What is the ranking system on the Private platform?
When customers view the tutor listings page, they see a selection of tutors who fit their specific needs.
Customers can filter tutors based on things such as:
Subject and level
Customer price
Gender
They will then see a list of tutors who match their search criteria, with tutors appearing in different positions based on the ranking system.
The Private platform ranking system has recently been updated and is now more focused on the quality of your profile and how well you're performing as a tutor.
By focusing on the areas below, you can improve your chances of appearing higher up the list.
What can I do to improve my rank on the Private platform?
There are several things you can do to improve your rank and make your profile more appealing to new customers.
Help customers progress towards a booking
Progressing customers from an initial message to a booking is an important part of improving your rank on the Private platform.
To give yourself the best chance of progressing a customer to a booking:
Respond to customer messages as soon as you can. A quick response creates a positive first impression and gives the customer confidence in you as their tutor.
Show enthusiasm for helping the student. Parents care deeply about their child's development, so showing that you are invested in their progress can give them greater confidence in choosing you as their tutor.
Avoid:
Leaving customers waiting for a response. If customers don't hear back from you, it may knock their confidence and affect how reliable they see you as a tutor.
Create a strong tutor profile
Your profile is often the first thing a parent sees, so making a good first impression is important.
Use a high-quality profile picture
We recommend using a 1080p HD image if possible.
Your picture should:
Show your shoulders, neck and face clearly and in full view.
Have a smart-casual appearance. You don't need to wear anything specific - think of it like a passport picture, but with a warm smile.
Have a light, neutral background.
Ideally, be taken by someone else directing the camera towards you while you are sitting or standing.
Avoid:
Selfie-style pictures where your face is in the corner or at an angle.
Pictures with other people in them, such as photos taken at a festival or party.
A clear, professional profile picture helps parents get a good first impression of you as a tutor.
Write a strong bio
Your bio gives parents an opportunity to learn more about you and understand why you could be a good tutor for their child.
Make sure your bio includes:
Where you have studied.
Your relevant tutoring or teaching experience.
Your teaching style.
The subjects you tutor.
The levels you tutor.
You can also include some information about your hobbies and interests. Shared interests can help you build a stronger connection with students.
Manage your profile visibility
Managing your profile visibility can help make sure your profile is shown to parents when you're looking for work and hidden when you're not available to take on more students.
Boost your profile when you're looking for work
Boosting your profile can help show parents that you're actively looking for more work and can help set you apart from tutors who are showing less intent to take on work.
Parents often want to find tutoring quickly, so showing that you're ready and available to take on work can be a big advantage.
Hide your profile when you're not looking for work
If you're not currently looking to take on more work, you should hide your profile.
You may already have a full tutoring schedule or be taking a break from tutoring.
Hiding your profile means you won't receive unwanted matching requests from parents when you're not looking for more work. It also allows parents to find another tutor who is currently available.
Keep your profile up to date
Keeping your profile information accurate helps make sure you're matched with parents who are looking for the subjects, levels and availability you can offer.
Keep your subjects and levels accurate
Make sure your profile only includes the subjects and levels you actually want to tutor.
Many tutors have either too few or too many subjects and levels listed. This can cause problems:
Having too few subjects or levels can restrict your opportunities to match with parents.
Having too many can result in you being matched with parents for subjects or levels you cannot tutor.
Keep your availability up to date
Regularly check your availability and make sure it reflects your current schedule.
We know that university life can be hectic and your schedule can change frequently.
Most parents understand this, but it's important that they can see when you are available to tutor.
If you don't keep your availability up to date, you may have to reject a lot of new parent matches. This could reduce your tutor rank and create a poor experience for parents.
We recommend reviewing your availability at least once a term, or every 2–3 months. You should review it more frequently in the run-up to course deadlines, exams and dissertations, when your availability may change more often.
You can find more helpful information in the article below: