The student is a single man in his late thirties. He was educated in the Libyan school system until he was nineteen, and did not go to University. Although his school qualifications were satisfactory for his own ambitions at the time, and he has done very well in business, he has come to realise that there are a great many facets of life that he cannot access. These span several spheres, from mastery of English and international etiquette through political and business protocols and perspectives, to the appreciation of classical music, theatre, opera, classical literature and western dialectic. Whether the reasons that he has not had the opportunities to develop these skills yet are due to insufficient time, motivation, resources or confidence is inconsequential. Since none of these impediments any longer exist, and assuming that the student has the requisite intellectual ability, there is no reason why the right educator should not be able to enlumine the world that he is now so keen to learn about.

The Tutor’s role in this position is exceedingly wide. Not only should she be personally able to teach excellent spoken and written English, but she must also be able to ignite a passion for reading across the gamut of literature, including plays, poetry and all manner of novels. The student wishes to learn to speak English so that his Arabic background is no longer evident. This means that not only must his vocabulary and grammar become sound, but that he will need to develop idiomatic understanding and application, and appropriate meter, timbre, and diction. The Tutor’s own spoken language should be of a high standard, without any geographical specificity. The student and his Tutor will spend a good deal of time in one another’s company and in conversation; there is a great deal to be learned from such discussions.

This role is not limited to conversation and formal instruction. The Tutor should constantly be researching and planning a culturally rich range of suitable musical and dramatic performances, visits to art galleries and museums, restaurants, sites of historical or contemporary interest — any place or activity that the Tutor thinks to be an essential part of this ‘life-curriculum’ in its most encompassing sense. For all these activities the Tutor will need to help the student to understand their relevance within the context of his personal development.

The ultimate academic goal is that the student will become sufficiently qualified and able that he can make a competitive application to Oxford University. In order to achieve this ambition, he will need to be prepared for the relevant examinations in a range of subjects (GCSE and/or A level) that facilitate such an application. He will also need to be given appropriate advice and time to practice the acquisition of the required skills. It is not known at time what subject the student might like to study.

This is a demanding role by any measure, and so it will be important that the Tutor is fit and healthy, someone with a huge amount of energy and joie de vivre. It will be necessary for the Tutor to embrace the role and be able to dedicate most of their time to it. Many evenings will be spent in social situations in addition to time in more formal tutoring. Candidates who feel that this is may be too isolating for them should not apply for the position.

This is a full time job. Typically the Tutor should expect to be available 8am-11pm, five days a week. The Tutor should expect that Friday and Saturday evenings will be spent with their charge. Obviously the tutoring will not be for 15 hours every day! However, unless the student has specifically told the Tutor that she is not needed, she should remain sufficiently close by that tutoring could resume at short notice. There should be plenty of time for preparation and planning during the prescribed hours.

Having said all that, it is likely that the following general hours will be the norm. The student expects to be able to commit two hours every morning between 8am and 10am, and two hours every afternoon at times still to be confirmed. Evenings will usually be out at a restaurant, a concert or the theatre, or at one of the very many social or business invitations that he receives.

Note that the working week is an average of five days. The Tutor will be entitled to two consecutive days off per week on average and should not expect these days to be at the usual weekend. There may be times when, due to travel considerations, the Tutor accumulates untaken ‘weekend’ days. If this happens the Tutor will either be given additional time off, or will be compensated by payment in lieu at the prevailing rate. Likewise, the Tutor will be entitled to nine (9) weeks off per annum at times convenient to both the Tutor and the Client.

The Client will provide suitable, safe, private accommodation in all locations. In Geneva this will likely be a furnished apartment. In other locations it could be a hotel, short-term furnished let or apartment-hotel, or berth on a yacht etc.

The Client will be responsible for all expenses on these accommodations except for the Tutor’s personal phone bills, food shopping in Geneva, or any personal expenses the Tutor incurs that are not work-related.

There will be extensive travel involved in this position. Travel time affords extra time for the Tutor and student to converse or even to study, depending on the situation, and means that the range for social or cultural opportunities is extended to these locations.

When travel is involved the Tutor will usually accompany the Client. The Client will make all the travel arrangements, but the Tutor may be asked to book seats at concerts or restaurants. The Tutor is also encouraged to suggest places that she and the student could go, not only in terms of what is available that fits with the travel schedule, but also to places and events that she thinks might enhance the tutoring plans.

Ideally the Tutor should be a non-smoker and will need to hold a clean driving license. She will need to be open about travel to a wide range of destinations including in the Middle East and Africa. She should lead a healthy lifestyle and be in good physical shape.

The student is likely to invite his Tutor to join him, his friends and/or his colleagues in more congenial or social settings where discussion of his studies or of related or more advanced topics might be the norm. The Tutor will therefore need to be gregarious and engaging at this level.