What is VIPKID? How much can you make? VIPKid Pros and Cons?
VIPKid... VIPKid... VIPKid... Okay, so you might have heard of VIPKid by now since they have been named one of the Top 50 Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and Top 100 Remote Work Companies by Forbes.
But what IS VIPKid?
VIPKid is a company that has created an online platform for teachers to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) to kids in China. They also create all of the lessons and do all of the marketing to get the kids enrolled in the lessons.How old are the children?
The children are usually between ages 4-12 and can range from absolutely no English knowledge (and have never seen any other race but their own) to being able to hold a full conversation with you like your talking to your best friend!What are the requirements?
You do need to have at least Bachelor's degree in ANY field, be eligible to work in the U.S. or Canada, be a Native English speaker, and have at least 1 year of teaching (any kind).
It is not required to have a TESOL, TEFL, or other type of English Teaching Certification, but if you do NOT have one, you will need to obtain the VIPKid-TESOL Certificate of Completion before you can start teaching (which is free). However, the VIPKid-TESOL is ONLY good at VIPKid. (So if you wanted to teach for a few companies, which some teacher do, you will need one of the other certifications.
I recommend completing the TESOL 120 hour certification with the International Open Academy - This course is one of the cheapest and easiest out there. I was able to complete the certification within a day. Get your TESOL certification with my link here for $19 http://bit.ly/120tesol
Don't meet all of the requirements? Contact Ashley to find out other ways you can start teaching online!
How much can you make with VIPKid?
Honestly, it depends. How much do you want to make? What do you want your schedule to be?
Teachers are paid a PER CLASS base pay plus bonuses. Your base pay is determined based on your performance during your demo class interview so that section is VERY important! Check out my tips and tricks here: https://vipkid.ashleymlgibson.com/apply (You can also start the application process here)
The base pay per class will be between $7-$9, then as long as you show up before the scheduled start time and end the class between 25-28 minutes, you will receive and extra $1 PER CLASS.
There is an additional $1 per class if you finish 45 classes or more in one month (I usually have that done within the first week or week and a half depending upon how many classes I decided to teach each day). Normally I'll teach 6 classes per day, but I have taught up to 11 classes in one day. Some teachers teach even more, the most I have heard was someone had taught 18 classes (but there really is no limit - it's entirely up to you).
Let's say you only want to teach 40 classes per month and you didn't do as well as you could have on your demo interview, so VIPKid offered you a base pay of $7. You accepted and always make sure to start class on time and end between 25-28 minutes of teaching so you get the extra $1 bonus per class. That means you get $8 per class X 40 classes = $320 per month for only 20 hours of teaching.
Now let's say you want that extra bonus per class so you teach 50 classes per month and you always show up on time and teach for the full class, so you're getting $9 per class now. $9 X 50 classes = $450 per month for 25 hours of teaching.
Of course that all increases if you do well on your interview just by getting a higher base pay, so be sure to check out my tips and reach out to me so I can help you get a higher base pay! You can make up to $22/hour ($9 base pay + $1 participation Incentive + $1 Finished Class Incentive)
PLUS there is also a $2 short notice class bonus on top of everything else. (This is not something you can usually count on for every class.) This is when you have a time slot booked between 1-24 hours before the scheduled start time (this is optional and you do not have to allow this type of booking if you don't want to). This only applies to the classes that are scheduled within the 24 hour window.
PLUS there is also a $2 short notice class bonus on top of everything else. (This is not something you can usually count on for every class.) This is when you have a time slot booked between 1-24 hours before the scheduled start time (this is optional and you do not have to allow this type of booking if you don't want to). This only applies to the classes that are scheduled within the 24 hour window.
What are the hours like?
Again, it depends. Since you will be teaching children in China, everything is based on Beijing time (you set your time zone so you can see your schedule in your time so don't worry)! The normal hours that are available to schedule are from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm Beijing time (you can see how the time compares to your timezone with an app like Worldtimebuddy.
The peak hours (the times that TONS of parents want to book) are between 6 pm and 9:30 pm Beijing time and Friday night, and all day Saturday.
What are some pros and cons?
I will list out some general things and you can determine if it is a pro or a con, because depending upon your perspective, some of them can be either or... (but mostly pros 😜)
- Work from wherever you want as long as you have a stable internet connection and quiet, classroom environment
- Schedule yourself anytime between 8:30 am to 9:30 pm Beijing time
- Lesson plans and lessons are already created, just log in and teach
- Option to be paid once OR twice a month by direct deposit
- Great teacher community
- SUPER fun (optional) events you can attend and meet other teachers
- TONS of extra free training is available to help you on your journey and sharpen your teaching skills
- No prep - you don't create ANY of the lessons!
- Awesome students (which you don't have to go out and find)!
- You are an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR - which has it's pros and cons itself - you have more control of how you do things and your schedule, but you also need to be in the business mentality to remember there are no health benefits and you are in charge of handing your taxes!
Here are a few legitimate cons no matter which way you look at it:
- The time difference can be hard for some people depending upon your location and what you're use to... typically early mornings or late nights are involved. (But I'm partial to early mornings so I LOVE IT!)
- Fairly strict cancellation policy, pretty much once a class is booked, it's booked. They do offer Soft and Medium cancellations now (think of it like an excused absence) but if you don't teach, you don't get paid. AND if you don't get it excused, you can get deducted $10 per class you missed. Moral of the story, DON'T MISS CLASS. (And don't schedule a class you MIGHT miss).
- Completely and utterly dependent upon having good internet. If you happen to live or be traveling somewhere that the internet is really questionable - either don't schedule classes or have a backup plan for your backup plan!
Ready to get started? Here are the next steps:
🥇 First, go ahead and apply NOW! (If you have any questions of the basic information section,
watch this video)
watch this video)
🥈Second, check out my pro tips on my playlist on YouTube for step-by-step guidance
on the VIPKID hiring process for 2019.
on the VIPKID hiring process for 2019.
🥉Third, contact me for any other questions you have or to have me watch your demo lesson
and give you pointers. 😊👍
and give you pointers. 😊👍
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