Deciding what it is you want to do with your life isn’t always easy, and if you’re considering a career as a driving instructor in Ireland you may be wondering if this path is right for you. In truth, becoming a driving instructor isn’t for everyone, but for some people this can be a very enjoyable and very rewarding role. Becoming an approved driving instructor might be right for you if you are...

• Passionate about driving

• For some, driving is seen as a chore - something that needs to be done to take the kids to school or go and get groceries. For others, driving is a true passion, and there’s nothing greater than being out on the open road. If you love driving, then a driving instructor career could be perfect for you. You’ll not only get to spend your days driving around - and getting paid for it! - but you’ll also have a unique opportunity to teach new drivers everything you know about getting behind the wheel.

• Committed and dedicated

• Driving instructor is a very rewarding career, but becoming an approved ADI isn’t always easy. Completing your driving instructor training requirements can be a very gruelling process, with a three part test that determines whether you have the skill and knowledge to undertake driver training in Ireland. The test has to be tough - after all, you’ll be responsible for keeping Ireland’s roads safe. The good news is that if you’re committed and dedicated, there’s no reason you shouldn’t pass the test!

• Open to change

• Driving instructors will find that their roles and responsibilities change depending on variations in driving styles and behaviours and amendments to the Rules of the Road by the Road Safety Authority. Instructors should be open to change and be able to adapt to changing laws. The last big changes were introduced in 2010 when the 12 hours initial basic training was introduced, but further changes are expected to be introduced in line with changing driving trends and environments.

• Interested in road safety

• Can driving instructors really make a difference in terms of road safety? Absolutely! Believe it or not, driving tuition in Ireland was unregulated before 2006, and figures demonstrate how approved driving instructors have been instrumental in minimising risk on the roads. At the start of the millennium, collisions in Ireland rose consistently, peaking at 396 road deaths in 2005. Following the introduction of the ADI register in 2006, road deaths fell by more than 100 in a period of just 3 years.

• Keen to enjoy success

• If you enjoy seeing your hard work pay off, a driving instructor career could be right for you. While pass rates vary between test centres - between 42 percent and 70 percent based on statistics published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), the average pass rate for Ireland is 53 percent, which means that, more times than not, you’ll see your hard-working learners pass their theory and practical driving tests with flying colours. A driving instructor career can be very rewarding.

• Appreciative of flexibility

• Driving instructor jobs are very different to your standard ‘9-5’. There’s very little routine for driving instructors - each day will be different than the one before and last minute bookings, changes, and cancellations mean that you can never predict how your day will turn out. This type of unpredictable working pattern isn’t for everyone, but for those that love flexibility and spontaneity, and find the monotony of the office boring, a driving instructor career can bring plenty of job satisfaction.