How To Get an Online Teaching Job With No Experience
A lot of people, especially non-native speakers, ask me
“How to teach English online?”
“Where to find ESL jobs for non-native speakers?”
or “Can I teach English online without a degree?”
Well, let’s start with the last one – YES, you can teach English without a degree, but in that case, most companies would require a TEFL certificate or relevant.
Why?
Speaking of non-native speakers, since English is not your mother tongue, companies have to be assured that your level of English is at least C1 (some companies accept tutors with B2 as well, but most of them don’t).
Hmm…
Okay, we’re done with that one.
The next one is my favorite “So, you teach English online huh? Thaaaat’s life! Sitting in a comfy chair, talking, dancing, and goofing around with kids… I could do that all day, all night!”
Mmmm, yeah right…
First of all, teaching or tutoring online (especially to young learners) can be quite exhausting. Yeah, I know it sounds incredible, but it is.
Trust me.
Hey parents, your kid, or kids, can be quite restless sometimes, right? They have the power to devastate anything in just a few seconds.
Now, imagine having dozens of kids for five, six hours, or even more!
….
Exactly…
On the other hand, I would like to point out something very important –
ANYONE can teach English online
(as long as you have an excellent command of English, of course).
Anyone can teach online? How so?
The online teaching market is HUGE, and it’s getting bigger as we speak… I mean, as you read.
Every single person on this planet with a decent Internet connection is your potential student. If you are not good at teaching kids, singing songs, and being an entertainer, don’t worry! There are thousands of adults looking for a teacher… and that just might be YOU.
A new law in China about online teaching
In 2021, the Chinese government has passed a law that limits foreign online teachers (basically they're banned).
This law applies only to kids in China. Companies that provide online ESL services to adults are not impacted by this law.
Consequences?
Yes, online ESL teachers and companies have been impacted significantly. A lot of teachers lost their jobs, companies have gone bankrupt, and so on...
Now what?
Well, as we are all well aware, China is not the only country in the world. Yes, I know, it is one of the largest and for sure it is the most populated country in the world, but, there are many companies and many people around the world looking for online ESL tutors.
Most companies are looking for online ESL tutors to tutor kids, therefore, if you like to work with kids, you have more opportunities when it comes to choosing the right company.
“Okay, okay, I have an excellent command of English, I, you, he, she, it, and I like kids, yaaay, peekaboo!”
How to start teaching online?
It’s not that difficult (seriously, it’s not). There are thousands of companies worldwide, continuously hiring online tutors and teachers.
If you meet the basic requirements, you’re persistent enough, and with a bit of help from this article, chances of not getting a job are equivalent to chances you haven’t bought at least one face mask in 2020.
Since there are thousands of companies worldwide, you probably assume there are thousands of websites where you can look those companies up. You’re right.
One of such websites is Teaching Online (voila!). On TO’s website, you can check the 2021 Job Board, where you can find companies currently hiring both native and non-native speakers. Good news for non-native speakers – there are NO “native only” companies on this Job Board.
Also, there are other websites, such as Good Air Language, OETJobs, etc.
I would like to point one thing out – most companies hiring “native only” speakers, actually look for a US, UK, AUS… PASSPORT. Meaning, even you have a strong accent while holding a passport of an English-speaking country, some companies will probably consider you as a native speaker.
This fact sowed the seeds of many ideas, mostly illegal ones, but I’m not going to go any deeper than this.
Those companies (hiring native speakers only) offer significantly higher rates than the ones hiring non-native tutors.
Speaking of companies hiring non-native tutors, the base varies A LOT. Some companies pay $2-3/hr (not a typo), while some pay $15+/hr.
Why do some companies pay only $3-4 per hour?
Some tutors live in countries with a low standard of living. In those countries, even $4/hr is an acceptable rate.
This doesn’t mean these tutors have poor teaching skills. On the contrary, most of them are fantastic!
Now, you probably wonder:
How to teach online and earn over $1500 per month?
The answer is quite simple – first, you need a stunning self-introduction video, and then you have to nail the interview.
Piece of a cake, right?
Then why the hell do people still work for $3/hr???
Well, obviously, companies paying $10-15 have higher expectations. They want tutors to be more active, creative, and sometimes tutors are the ones preparing classes from the scratch.
Some tutors have no time or they simply don’t want to go the extra mile. They don’t want to prepare props, posters, extra activities, etc.
Next, making a stunning self-introduction video, and conducting a perfect demo class, isn’t that easy.
In this article, I’m going to do my best to explain how to make a perfect self-introduction video.
Demo class preparation and interview preparation are the topics, I’m going to dissect for you in the following articles – stay tuned.
Article: How To Prepare a Perfect Demo Class?
How to make a perfect self-introduction video?
In the following paragraphs, I’m going to list some general things you can apply to all self-introduction videos when applying for various tutoring companies. BUT everyone has their own idea of perfect, keep that in mind.
Can I use the same video for both adults and young learners?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Why?
First of all, kids don’t care if you have MA or Ph.D., they don’t care if you volunteered in Africa, (unless it was something really cool…) all they care is about having a FUN and INTERESTING tutor. This means you need to prepare toys, stuffed animals, flashcards, etc.
Hiring companies think the same way… trust me. They want their clients (kids) to like you, they want kids to be eager to have classes with you.
If kids like you, they want to have classes with you forever, meaning that parents are going to pay for those classes… forever… theoretically speaking.
Speaking of adults, I hope you’re not going to start with “Heeeeeeelllloooooo, how areeee youuuuuu??” and then do the silly face as a 5-year old.
Your video needs to be a bit more serious (but not too serious).
Put yourself in someone’s shoes. Someone who tends to purchase your classes.
Who would you like to see?
A tutor jumping around with stuffed toys and talking to you like you’re five.
A tutor that looks like a grumpy old physics teacher from your high school.
OR, a pleasant, cheerful tutor, ready to explain to you why the hell every “c” in "Pacific Ocean" sounds differently.
I hope I made myself clear
Okay, now let’s go through some essential parts of your video.
First, and the most important thing is ENERGY!
You mustn’t sound like you’ve just come from a funeral / got up after partying all night / or your pet has just passed away.
You have to be cheerful, enthusiastic, and most importantly –
YOU HAVE TO SMILE.
During my career, I had many candidates who did everything by the book, but they had no energy.
It doesn’t matter how fantastic they were, to me, their 2-minute self-introduction video seemed like an eternity.
As I said, it’s very important to be energetic, and enthusiastic,
BUT…
Do NOT overdo it. When trying to be energetic and enthusiastic, don’t forget to be yourself as well. Try to reach YOUR limits of being cheerful.
If you are naturally a serious person, and during the video you are smiling as someone’s who has taken some pills, it will look even worse than having no energy at all.
Get the point?
The next crucial thing is LIGHTING!
This is one of the most important things you need for every single online class, as long as you teach online. Therefore, get high-quality lighting instead of looking for cheap, band-aid solutions.
You don’t want back-facing a window or any other source of light.
Speaking of your back, please,
pay close attention to your BACKGROUND!
When teaching online, your background has to be a wall or an adequate poster for teaching.
I’ve seen many tutors, being amazing in all areas, BUT they also had a landfill behind their back.
DO NOT USE A WEBCAM
When recording a self-introduction video, PLEASE don’t use a webcam, UNLESS, you have a super HQ one.
Why?
Your webcam has probably quite poor video specs when it comes to recording a high-quality video.
A webcam that has similar specs as your smartphone’s camera or a digital one, costs a fortune! Simple as that.
Compared to Quadra, Penta, Hexa, cameras on your smartphone, or a fantastic digital camera, a webcam is quite a poor choice.
Oh, and one more thing –
your self-introduction video has to be taken in LANDSCAPE orientation!
Why do I have to shoot my video in landscape?
Because, your video will be analyzed on a computer (in 99% of cases), not on a smartphone during a lunch break.
Also, sometimes, your video might end up on a company’s website.
Therefore, if you shoot your video in portrait it will look quite bad with the black gaps on the side.
And, finally… YES, the size matters!
Your self-introduction video shouldn’t be longer than 2 (two) minutes!
Trust me, two minutes is more than enough to successfully present your skills and introduce yourself to an HR agent or a student.
Bear in mind that a 1:50 video isn’t short. Each video between a minute and a half and 2 minutes is sufficient.
Videos of 3, 4, and 5 minutes are usually dull (unless your video is as interesting as the 7-season TV series you binged).
Contents of a self-introduction video
First, you will introduce yourself (Eureka!)
Then, highlight your experience and educational background.
Please keep in mind, that a person who is reviewing your video and your ONLINE TEACHER/TUTOR application doesn’t care if you were an LC Waikiki cashier or a Hotel General Manager.
Mention only things that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.
Next, do your best to mention why you like to teach, what methods you use, etc. To make a long story short, your video should answer one single question – “Why should we hire you?”
Finally, DON’T SPEAK TOO FAST!
Your English is perfect, I know that you know that, but still, don’t talk as you would if you were in a London or New York pub.
Asian HR agents, are rarely as fluent in English as you are, therefore do your best to talk CLEARLY and at a normal (or a bit slower) speaking pace.
This was a “short” introduction for all of you interested in earning money from your comfy armchair in your bedroom.
If you believe online teaching is your dream job, then it will be my pleasure to invite you to take Nem’s Teaching Online Course, where I’ll guide you on how to become an amazing teacher and earn over $1500 monthly!
Good luck and… happy Teaching Online!
Nem
Owner and Founder at Teaching Online and a passionate online ESL teacher