Shaun shows the road ahead

From hill starts to emergency stops. Shaun Cox has had to teach all the elements you'll need if you want to pass your driving test. He tells us why he likes putting people on the road to success

I qualified as a driving instructor in February this year. I'm looking at doing a course to teach people with disabilities but right now I'm teaching non-disabled people ranging in age from early 20s to late 50s who want to drive an automatic car.

I became an instructor after doing various odd jobs. As one contract was coming to an end I thought "what am I going to do now?" I like driving and my friend, David Ward a driving instructor, said that he thought I'd make a good instructor because I'm a good communicator. (I think he meant I talk a lot).

I love it. You have to have a lot of patience and be fairly laid back. If you had a hot temper you'd end up shouting all the time or being very nervous.

It's like any other job where sometimes you think "oh for god's sake I'd rather be somewhere else". But on the whole I don't find it boring or repetitive. You might be teaching the same thing, but everyone is different. So you have to teach each pupil in a different way. If you're teaching a manoeuvre to one person they might pick it up quickly. But you might have to break the same manoeuvre down into steps for someone else.

I've only come across prejudice once so far. When I turned up to meet the client, they didn't say that my disability was an issue, but they said that the car was too big even though I'd told them what the car was before. I managed to persuade them to come out for an hour to see if they could get on with the car and that if they didn't want to go with me after that I'd give them details of a different instructor with a different car.

They stuck with me and I got them through the test.

I never put music on when I'm teaching because I want my pupils to concentrate on what they're doing, so I try and make it as fun as possible, have a laugh and a joke.

My advice to people thinking of becoming a driving instructor would be don't be afraid to give it a go. It's not easy, the exams to qualify are quite difficult. But you can do as many hours as you want depending on whether you want to make a living out of it or work part-time. I have an advanced driving certificate from the Institute of Advanced Motorists; I'm always looking to stretch my mind and there are other courses and qualifications for me to be able to teach people with disabilities.

• Shaun Cox was talking to Sunil Peck

SHAUN COX: CAREER PATH

• 1982 – Left Ethel Davis School in Ilford
• 1983-1984 – Blakemore Riding Stables – Trainee groom
• 1983-1984 – Presto Supermarket – Produce department
• 1985-1986 – Sherrards Training Centre – To do Electronics, and where I learnt to drive
• 1986 – To date – A member of St. John Ambulance as a First Aider
• 1988-1989 – Worked for Asda superstore – Produce department
• 1989-1994 – Went to Papworth Everard to work in Papworth Industries and did a number of jobs including Woodwork, Electronics, Vehicle Body Building, CAD Drawing Office.
• 1994-2002 – Worked for WorldCom as a Health and Safety Officer
• 2003-2004 – Went to work for C & T Fleet Services in security section as a CCTV Operator
• 2004 – To date – Went to work for Papworth Hospital Foundation Trust as a car park attendant
• 2010 – Qualified as a driving instructor – For Driveaway School Of Motoring