VIPKid Review: What is VIPKid?

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Do you have experience working with or teaching kids and want to make extra money working from home? What is VIPKid? VIPKid is one of the most popular and profitable platforms allowing you to work from home today. Is it legit? Should you consider it? Check out their website and our review below.

What is VIPKid?

VIPKid is an online ESL teaching platform with headquarters in Beijing and San Francisco. It brings Chinese ESL students together with certified teachers, eliminating geographical boundaries. Also hires teachers in the United States and Canada and provides students with one-on-one English language lessons.

Accepted teachers provide lessons in the VIPKid portal, similar to other video chat services you probably already use. Today, it has over 500,000 students and 65,000 teachers, with over 180,000 lessons occurring daily.

Vipkid Classroom
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Is VIPKid legit?

Teachers have the flexibility to choose when they want to work. You select the time slots you’re available, controlling how often you work and how much you make. It provides everything you need to teach lessons – you just bring your technology and bubbly personality that makes kids want to learn.

Are you skeptical of this work-from-home opportunity? Most people are when they hear they can make money from home. Fortunately, working for VIPKid is as legitimate as working for your boss in person. We love it because you can make decent money during non-traditional work hours since they operate on China time: typical peak hours are between 6 AM – 9 AM EST Monday – Friday and 9 PM – 9 AM Saturday and Sunday.  That leaves room for you to pursue other opportunities during the rest of your day, or to even work a traditional 9 to 5 job while teaching on the side.

VIPKid continually ranks in the top 10 places to work by Glassdoor and receives valuable awards from Forbes and other top-ranking sites. Teachers around the country love the opportunity, so it’s obvious why there 65,000 teachers signed up already.

If your application is accepted, you’ll sign a 6-month contract, ensuring your position for at least half a year. You work as little or as much as you want at that time. Contract renewal is available after reviewing student and parent feedback, as well as the number of lessons you taught. They renew most contracts, but like any job, it depends on your performance.

Is VIPKid still hiring?

Hiring is year-round in all states, except California (if you live in California, check out the Assembly Bill 5 of the California Labor Law, which prohibits independent contractor status for the time being).

Remember, you are an independent contractor when you work for the company. This means you’re in charge of your taxes and recordkeeping. There aren’t any benefits, aside from the nice side cash you earn when teaching ESL from your home.

Is VIPKid worth it?

If you love teaching and want to work from home, VIPKid is definitely worth it. If you’re a new teacher or have never done anything like this, we recommend using a referral code. When someone refers you to VIPKid, they may also provide support. If you’re on this journey for the first time, want help to pass the mock class, or want your questions answered faster than the typical 72-hours VIPKid takes, use a VIPKid referral.

You’ll get more individualized help rather than the general help their representatives offer. It often takes them as long as 72 hours to get back to your questions, depending on their workload, so that the lag time can be frustrating.

The company relies on its current teachers to refer and support people that sign up under them. It is not a pyramid scheme, though, so don’t worry. If you become a teacher there, you, too, get VIPKid referral codes to share with others, helping other teachers make more money while you get a small bonus for sharing the idea.

How much can you make with VIPKID?

VIPKid is worth it if you’re looking for a side hustle. Will you make a full-time income? Some do, but most do it for supplementary income. Remember, you’re competing for lesson hours with 65,000 other teachers/tutors. Most teachers/tutors make $15 – $22 an hour, so even working a few hours is a nice side hustle.

Working 10 hours a week could earn you between $650 and $950 a month. Not bad for working at home in your pajamas. The key is choosing hours that they need tutors. Everyone wants the peak hours, but see what else is available. Are you a night owl, or can you get up long before the sun rises? You have a good chance of securing decent hours if you can work hours others aren’t quite as willing to do.

What are the VIPKID teacher requirements?

VIPKid requires it’s teachers to have at least a Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience working with children, as the parents in China want qualified teachers. Good news, though – your degree can be in any subject, not just teaching. They prefer it if you have at least two years of teaching or childcare experience but in any format. You don’t have to be a classroom teacher, for example. Tutoring, mentoring, and coaching all count too. In fact, you should count any kind of childcare experience you have, from babysitter to camp counselor, whether it be paid or volunteer. All applicants must be residents of the United States or Canada and have the necessary technical equipment, including:

  • Any internet-enabled device except Chromebook or smartphones

  • Your device must run Windows 7, 8, or 10 or Mac OS 10.X or higher

  • Your device must have at least 8 GB RAM

  • Your device must have an i5 processor or better

  • High-speed internet

The largest issue is passing the interview/mock class. If you aren’t a teacher, you won’t have the experience of teaching in a classroom, but you can face the challenge by preparing using videos and materials online. During the mock class, you will be evaluated based on how you deliver the lesson, including how engaging, understandable, and relatable you are during the lesson.

How do you apply for VIPKid jobs?

Not surprisingly, you do the entire application/interview process from home. The application asks for basic information such as your contact information, education, and teaching experience. If you meet the necessary requirements, you will be asked to take a 5-question quiz on the basics of teaching and complete a smart demo. The demo is a short (~2 minute) recording where you demonstrate how you would teach an objective in an engaging and fun way.

Once you pass the initial application portion, you’ll be invited to schedule a 10-minute live mock class. They will provide you with sample curriculums to practice beforehand. They also give you the option to take a prep course to help you pass the mock class (you can also ask your VIPKid referral to help you prepare). During the mock class, you will be teaching one of the curriculums to a mentor while they play the role of an ESL student. Afterward, the mentor will provide you with constructive feedback and teaching tips. If it sounds intimidating, don’t let that stop you – the whole process is designed to be positive, encouraging, and to teach you the VIPKid expectations.

If they approve you for employment, you will be asked to submit a background check and verify your education and certifications. If you don’t have a teaching certificate, they will ask you to complete an online TESOL, Teaching English as a Second Language course. Thankfully it’s free, and they provide a summary sheet with answers. You will also be asked to complete a profile, including a short introductory video about yourself.

It’s an involved process, but they make it very easy to understand and provide abundant resources all along the way. If you don’t pass any step along the way, you get feedback on why and opportunities to try again. By the time you’re hired, you have a good grasp of how to teach an effective class, and you feel prepared to get started booking clients.

What is VIPKid Referral?

As we discussed above, a VIPKid referral is a referral from an existing VIPKid teacher. When you use a referral code both you and the person who referred you benefits. You benefit by:

  • Getting one-on-one support from someone you know and trust. The onboarding process is intense, but with support, it’s easier.

  • Have answers to your questions throughout your teaching career quicker than you might get them from VIPKid.

  • It doesn’t cost you anything.

VipKid referrals

Teachers providing the referral code earn a little extra money for referring you once you teach your first class, so you help your friend/fellow teacher out too. Use this VIPKid referral code: LINDS1129 and if you want to know more about the VIPKid referral program, check this out.

Want to teach for VIPKid?

If you’re looking for a way to supplement your income, or even if you’re sidelined at home during the pandemic and want to boost your earnings, teaching can be financially helpful and fun at the same time.

You don’t have to create lesson plans or come up with a curriculum; The curriculum team does all that. They do recommend, though, that teachers review the materials before each class. Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes before a lesson to familiarize yourself with the lesson, especially since you only have 25 minutes with your student.

Final Thoughts: Do we recommend VIPKid?

We recommend VIPKid to anyone that loves working with kids. Teaching ESL students in China the English language is rewarding both emotionally and financially. Earning $15 – $22 from home is a great way to supplement your income, especially if you can work in enough hours. Just know that they operate on Beijing hours, which makes what they call ‘peak’ and ‘peak-peak’ hours, which is 6 AM – 9 AM ET Monday – Friday and 9 PM – 9 AM Saturday and Sunday.

If you’re interested to know more about the application process click here.