you could work from your car. Today, we rely heavily on our vehicles, using them to commute, to find and explore new places and even to receive essentials, such as parcels and food. This means that there’s a high demand for drivers and having a driving license can increase your chances of employment, broadening your job selection in terms of skills and location.
Since driving is such an essential part of everyday life for so many, there is an increased demand for driving instructors, but also delivery drivers. However, since driving instructing requires a breadth of assessments and a qualification, and delivery driving typically does not require extensive training, what are the benefits of choosing to become a driving instructor?
Becoming a driving instructor
Pursuing a career in driving instructing can be greatly rewarding, not only because you’re teaching an important life skill, but also because it puts you in control. You could be your own boss, dictating when and where you work, fitting your hours around your lifestyle. To become a driving instructor, you’ll need a qualification, which requires you to train, study and undergo a range of assessments.
A driving instructing course which will allow you to walk away as a fully-fledged instructor could cost around £1,600, but the long-term benefits of the career could well be worth this initial investment. To become a driving instructor, you’ll be required to register with the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and to do so, you must be over the age of 21 and have held your driving licence for at least three years. You’ll also need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, to ensure that you’re fit to take on the role.
The assessment is similar to that of a typical driving test, being split into a theory test (which includes a hazard perception exam) and a driving ability test. These are vigorous testing methods to ensure that you’ve got what it takes to teach future drivers safely and effectively.
How to become a delivery driver
The majority of delivery drivers are required to drive a van that is less than 3.5 tonnes, meaning that it can be driven without having to take an HGV driving test to obtain a ‘category C1’ licence. Therefore, all that is required to become a delivery driver is a valid driving licence.
In order to become a delivery driver, you’ll need to be organised and responsible, since you’ll be in charge of the collection of goods and delivery, at which point you’ll have to unload the goods and obtain signatures for them.
How much more could you earn as a driving instructor?
As a delivery driver you could earn an average of £22,608 a year, or £10.87 per hour. On the other hand, though driving instructing will require a hefty financial contribution initially, in order to become qualified and set up your business, it has an impressive earning potential of between £30,000 and £40,000 annually, on average.
Plus, once you’re your own boss as an instructor, it’s completely up to you how much you work and therefore, how much you earn. If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a driving instructor and are looking for a career change, it can be a reliable source of income, since there are always people wanting to learn to drive.
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