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Driving Instructor
Driving instructor

How to become a Driving Instructor

What does a Driving Instructor do?

Do you love driving and pride yourself on being an excellent motorist? Have you got the patience of a saint? Then you might be a great Driving Instructor.You could work for yourself or a driving school, but your job would be to help the next generation of road users learn how to drive safely and develop the skills they need to pass the DVLA's driving test.As an instructor, your main responsibilities would be:
  • Showing new pupils the basics of how to drive
  • Helping them learn the rules of road safety through practice
  • Taking them out onto public roads to try out manoeuvres such as turning, reversing and parking
  • Teaching basic vehicle checks, and how to deal with any emergency situations that may arise
  • Booking pupils in for tests when you have assessed they are ready

Is a career as a Driving Instructor right for me?

As long as you have had a manual licence for four of the past six years, you have not been disqualified from driving and you can pass a basic criminal record check, you could become a driving instructor.However, if you're the panicky type, then this is not the job for you. Driving Instructors will be dealing with the very newest drivers and they will make mistakes. A lot of them. You need to be prepared to deal with this.A good Driving Instructor should be:
    • Able to display clear knowledge of the rules of the road
    • Patient
    • Excellent at communicating instructions
    • Able to react quickly in dangerous situations
    • Confident at dealing with all types of people

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Career progression and salary expectations for a Driving Instructor

1

Driving Instructor

| Up to £25,000

Get qualified as a Driving Instructor

To become a Driving Instructor, you'll need to take a criminal record check before applying to the Driving Standards Agency. You'll then be required to pass three tests: a theory test; a practical test of your own driving ability; and a practical test of your ability to instruct others. Once this has been completed, you can apply for your first Advanced Driving Instruction Badge.

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What's it like to be a Driving Instructor?

"Being a Driving Instructor is perfect for me because I love meeting and spending time with people, plus I'm great at bossing them about - in a nice way, of course! I also like having the chance to pass on such an important skill. However, I would say that it's vital to have a sense of humour if you want to work with new drivers, as you never know quite what they'll do next."

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