How does one get started?
I have a PhD in philosophy of science and did a few postdocs in the last years, but academia is tough and I recently found myself in a position where I have to find alternative ways of making my living. I love teaching and have some teaching experience so I decided to start online tutoring.
I did my research and realized that, since there is no real demand for philosophy, the only thing I can probably teach is Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay for the IB Diploma. I could also perhaps teach physics, but I 'd like to begin with something that I am more comfortable with and see how it goes.
The problem is that while (I think) I am good at teaching, I am unfortunately very bad at marketing and I honestly have no idea how to get my first few students. I signed up to a couple of platforms and set up a personal website but I haven't had any luck so far. I 've also watched a ton of videos from "tutoring gurus" on youtube suggesting various strategies, but I am definitely not planning to be a tik tok star, and posting in tutor groups on facebook seems like adding another piece of trash in an already over-polluted space.
If you have found yourself in a similar position I would be appreciative if you could share some useful advice and guidance on how you got past this initial stage. I am also willing to discuss possible collaborations based on referrals and commissions. I fully understand that referring a stranger is not easy, but I am confident that there are ways to build trust and make this work.