As the job market continues to recover in the midst of what is still, in many ways, an unstable economy, individuals are looking for all kinds of avenues to make extra money. One of those ways would include doing some contract work and one of the best options for doing that is to become an online tutor.

If helping children (or teens and adults) learn is something that you enjoy but you never really considered doing it professionally, we wanted to provide you with a few tips on how you can do what you love while also earning a few dollars in the process. Check out these three steps below:

Make sure that you have the right skills. In order to be a great online tutor, the first thing you need to do is make sure that you have the skills that it takes to do a good job. Of course, you need to be someone who is extremely competent in the subject matter that you’re applying to tutor; however, because it is an online position, you also have to have excellent verbal and written skills. Plus, you need to be courteous, patient, kind, committed and flexible enough to accommodate different kinds of schedules.

Know where to look in order to apply. Once you are confident that you have what it takes to do online tutoring, it’s then time to do some research on the companies that are looking to hire in the field. Although this requires you devoting a few hours to look for the one that is just the right fit for you, some of the websites that we recommend you visit include Classof1.com, ConnectionsAcademy.com, Educate-Online.com, EduWizardS.com, HomeworkTutoring.com, Tutors.com and the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (cty.jhu.edu). These are just of the few companies that hire online tutors to work for them year-round. Just make sure that you clearly indicate which subjects you are able to tutor in and what grade levels you are the most comfortable with from K thru 12 (and in some cases, even through college).

Consider the pros and cons before making a formal commitment. Did you know that in many cases, online tutoring can generate an additional income of $1,000 per month? So, if after reading all of this, whether you’re looking into doing some tutoring in New York, Phoenix or even some San Diego tutoring, we can understand why you might want to sign up today. However, before you do, we wanted to make sure to share with you some of a couple of advantages and disadvantages that come with being an online tutor too. The good thing is that you can work from the comforts of your own home and that even aside from the schedule that you set between you and the company, there’s usually opportunities to pick up some additional hours. The main con is that once you have agreed to a set time, it requires you being online no matter what else you might have on your to-do list. Plus, you have to be willing to work a lot of evening and weekend hours because that is when most students are focused on doing their homework. But if knowing all of this doesn’t deter you from wanting to apply, we encourage you to do so. It’s a good way to help others and a great way to generate some additional income in the process too.