Teaching kids a new language can be a fun and exciting experience for both students and teachers. It can be a financially rewarding home based business opportunity for the right person while making a true difference in the world. In this review, we will take a look at VIPKID which provides an online educational platform that claims to $18-$22 per hour if you're qualified. Let's get started!
What is VIPKID?
VIPKID is an online platform that teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) to children between 4-12 years of age. Cofounders Cindy Mi, Jessie Chen, Forest Huo, and Victor Zhang started the company in 2013 in Beijing, China. The company's curriculum meets the Common Core Standards required in the United States. VIPKID lists numerous awards for its platform on its corporate website. Investors include Innovation Works, H Capital, Northern Light Venture, Matrix Partners, and Sequoia Capital.
What Do You Do As A Online ESL Teacher For VIPKID?
VIPKID provides teachers with the curriculum for teaching enrolled students. Teachers review the material at least 6-12 hours before each class. Classes are 30-minutes long. During this time, teachers present the material for 25 minutes, elicit response from the students, and then leave comments at the end. Teachers submit their time availability for classes. The company then provides a schedule each week of classes booked by students. The company has both regular and trial students.
What Are The Requirements?
VIPKID teachers must speak English as a native language and have a Bachelor's Degree. They must also have experience working with children ages 4-12 and be available to teach for at least 7.5 hours per week. Teachers will need to have a desktop or laptop computer with webcam and microphone, high speed Internet, and either a Chrome or Firefox browser. If you do not meet these qualifications, feel free to read my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation for a more suitable home based business opportunity option.
What Are The Hours?
Class schedules are based according to Beijing time, which is a 13-hour time difference from the United States. Peak hours are typically between 6-10 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m-10 p.m on the weekend. Weekday hours translate to roughly 5 a.m-9 a.m in the United States. Teachers must commit to working at least 7.5 hours per week. Teachers have the flexibility to work as much as they want during these peak times. It's possible to work beyond the peak hours, but highly unlikely due to the time difference between China and the United States. If you want to have a more flexible schedule to work at home, you may want to consider Swagbucks.com and FusionCash.com instead.
How Much Are You Paid?
The company offers a $7-$9 base pay per 30-minute class plus bonus incentives depending on their demo class performance. If teachers teach more than 45 classes in one pay period they will receive a $1 per class bonus. Teachers also receive an $1 attendance bonus per class for showing up to teach even if a student doesn't show up to attend class. Teachers receive payments through direct bank deposits between the 10th and the 15th each month.
How Do You Get Started?
Qualified individuals submit an online application as well as a resume for consideration. There is no information on how long it takes for an application to be accepted for interview status. The company will then schedule a Skype interview and ask applicants to complete a 30-minute demo class. Applicants then watch training videos on VIPKID's curriculum, standards, and technology. The next step will be participating in a mock class with one of the VIPKID teachers. Once all these steps are complete, applicants sign a renewable contract for a minimum 6-month timeframe.
VIPKID Complaints:
Crappy Support System: Past independent contractors report that it's extremely hard to get a hold of the company about any questions or concerns. Apparently, the company doesn't always respond back in a timely manner.
Pop Goes The Weasel Tech Support: There have been a few complaints about tech support agents randomly interrupting teacher's classes with feedback.
No Smartphone or Tablet Love: According to the company's FAQ section, the online platform doesn't work with smartphones or tablets. So for those of you that don't have a laptop or desktop at this point, this is not going to work for you.
Not as “Flexible” as They Claim to Be: Teachers must submit their hours of availability to teach a month in advance. It is tough to cancel classes if you have a personal emergency. The company may penalize or fire you for doing so. If you want total freedom to work at home when you want, you may want to consider Swagbucks.com and FusionCash.com.
Don't Quit Your Day Job: You will only get half your base pay if you have technical difficulties. You also only get half of your base pay for trial students. It can take at least a month to get a significant amount of booked classes. There is no guarantee that a teacher will get any bookings from students. You might be better off reviewing my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation for a better home-based business opportunity.
No BBB Rating: The company does not have a profile nor accreditation with the Better Business Bureau. There is no accurate way to determine how well VIPKID handles consumer complaints or troubleshooting issues. There is also little feedback from past customers available online.
Is VIPKID Legitimate or a Scam?
Despite the complaints listed above, VIPKID appears to be a legitimate work at home opportunity. The company provides all the teaching material and student bookings. However, you must be willing to get up super early in the morning if you live in the United States. You must also meet all the teacher requirements.
I think the biggest issues with VIPKID may be that you can't really depend on this for consistent income and the scheduling isn't as flexible. So that might not appeal to folks, in which case you may want to check out Swagbucks.com, my Top Free Work At Home Recommendation as well as My Work At Home Courses as alternatives. Remember, true financial freedom is best achievable through multiple streams of income.
Until next time,
Eddy with a y