Credit: sxc.hu/hvaldez1

At my university, all undergraduate business majors are required to take two introductory accounting classes, one in financial accounting and one in managerial accounting. I have worked as a tutor for both of these classes for about 4 semesters now, and it is the best student job I’ve ever had.

Tutoring accounting is a great part-time job to have as a student. It is interesting to work with so many students, rewarding to help them, and pays pretty well. I mostly worked through my university’s Academic Enhancement office, which provides the services free to students, so does not pay tutors exceptionally well. However, I also tutored privately and charged about $15 an hour, which is better pay than most part-time student jobs in this area.

Just because you are a good accounting student does not mean you will be a good tutor. I was lucky to get started tutoring through my university. They provide some training, and you are seen as more legitimate to the students you tutor.

Tips for Tutoring Accounting

A lot of tutoring is really explaining the same concept several different ways. When I tutor accounting, I’ll use algebra, pictures, examples . . . basically, the professor can only explain it one way. Your job is to explain it in a different way, and chances are, one of the ways will work better.

Keep in mind, just because you hit on an explanation that works really well for your student, that doesn’t mean it’ll make sense to everyone. (Although I would still try it out, if it really helped clear up a concept for someone.)

Sometimes, you don’t even need to explain it differently than their professor did. With one of the classes I tutor, I will go over the same examples their professor already showed them in class, but since I can move slower and give them a chance to ask questions, they can then follow the problem much easier than in a lecture.

Getting Started in Tutoring Accounting

Before you start charging students for your tutoring services, try tutoring accounting for free to a friend or two, especially in their first week of financial accounting when they don’t understand what a t-account or an asset is. You may find it hard at first to explain it to them in a way they understand. Eventually, through attempting to explain it, you’ll figure out how to make it make more sense.