Are you passionate about teaching? Do you want to be your own boss? Are you searching for a new challenge or a change of pace in life? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then a career as a driving instructor could be the solution you are searching for.

As long as you are over the age of 21 and have held a full clean UK driving license for at least years you are likely to be able to start an application to become an approved driving instructor. Here are five reasons why you should.

1. Be Your Own Boss

If you are tired of taking orders from above or slaving away to someone else’s schedule, becoming a driving instructor could well appeal to you. In most cases you’ll be completely self employed and free to run your business as you see fit – meaning no angry bosses, management meetings or submitting timesheets to HR. Moreover, you are free to teach and work in the manner that suits you best; you set the tone and style of each lesson.

What’s more, you can work to your own schedule, which means no more 9-5 (unless of course that’s what you’d prefer!). As a driving instructor you can work as little or as often as you like, taking on new students as your schedule and preferences allow.

2. Earn £30,000 a Year or More

With the average driving lesson costing around £25 per session, a career as a driving instructor can be lucrative as well as empowering. Depending on how often you work you could earn in excess of £600 a week; equating to over £30,000 a year.

The beauty of being a driving instructor is that to earn more you simply have to work more. There is a direct relationship between what you put in and how much you can take out.

3. Play an Active Role in the Community

If you have a passion for teaching or want to become an active member of the community, becoming a driving teacher could be the perfect vocation for you. Not only will you be giving people a valuable life skill, you’ll have a direct impact on the safety of your community’s roads.

If you want to take your role in the community further, a job as a driving instructor provides you with the perfect platform to get involved with school and community projects in order to improve road safety and teach young people about safe use of the country’s roads.

4. Become an Expert in your Field

A job as a driving instructor gives you the opportunity to become an expert in your field. You could specialise in driver re-education, advanced driving or driving commercial vehicles as there are numerous opportunities to learn more about the road.

A number of institutions offer fantastic driving instructor training courses that will help you through the process of becoming an approved driving instructor and offer up the opportunity to become the best driving instructor you can possibly be.

5. Meet New People

Finally, if you are a people person and relish the opportunity of meeting new people, life as a driving instructor will suit your personality down to a T. The very nature of the role means you’ll meet a plethora of different people from all sorts of backgrounds as you help them on their way to passing their driving tests.

You’ll need to be patient and have an aptitude for teaching – so if that sounds like you then a lucrative career could be just around the corner.

So what are you waiting for? There are currently around 40,000 approved driving instructors in the UK and, with over 1.6m people putting in for their driving test every year, the industry is crying out for you to join their ranks.

To apply you’ll need to pass a criminal record check and apply to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to begin the process of becoming approved. Following this you’ll need to pass 3 tests set out by the DVSA and apply for your approved driving instructor badge.

For more information on how to apply, visit the DVSA website or read their guide to becoming an approved driving instructor.