Thanks,
nightblade354! I'd be happy to add my two cents - though
GMATNinja did a fantastic job of expressing most of what I would suggest for consideration!
It sounds like if you - like me - have found that your "heart belongs to the GMAT," and that you enjoy teaching in other capacities, you might very well be suited for a career in test prep! Having a superb GMAT score (or other strong evidence of standardized test success) is definitely a great start - but as has been mentioned, the true test that larger prep companies seeking
career instructors will look for, and that will guide your success in private tutoring if you take that route, is your ability to connect with students, diagnose and address their opportunities for improvement, and understand the learning process well enough that you can apply that process for students with differing needs, backgrounds, and learning styles!
I will say, in my personal experience, I had taught in many different capacities throughout my life before entering test prep - so I would very strongly second Charles' suggestion to consider teaching in other facets if you find test-prep difficult to break into at first. Teaching in capacities such as training, coaching, and other instructional roles has affirmed to me over and again that instructing is my passion and joy, and 10ish years later - I find each new day of test-prep instruction more interesting and engaging than the last!
While I'll also admit that my advice may be limited in application to your market - I will weigh in on the "test prep company" route, should you choose to take it! Before you look to gain employment with a test prep company, I'd strongly suggest taking the time to familiarize yourself with all the major materials out there, so that you can seek employment somewhere that:
1) Places value and importance in your passion to teach and grow as a career instructor (not
just a top percentile score) and
2) Aligns with your teaching style and preferred materials/approach techniques
I've been teaching this test privately for a lot longer than I've been working for
Veritas, and after digging into all available resources, I decided to apply for and instruct with
Veritas because they quickly became my preferred resource; their teaching style and materials were something I wholeheartedly believed in, and the materials "sounded like me" when looking into them. If you're looking to work for a company and teach utilizing their resources and materials (though most allow quite a bit of freedom and flexibility to instruct in whatever way is best suited to your students!) - it's absolutely essential that you work for a company you believe in and align with!
So, while some of my thoughts may not be *quite* as applicable in your market, I'd powerfully second the advice given to seek out teaching/instructing in any capacity to build experience and a curiosity for teaching and - just as importantly - for learning! It definitely also sounds like you felt your performance on test day wasn't indicative of where you feel your true potential falls, so a retake could definitely work in your favor (and potentially provide valuable insights to future students on overcoming test anxiety and achieving your goals!)
Finally, if you are seeking a career with an established company, I'd strongly suggest you familiarize yourself with all major available resources (you'll want to anyways - even as an independent tutor, I often worked with students with various previous experience with and exposure to different resources for the test, and understanding their backgrounds in that capacity was incredibly useful in "connecting the dots" on their paths toward success,) and identify firms that align with your teaching style/ability to help your students succeed!
Best of luck to you in this journey,
ArtVandaley! I hope this helps!
_________________
Hailey Cusimano
Veritas Prep Live Online Instructor and GMAT Enthusiast (seriously!)
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