Everyone wants to earn extra money, and when you can earn money from home, in your pajamas, it’s so much better.  Each month, I bring in at least an additional $600, but that number has been going up each month and I have the potential to earn so much more.  How do I do it?  How do I earn money at home?

I work for VipKid, an online teaching portal that allows me to teach English to kids in China.  I work from home.  In my pajamas (and an orange t-shirt).

FAQ:

• Do I need teaching experience?

No!  The hiring process IS a little bit intense and they seem to be getting pickier with who gets hired, but I can give you a lot of pointers and help you prepare.  There are plenty of people who do this job for an hour or two a day (or a week!) and have no other teaching experience.

• What is the hiring process like?

You fill out an online “application”, which is computer generated and reviewed and will confirm that you are “eligible” to work for them.  Basically, they are confirming you are from the US.  From there, you will schedule your interview, which includes 15 minutes of chatting and a ten minute “mock class”.  If you pass this, you will have 6 days to complete two mock classes with experienced teachers.  They will be GRADING YOU (so prepare very well), but also giving you pointers.  Sign a contract, set up your profile, and that’s it!

• Do I need to prepare class material?

No.  EVERYTHING is prepared for you.  You will teach through the VipKid portal, which includes prepared powerpoints (they tell you which to use for what student) and then there is a box for your video, the student’s video, and a chat box.  I usually look at the powerpoint before the class and make a few flash cards, if I think they will be helpful.  I also have my stuffed animal, George, who “helps me” in the class.  

• How long is each class?

Just 25 minutes!  You are encouraged NOT to go over 25 minutes, unless there were technical issues- then you should go to 28 minutes.

• Do you have to commit a certain number of hours, or have a set schedule?

No.  You make your own hours by opening time slots.  Parents will book classes with you (usually at the beginning of the week).  If something comes up for me, sometimes I close those slots to make sure I don’t get booked.

On today (Wednesday), you can see some slots are open and they have checks.  This means that I allow the company to book me with less than 24 hours notice and only a text-message to confirm.  I do this on days when I am just hanging out at home and can be at the computer easily.  It’s great, because these classes bring in an extra $2/ 25 minute class (which for me, is $10/25 minutes in total).

• Can I work from anywhere in my house?

You should work in a space that is quiet, has good lighting, and has a white wall behind you.  You are encouraged to decorate the wall behind you and use noise-cancelling headphones.

• What are the hours?

It depends where you are working from.  The company is based in Beijing, China, so your hours depend where you are.  From Spain, I tend to work from 9:00-3:30 pm (definitely not all day, though), but as you can see above, I could work much earlier, because the time difference in China is 6 hours.  When I am in the US, peak hours will likely be in the middle of the night/ early morning.

• How much money can I earn?

Everyone’s favorite question!  “Base-pay” per 25 minute class is between $7-9 and depends on previous experience, college and master’s degrees, etc.  Then there is an additional $1.00 incentive per completed class.  So if you complete 50 classes in a month, that’s an additional $50.00.  Not bad, huh?  From there, if you complete more than 30 classes in a month, you will receive an additional $.50/ class, or more than 45 class in a month will earn you an additional $1.00/ class.  If you do over 45 classes in a month, that’s $10/25 minute class, which is $20/ 50 minutes.  

• Are there downsides?

In all honesty, I love this job.  It’s easy, it’s fun, and for the most part, the kids are awesome.  What I don’t like is that if you have technical issues (internet, can’t log in, etc), YOU are to blame.  You will be docked $10.00/class you don’t “show-up” to.  If you know you are having technical issues BEFORE class starts, you can cancel the class and there is less of a repercussion for you.

• How can I apply?

It’s easy.  Follow THIS LINK and apply.  BE SURE TO USE A UNITED STATES ADDRESS WHEN APPLYING (but you can teach from anywhere in the world).  Once you apply, I am more than happy to help you prepare for your interview and mock classes!  Contact me!