Are you in search of the perfect at-home job? Well, if you have a talent for academics, consider making extra money tutoring online. Through tutoring online you can earn an astounding $10 to $40 per hour. But tutoring online offers an even greater benefit than money. This is because you are giving under-achieving students the chance to excel. Nothing can beat the feeling you get when your student is able to get an A because of your online tutoring efforts.

So, how does a person get started with tutoring online? If you have a Bachelor's Degree, you can try to apply for a job with an online tutoring company. Some of the most popular online tutoring companies include Tutor Vista, E-Tutor and Sylvan Online. The application process for each of these companies is usually the same; you send off your resume and/or you have to submit an online form from their website. When you apply make sure you put your best foot forward as you would any other company. Place emphasis on the following: your grades, any other tutoring experience you have, your ability to use the Internet efficiently, your typing speed and your interpersonal communication skills. If your application is interesting enough, you'll get an e-mail or a phone call letting you know you can start your career tutoring online.

The actual process of tutoring online is done through an electronic whiteboard. This would be accessible through your online tutoring company's website. Through the whiteboard you and your student can work on uploaded assignments at the same time. There is also a section either underneath or to the side of the whiteboard that allows for a chat session. Further communication can be done through e-mail or on the telephone.

If you do not have a Bachelor's Degree, it will be significantly harder trying to get hired from an online tutoring company. Yet, don't let this keep you from your dreams of tutoring online. If you start your own online tutoring business, not only will you be able to still tutor online, but you might end up making more money than you would as an employee.

To get started with your own online tutoring business, you will need at least a message board and a chat room. Both can be obtained for free but be aware there are limitations. Free message boards and chat rooms not only post advertisements which might be visually annoying to your students, but they also may not hold that much bandwidth. This means you'll only be able to tutor a minimal number of students. So, as your online tutoring business grows consider purchasing forums and chat rooms specially designed for tutoring online. You can get both from companies like http://Blackboard.com.

Marketing for your online tutoring business doesn't have to be too complex or expensive. If you are currently in college, pass out flyers to your fellow students. You can also see if you can get an article about your company written in your college newspaper. Alternatively, if you are a parent of a child in elementary or high school, you can do your marketing at PTA meetings.