In the latest of our series dedicated to individual driving instructors, we talk to veteran ADI Tom McDermid about his success and his Glasgow-based driving academy, Learn with Tom.
How did you get to where you are now?
Blood, sweat and tears! I started off working with a local franchise in Glasgow on a part-time basis when I first qualified, all while retaining a nine-to-five job. As I became more confident in my ability, I joined a large national driving school and decided to leave my full-time job of over 20 years to dedicate myself to my instructing career.
I quickly filled my diary and spent the next six months working 12 hour days, seven days a week. This enabled me to quickly build my reputation in the area and once I’d gotten a grasp on the business, the personal recommendations started to flow in thick and fast.
When I was confident that I could keep up a constant intake of students, I left the national school and went independent. I expanded the business last year and have not looked back. To this day, I do not advertise as all my business comes through word of mouth.
What’s your favourite part of the profession?
Knowing that I’ve helped further someone’s quality of life by giving them the knowledge and understanding to keep themselves safe for the rest of their driving career. A driving licence can open up a world of opportunity for a person and can be a real life changer – to help facilitate that in some way makes me smile.
What’s your least favourite part of the profession?
When nerves get the better of a learner on test day and they’re not able to drive to their full potential when we both know they are more than capable of driving well above the standard required to pass the test.
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“Driving instruction is about enabling a person to learn a skill that will last a lifetime.”
– ADI Tom McDermid, Learn With Tom
[/full] What one essential skill should all driving instructors have?
Understanding. You must be able to understand the requirements of each individual and be willing to adapt your style to each and every one of them.
What’s been your biggest professional learning experience and why?
Unfortunately, some people do fail their driving tests. When this happens early in your career, it can severely knock your confidence and the self doubt can start to creep in. Over time, you start to realise that you can’t take full responsibility for what a learner does during a test as their nerves can take over and all logic can leave them.
However, when a learner returns from test with clean sheets after being taught using the same routines and techniques as someone who has failed, the self belief tends to return and the confidence builds again.
As a longterm user of Theory Test Pro, how do you find the system helps your students?
I’ve found that those pupils who use the system tend to approach the test with confidence as they have been able to monitor their own performances as they progress. I can also point them in the right direction if I see that they have a weak spot in any area. Students who take time to study and use the app properly have all passed first time.
What advice would you give to ADIs who are just starting to use Theory Test Pro?
Use it as a selling tool! I have gained many pupils through having this resource available because they realise I’m interested in supplying the ‘full learning package’ – instead of merely getting them through the driving test.
And what advice would you give to someone starting out on a career in driving instruction?
It’s very difficult to complete the qualifying process if you’re not fully committed. The hours can be extremely long and the money isn’t as great as some would have you believe – but the sense of satisfaction and achievement that you get when a learner passes their test is immense.