How to Make Money Online as a Tutor & My Experience

Online tutoring comes with a lot of advantages and sounds like a dream job to many. I had the luck to freelance in cooperation with 2 companies. iTalki & Cleverly.de

In this article I will go in depth on the requirements & how it works, application process, what brings success and my experience with iTalki

• Work from anywhere
• Work as much as you want
• Work when you want
• Work with who you want
• Talk to the whole world

Requirements & How it Works

In order to teach a language you have to be able to speak it, right. On top of that you should be proficient in the language you want to teach in, ideally English. Not all languages do well on italki. Chinese has a ton of tutors and teachers available as where German not so, therefore the supply/demand relationship is different and consequently also the paycheck.

There is 2 types of engagement with these sort of platforms

1) Professional teacher - certificates are required

2) Community tutor - language proficiency is required (duh)

As a rule of thumb professionals earn more than tutors, however there is a catch to it. One more factor increases your income which is ratings and amount of lessons taught!

Why is that important?

Simply, you are able to work your way up with patience and diligence and earn more than others in no time. I.e. I went from 6-7 USD/hour to about 25 USD/hour in a year and half, which is very fair for a full-time student as a side gig.

The more lessons, the more money. That's why sometimes you will see a tutor asking for 30 USD/hour and a professional teacher for 15 USD/hour.

You can teach different types of classes, which you define and setup for yourself as well as the duration and the policy around them. I.e.

I have 2 lesson types:

1. Grammar lessons which are slightly more expensive
2. Conversational practice lessons which are me just hanging out and chatting. I have seen people put up things like "Manga reading session" etc. There is no limits to what you can offer to your prospective student... after a second thought, I take that back.

Application process

To apply you need to fulfill the requirements and on top of that you need to submit a 4 minute video of you talking in the languages you want to showcase in your lessons and that is also your opportunity to attract your students. Your video will show on your profile and in the search window.

But not all languages are open for registration! You have to be lucky to match with what italki needs and what you have.

Italki will review your application and if you are accepted you will be sent an invitation link to a zoom boarding call and that is pretty much it. After that you are in.

Here the link: https://teach.italki.com/application

Success?

Success in this niche is dependent on 2 things:

1. How many students can you attract?
2. How many of them can you keep?

I have around 440 lessons, however only 63 students. That is an average of 6,9 so lets say 7 hours per student. This means for every student I attracted I managed to keep them for at least 7 hours.

"How?"

I believe there is a lot of people who are just socially not so skilled. Of course, to have the language skills is priority but in my opinion what it really comes down to is charisma, openness and flexibility. People want to have a good time, engage in interesting conversations, hear stories and learn new stuff.

There is 1 thing which tops all else and that is judgment. It is crucial to not make your students feel judged or judge yourself to the point where you are not able to function properly. You will meet people from all over the world and chances are that you will meet one or two where the chemistry just does not fit and that is fine. Do not rub salt in the wound and move on.

Of course, you have to work hard.

A clear policy in terms of being late to lessons etc. will also be helpful for you and your students to avoid awkward situations.

My Experience

As a person who described himself a few years ago as socially awkward, anxious and insecure I had a hard time teaching my first lessons. Sweaty armpits after lessons and heavy breathing before.

Especially with the

"...your lesson starts in 2 hours, 1 hour, 30 mins..."

notifications!!!

"I know. I know. Can you try not to interrupt me trying to forget that?"

Also I accidentally opened the calendar in which you regulate how many lessons can be booked and my schedule looked something like this:

Keep in mind that I was a student at the time and had courses and exams going on. That was quite the polishing for my mental toughness, let me tell you.

After some time I met some really, really amazing folks, furthermore from all over the world which was SO exciting! (Peru, Taiwan, Spain, China, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, USA, Canada)

And also all types of people! (Professors, Doctors, Ambassadors, Students, Travellers, Other Tutors)

From being lonely in my flat to having many friends all over the world and receiving invitations was overwhelming but very refreshing.

A huge game changer was being able to support myself financially, elevating me from the anxious abyss of "can I afford to order food today?".

The skills I acquired are probably the second most valuable perk right after the relationships I made. I became less anxious talking to people but I also learned that I am decent at it.

Due to my lacking grammar skills I was forced to learn a lot of German grammar, which I never intended to before. I spent an hour before the lesson learning the material, then another hour teaching it. I did not think much of it as of then, however as I was working for my bachelor's degree, I now found it pleasant to prepare presentations. It was no struggle to pick up some material I never heard of, process the information in it, reconstruct it and present it.

Last but not least, I learned how to put a price on my name and negotiate.

One of the best things that have happened to me, which opened so many doors in my life that I cant possibly comprehend myself.

If you find yourself to be interested but feel held back by your insecurities, give yourself a push and you will not regret.

And sometimes I even got to see some cute puppies and bunnies.

Feel free to use my referral: https://www.italki.com/i/ref/FcGeEd?hl=en&utm_medium=user_referral&utm_source=copylink_share  and you will receive 5€ after sign-up.

Thank you for reading and have a lovely day,

Hans.