Regardless if you're a teacher or an expert in a particular language, musical instrument, math or other discipline, finding legitimate online tutoring jobs can be frustrating unless you conduct a little research first. When looking for these types of jobs, there are many resources including online classifieds, tutoring service websites, grocery store bulletin boards and print newspapers that you can turn to when looking for work. But how do you distinguish legitimate work from a scam?

Research All Leads

The first step toward finding legitimate work as a tutor is to research all leads. Researching those who were referred to you, ads posted by individuals or services and those who contact you via ads you post can help protect you from being scammed. Finding out who you'll be working for is essential if you want to provide the best services possible and avoid any unnecessary hassles.

Common ways to research leads include:

* Visiting tutoring service websites and conducting a business search using tools provided by the Better Business Bureau.

* Contacting tutoring services to learn more about payment, types of work available, how much travel is involved and other important information about assignments.

* When contacting individuals, find out what their needs, where they're located and why they decided to advertise their need for a tutor online

If a tutoring service requires you invest some of your own money, you should ask why. Don't invest in these services as they are probably scams. Tutoring services, like any other service, need employees in order to stay in business and should be paying you, not the other way around.

Set Rates for Tutoring Services

One of the best ways to avoid being scammed is to start your own tutoring business. Thanks to the Internet, you can advertise your services in online classifieds, community message boards, college campuses and other places you feel people will see your advertisement.

Setting rates, maximum distance you're willing to travel, how often you want to be paid and how many sessions you will offer each month will make it much easier for people to decide if they really want to use your services. By setting a flat, hourly rate, you can weed out those who are interested in tutoring, but who are unwilling to commit to paying you on a regular basis.

You may also want to create a contract outlining your rates and other information about the services you'll be providing. This will ensure that everyone involved understands what is expected. Depending on your area of expertise, there may be many opportunities for you to find steady work.

Conducting Interviews

Before accepting any tutoring position, schedule a meeting so you can go over the job requirements, rates and other important information. During this meeting, take the time to ask your own questions. Relying on your instincts can help you determine which tutoring opportunities are worth pursuing and which ones to walk away from.

The more information you have about a tutoring assignment or tutoring service, the more secure you will be when accepting an assignment. Even when you find a tutoring opportunity online, scheduling a face-to-face meeting is the best way to decide if the job is right for you.