14th August 2015 1:00
By Blue Tutors
There has been much chatter recently about the fact that many graduates are employing private tutors to help them with job applications. Usually for job applications to big city firms, graduates are seeking help with aptitude tests, interviews, CVs, and even self-confidence and elocution. Whilst there are no official figures on how many people are using tutors for this purpose, anecdotal evidence from tuition agencies and independent private tutors suggests that it is becoming increasingly common. Is this just a natural progression in the private tuition industry, or a sign that things have gone too far?
Reactions to the news that people hire private tutors for job applications have been incredibly mixed. Some say that since job applications are incredibly important, it makes utter sense that tutors should be employed to ensure that a candidate performs in his or her best light. With so much riding on it – career, salary – why wouldn’t you pay a little extra for help preparing? Although none of the city firms mentioned by tuition agencies have commented on the fact that their applicants may be using private tutors, one can’t imagine that they would necessarily frown on candidates doing what they can to prepare. However, others have raised concerns about people becoming dependent on tutors.
This is a legitimate concern. Many students now have tutors from primary school onwards, through GCSEs, A levels, and university applications. For them it may seem the natural progression to ask for a tutor’s help with job applications after university. However, at what point does a tutor stop being helpful and start becoming a hindrance? The problem comes when students become dependent on the advice of tutors, or even just their presence as a stabilising figure in their lives. Whilst it is not necessarily a bad thing for graduates to seek help with job applications, tutors should ensure that they are teaching their students the skills they require to survive on their own, rather than teaching them to always be dependent on outside help.