Happy 2018!
Today I'm answering some very common questions I get in regards to VIPKID! I don't mind being transparent in regards to money and pay so I'm going to put it all out there so you have a better idea of what you're getting into and what you earn from it!
Is it a scam?!
I probably get this question the most out of all of them. No it's not a scam or a pyramid scheme. It's just teacher's teaching English to children in China. You will see teachers offering their links to have you sign up with, but those are just an incentive there are no teams or people that you are under once you sign up. It's all for one and one for all under the VIPKID headquarters. While it might seem too good to be true, that doesn't mean it's a scam. It's just a really great opportunity!
How much do you make?!
It varies! My paycheck is dependent on how many classes I teach. Each class (25 mins) is a 8 dollar base pay, then 1 dollar for arriving on time and 1 dollar for completing 45 classes in the month. So after the class and two dollar incentives I make 10 dollars a class or roughly 20 dollars an hour.
You can teach however many classes you want in a month too, there is no minimum requirement. In order to make the 1 dollar per class completion incentive you do have to teach 45 classes, but if you teach 30 or more you get .50 cents a class.
Here is what my pay breaks down to after working for two months:
November: $300.92
December: $1,258.00 (before December incentives)
So November was my first month with the company. I was put into a test program where I had to teach 5 trial classes before being cleared to teach other levels. These trial classes are booked by headquarters for students to try out VIPKID before purchasing classes. The trial classes are a little harder to book, hince the slow start to the month. However, once I completed my five trial classes and was able to get certified for level 2 my bookings really took off and I hit my goal of completing at least 30 classes this month, which initiated the .50 cent finished class incentive which you can see in the third column.
In December I really hit my stride and also was able to pick up a lot more classes because of Winter break. During this month I also recruited one teacher and VIPKID had a recruitment incentive of $150 per teacher which helped! This month I completed 113 classes, which will probably be way over my highest amount until summer! In December VIPKID also had a huge incentive broke up by all four weeks. The first three weeks random slots were chosen for double pay. One of my slots was chosen for this. Then the last week, VIPKID had a raffle for each slot you completed and you could win double pay, money incentives ($100, $50), iPhone Xs, and a trip to China. Worst case scenario you earned an extra .50 cents during each class you completed during this time. Those rewards have not been announced yet, but i'm anxious to know if I won anything! Cross your fingers :)
Now this month since it's brand new you can see how the pay adds up. I've completed 5 classes which is the $40. The $5 participation incentive is for arriving to class on time for each of those classes. The other incentives category will hold the finished class .50 or $1 incentive if I go over 30 or 45 classes for the month. VIPKID also started a new referral incentive of $100 for each teacher you recruit and then other incentives after 3, 5, 10, etc.
So bottom line, you get paid to teach, but there are TONS of incentives available in order to increase your paycheck. VIPKID is a great way to make extra money on the side (like I'm doing right now), but also can be your sole income if you are a stay at home mom, retired teacher, or someone looking for work.
One minor detail is VIPKID does not take out money for taxes so it's recommended that you take a percentage of your income out of each check in order to be prepared for that come tax time.
What do I need to get started?!
A bachelors degree, experience with children (baby-sitting, teaching, coaching, etc.), a laptop, and headphones. It's that easy! Once you get hired you might want props, a background and comfortable surroundings, but those are not required right at the start.
Here is what my classroom looks like right now. I did this after working for two weeks though. Right off the bat I sat at my kitchen table with a white board. I didn't have a background. I didn't have headphones. Nothing. Just my MacBook and a white board.
Just have fun, earn a little extra money....
And to use this link to sign up ;)
Let me know if you have any questions at all. I would love to help!!
