the Pros n Cons in Working for iTutor Group in 2020

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

If you're watching this in 2021 or after, please note that some things I mentioned in this video have changed since I made this video, most notably the information about pay. Bonuses are no longer given based on ratings from students, which means that the pay potential is lower than mentioned in this video. Pay offered to new hires will vary based on various factors.

[@skinnylove1988]

Great video! I have heard some teachers are having new contracts sometimes cutting their pay by half. I am just in the process of completing the training etc so of course have not had to deal with these changes. Would you still advise people in my position to give it a go and see how I find it or are these guys becoming clowns?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

@@skinnylove1988 thanks for watching! To be honest, I’m not currently referring people right now, with all the recent changes. I think it depends on the person, and some people are still choosing to work for iTutor and enjoying it. I personally feel that there are better options out there and am focusing my efforts more on the other online teaching companies I work for. When I first started, I loved the flexibility of this company, and the pay was better. Now that the pay is lower, I’ve found that for me, I’d rather put my efforts in companies that I enjoy more and can work less for higher pay. But again, it depends on the person, where you’re located, what other options are available to you, etc. Some people still find it worthwhile. Have they given you a contract to sign yet? I’d make a decision based on what they’re offering you and what other options you’ve found available. Hope this helps! :)

[@english4englishfirst345]

Thanks for the info and the honest update :) I just subbed :D

[@shirlaninc]

Thank you for such an informative video of the pros and cons of this company. You're great!

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Thanks so much, Shirley! I hope this was helpful :) A few things have changed since I made this video - the pay structure is a bit different now than it was at the time this was made, but most of the info still stands. Thanks for watching!

[@lindapotter4741]

Thank you Caitlin. I've just passed VIPKid and am looking for another company that compliments it. This.was very useful information .

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Linda! Congrats on getting hired on with VIPKid! I absolutely love working for them :) iTutor really does fit in easily with VIPKid. You may also want to look into Outschool, as another secondary company. I've just signed on with them, so I haven't created any videos about it just yet. But with Outschool, the hours are 24/7 also, and you are teaching mostly American home-schooled kids (and some English-speaking kids from other countries). With Outschool, you can teach any subject/topic that you are passionate/knowledgable about. You do create the content yourself, but you can do it however you see fit. The application process is very quick and easy compared to VIPKid, and the pay can be quite a bit higher than some of these other companies. When working with contract companies, I think it's always nice to diversify and have a few different options, so just wanted to share this info, as well. Here' s a link in case you want to look into it :) outschool.com/teach?signup=true&usid=6va3YbhX&teacherReferral=true Thanks for watching!

[@kieranmctague6541]

1) As clients rarely rate you don't touch any bonuses and make below minimum wage. 2) if you cancel shortly before and they approve the cancellation they will remove an hour's pays without explanation 3) the lessons are riddled with errors 4) they will find any excuse to dock you pay. 5) you have to work the graveyard shift or you don't get any lessons at all. 6) they don't reimburse for training or the equipment they require 7) the software you must download is invasive to your privacy. Otherwise great.

[@maryb5745]

Thank you for all the great info. I am seriously thinking of applying and will use your referral code! I too work for VIPKid, I’m on my 6th contract starting in May.

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Mary, I'm so glad this helped! With all your experience with VIPKid, you'd do great with iTutor! There are definitely some big differences between the two companies, but I like having the balance of the two different platforms - it works out well :) If you have any questions at all, feel free to get in touch! You can email me at [e-mail] if you need anything. Thanks for watching!

[@kellyhiggins2867]

iTutor is my primary online employer right now. I really like the laid-back conversational style of teaching, as well as their ability to get me bookings consistently. What I don't like is the low pay. iTutor pay is crap. At best I make $9.08 per 25-minute class. I know some older iTutor teachers got great pay for multiple students. That is no more. $9.08/25 minutes is not laughably low but still about the worst offered in online teaching. And they expect you to treat it like a serious job, "white background", "red shirt". I do it because it pays some bills but they act like it is an elite job when it's just a minor bill-payer. Yes, it's real. Yes, you will get some classes but no, they will pay you the bare minimum shit wage. I live in Thailand and when I first got hired they offered me $6.50 per class. I have taught VIPKID 6000 classes at $10.50/class. I quit and re-applied telling them I lived at my best friend's address in Brooklin, one of the most expensive places to live in America. They gave me a new contract for $8.50/25 minute class. OK, with bonuses it's $9.08 for a 25. iTutor's pay is shit!

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Kelly, I actually agree with you about the pay now. When I made this video, I was on the old pay scale and was making much more per class than I am now that they’ve changed the whole pay structure. I’m working really minimal hours with iTutorGroup, by choice right now, and am focusing on the other two companies I work for, where I make much more per hour. I need to make an updated video to talk about the new pay structure, I think. Thanks for your watching and sharing your experience!

[@yvonneandbeyond]

This is such a great roundup. Thanks so much! :)

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

I'm so glad to hear that :) Thank you for watching!

[@MichaelEnglish88]

Hi again Caity (I subbed by the way :) ), Thanks again, this evaluation is super helpful and objective. ONE REALLY BIG QUESTION THOUGH: 1. What is your average booking rate as of August / September 2020? Do 50% of time slots get booked? Do 30% of time slots get booked? Do 80%? Just a rough estimate would be helpful. (Not sure if it's related, but I work for DadaABC, so I'm used to 80% booking rate. I have a really strong connection with my students so I've been fortunate).

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Lucas! Thanks so much for watching, and subbing :) I appreciate it! So, just to be completely honest, I don't open a ton of hours with iTutorgroup, since I work with a few different companies, but of the 5 minimum peak hours that I set, those hours nearly almost get all booked (100% of them recently). I don't add extra hours beyond the 5 minimum (and sometime don't even do the 5 minimum hours, but cancel hours instead, since I make a bit more with my other companies), so I can't speak to a percentage of extra hours that get booked, but in the past, when I would add late morning weekend hours, I would usually get about 80% of them booked. (As long as you don't get poor ratings from students, you typically will get good bookings, from my understanding and perspective). I hope this helps!

[@jasonkasprick6370]

Has the rating policy changed now? It seems that ratings do not affect pay now. I just received a contract and there is no mention of this.

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Jason, great question! They've just made some changes within the last week. Current contractors with iTutorGroup get to choose whether they want to keep their old pay system or adopt the new one, but it sounds like new hires are maybe only being offered the new pay plan, which is not affected by student ratings. Thanks for watching, and thanks for a great question - guess I need to make an updated video! :)

[@jasonkasprick6370]

Thank you for clarifying this with the quick response Caity!

[@joanng171]

Very informative, thank you!

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

So glad it was helpful, JoAnn :) Thanks for watching!

[@shamidkpzd]

Just started today. First student refused to speak or turn on camera. Second student was late and left in like 1 minute. 😒 I’ve taught on VIPKid and Magic Ears and never encountered that.

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Alex, I'll be honest, I have some weird things like that happen, too, but I will say, it happened more in the beginning when I first started than it does now. It's really frustrating when it does happen! I think part of is is that as you go, you get students who 'favorite' you, so the schedulers start booking them with you more, and you get more of the ones who are a better fit for you, as you go. With iTutor, I find that I get either really strong students who breeze through the lessons, or really new students, who barely participate - not sure why! But the fact that they don't have to turn on their camera is my biggest complaint about the company, by far! I hope your next classes go better! :)

[@kellyhiggins2867]

Another point is that when you give a 1-10 range in itutor, vs the 1-5 in VIPKIDS, it makes the client unaware that giving you a 9/10 is anything other than great. Since the claimed company average is 9.59, a 1-10 scale is ridiculous. My pet name for a 9/10 is a "Thank You/F*&# You.

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

I hear you, I really dislike the rating system, too! When they rolled out the new pay setup, I opted for the new pay structure that isn't dependent on ratings. The pay potential is lower, but I mostly get the OUP kids classes anyway, so I don't really mind. Are you on the old pay structure, or did you sign on with the new one they rolled out earlier this year?

[@907chickadee]

Are there feedback templates anywhere?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey there! If there are feedback templates, I haven't found them yet. But I keep my feedback very short - only about 3 or 4 sentences, so it doesn't take too long. I usually write a sentence summarizing what we worked on, a sentence about what the student did well, a sentence about one thing to work on, and then a sentence thanking them and telling them I hope to see them again:) Hope this helps!

[@senorasarahCDMX]

No, they won't allow you to paste anything into the feedback reports. :/ But it doesn't take me long to finish my reports, either.

[@MichaelEnglish88]

Hi there Caity, Thanks for the video! :) Could you provide some insight into what the typical bonuses for iTutorgroup are per hour? That is, I was offered a somewhat low base rate. I also read something about this new 'tenure' system. How many hours does one need to work to increase their base salary by $2 per hour (based on the tenure system)?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Lucas! So sorry I'm just seeing this comment now! As far as pay for iTutor, I had been planning on making a video about pay, but haven't yet, because the pay varies quite a bit from country to country. It also varies based on when you were hired on, and some other factors, so it's not really clear cut. I can tell you that for me, in addition to my base pay, I am also offered a small bonus (less than the $1/class) for completing the class in its entirety, and I could get a bonus of varying amounts from $.28 to $2.00/class for teaching a certain number of classes per month. I don't know that this is consistent across the board, which is why I haven't shared a video about it yet, but hopefully this gives you some idea of the possibilities. Thanks for watching!

[@johnspracklen4087]

Hi Caity, I am going through the onboarding process at the moment and found this video which is very informative. You mentioned you could get upto 35USD but I am finding the pay system confusing though. It looks to me that you get 6USD for a 25 min lesson or 8USD for a 45 min lesson plus an extra dollar or 2 for completion bonuses, etc (obvs this increases as you teach more but not by that much) - how can you achieve those rates? Do you get paid per student?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi John! Thanks for watching! So, the pay that I shared was based on my pay scale, from when I was hired on about a year ago. They may have changed the pay structure since then, and it can also vary from one person to the next (based on various factors, including the country that you live in). The $30+ dollars I mentioned was a maximum amount I could make, based on what is in my contract, for a 45-minute class, assuming I had 6 students in the class, and all of them gave me a perfect score. Not a likely scenario, but the max possible for me. Your max amount, depending on the specifics in your contract, may be different. Hope this helps!

[@onawap2684]

Hi John, thanks for asking this question, I am currently in your shoes. Did you end up accepting the position? How is the pay scale working out for you?

[@johnspracklen4087]

@@onawap2684 Hi Onawa. I left them after the first 2 lessons. It turns out if you don't get rated at least a 9/10 they ask you to do extra online training that you don't get paid for and the rate of pay was already low. From what I have seen online you can get paid OK in North America (very difficult to find details online about their pay) but outside of that you're struggling to get minimum wage (maybe $8 dollars per hour roughly) and they are really silly about having their logo plastered everywhere and wearing their red polos, etc. I felt it was very much a big corporate outfit making money by underpaying their staff and setting ridiculous obstacles to in the way of doing your job well and just cut my losses and left. Personally I only wanted 10 hours a week to top up my wages and keep me in TEFL for future opportunities - I'm quite frugal generally and couldn't see how you could live on their wages if you were full time. Everyone has their preferences but I just found them difficult. I have worked for EF before and I have seen them slated before but I found them infinitely better so maybe look into them.

[@onawap2684]

@@johnspracklen4087 Thank you John, this is tremendously helpful! I will definitely be declining that offer then. Yeah... in addition to the low offer, the logo plastering was definitely a turnoff as well. I'm with VIPKid now but struggling to get bookings and so I'm exploring other platforms too. I will check out EF. I appreciate your insights!

[@colleen630]

Did something change since 2020? I get paid the same rate whether I have 1 student or 6 students in my lesson.

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi there! Yes, there were some big changes last year and the pay rate structure changed. I’m actually not teaching or referring with iTutor anymore. There used to be much more potential for higher pay, but now it’s just a flat rate.

[@jaynefrank8014]

Hello Caity, I am currently completing my onboarding process. How long does a consultant have to submit the feedback report?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Jayne! Congrats on getting hired on! After you've completed a class, you have 24 hours to complete the feedback report :) Hope all goes well! Let me know if you have other questions.

[@gillzulu478]

Hi Caity, I'm a new teacher. My first 3 junior students didn't give me a review . Will this be classed as a 0? or not counted as part of the ratings average?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Gill! It shouldn't count against you, or count as a zero - it will just count within your percentage of classes not rated. Lots of students don't leave a review, so don't worry about that!

[@deborah_2025]

Hello Caity - I am a fellow VIPkid teacher - on contract #6 - here's my question: can you choose if you teach 1 on1, 1 on many, kids only or adults only?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Deborah! Great questions. So, you are able to opt out of the kid classes if you want to, but you aren't able to opt out of the adult classes. I guess you could potentially open classes only in 30-minute increments (every other half hour) if you really wanted to ensure only kid classes (since the kid's classes are 25 minutes long, and adult classes are 45 minutes long). You can have up to 3 students in the kid classes, and up to 6 students in the adult classes. You're not able to choose how many students per class, but in my experience, I rarely have 6 students - normally I end up with 2-5 in an adult class, and 1 or 2 in the junior classes. I didn't like the idea of multiple students at first, but the lessons with iTutor are far fewer slides/material than with VIPKid, so It's actually easy to work with multiple students - they can take turns, and practice asking/responding to each other.

[@carmayoder6380]

I have a bachelor's degree and 10+ years of teaching experience but I do not have TEFL certification. Does iTutor require you to obtain certification from a certain school or organization? I've seen many options available. Thank you!

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Carma! Sounds like you have great experience! iTutor currently requires a 120-hour course to be completed (doesn't actually take 120 hour). I completed the 120-hour online TESOL course on International Open Academy (took me about 4 hours to complete and cost about $20). I have heard they may be making changes about the specific requirements and some people have been asked to complete a certain online TEFL course, so if you want to apply, I would suggest waiting to get hired on before completing and certifications. That way, you can be sure you are completing the most current/required certifications and not wasting any time or money :) Hope this helps!

[@carmayoder6380]

@@TheTravelingTrainwreck Thank you for your response! I have reached out to iTutor to ask specifically about the certification but I have not received a response as of yet. I wasn't sure if they would hire me without the certification or if that would impact my base pay, but I do not want to spend the time and money if they have specific preferences. Thank you again for your time!

[@carmayoder6380]

I did hear back from iTutor and they suggested I begin the application process. I did the initial profile section and was not able to submit a TEFL certificate since I do not have one yet. I am planning to complete the interview process soon. My question is whether my base pay scale will go up once I obtain my TEFL certificate as they said I can complete that if I'm accepted. I used your link to complete the initial application. Any suggestions you have prior to the interview are appreciated. Thank you!

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

@@carmayoder6380 thanks for using my referral link! I don't think that having (or not having) your TEFL will change your base pay, since everyone is required to have one of these certificates. I know when I started, I needed to have a TESOL. I did have one through another company, but it didn't count anyway, so I had to get a new one after I got hired on. As far as suggestions before the interview, the main things are to be sure your teaching environment looks professional (well lit, with good audio and no visual/audio distractions in the background). They'll probably ask you questions about your experience, why you want to work for the company, and some hypothetical teaching questions. And then just be prepared to teach a slide or two, making sure to smile and have good energy, some props, and use TPR (total physical response) - there are lots of KZbin videos about this, if you're not sure :) Feel free to email me with any questions at [e-mail]. Hope all goes well!

[@free2bkittenforever]

Can you choose to just work with kids?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey there! Unfortunately, no, you can't opt out of working with adults, but depending on the times you set as your available hours, you may be more likely to get booked with kids :)

[@tazzir2987]

Hi caity, thanks so much for the great vid! I’ve just started the onboarding process but keep failing the IT test because my backtrop is too plain, any tips?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Tazzi! Congrats on getting hired on! As far as your backdrop, you can keep it really simple. As long as your background is white, you can add anything to it. Some people like to use a border (like what teachers have on bulletin boards in their classrooms), and then put up some pictures of things, like animals or letters/numbers, whatever you like. Target usually has great teacher items like this in the $1 and $3 section at the front of the store. Or, you could simply print out some free printables off of teacher websites and put those up. It doesn't need to be anything too complicated, just keep it simple :) Hope this helps!

[@tazzir2987]

@@TheTravelingTrainwreck thank you so much for the tips!

[@jayheil-rost5366]

Hi Caity, I’m considering joining iTutor but I’m still trying to gather some more information before I officially decide. Your video was very helpful but I do still have a question regarding scheduling that I can’t seem to find the answer to anywhere. People keep saying that it’s really flexible hours but the website says you have to work 10 “peak” hours a week - being 4 am to 5 am (pacific time) during the work week and working weekends is required. Is that true or am I just looking in the wrong place? If you don’t want to work weekends, are those early hours your only option? Can you even choose not to work weekends?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey there! Good questions! So, you do have to set 5 peak weekly hours. (It used to be 10, but they've recently changed it to 5). These are typically early morning, late night, or weekend hours, depending on your time zone (I live in EST, so peak hours for me are early morning, from about 7-9 am, and then night time, from like 9:30 to midnight). When you first sign on, you'll be shown the hours that you get to choose from, and you pick 5 total hours - they don't necessarily have to be on the weekend. Those are your 'commitment' hours, but you can cancel them if you need to. I regularly cancel some of mine, to fit my schedule - you just don't get the $1/class attendance bonus if you cancel any classes for a given month. You can also add any other time slots each week that you choose to open and make available to be booked. I hope that answers your questions, but let me know if not! :)

[@EsterCarlson]

Great video! I see on their website they require at least one year of recognized teaching experience. Do you think teaching a home school PE class could count (plus 6 months teaching with vipkid)?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Ester! Thanks so much! I think that should count! That would be 1 full year altogether, and especially with the online teaching experience, I think that would work! I could double check with one of the interviewers to be sure, if you want me to? Just let me know :)

[@EsterCarlson]

@@TheTravelingTrainwreck That would be great. Thank you. I taught PE for about a year and a half- it just wasn't in a classroom. I also coached soccer for 3 years. Do you ever teach Spanish or Portuguese speakers with Itutorgroup?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

@@EsterCarlson that should be plenty! I didn't have formal classroom teaching experience - just VIPKid (and some subbing at one point) - you should be good! The students are mostly from China, Taiwan, and Japan, so I haven't taught any Spanish or Portuguese speakers with this company. Let me know if you have any other questions about it, I'm happy to help :)

[@siobhanlouiseedwards8456]

@@EsterCarlson Hi Ester. I have just started work with iTutor group and I have less than a year's worth of teaching experience. I think it's on the proviso that you have some sort of teaching credential.

[@parasinthephilippines]

I have no connection with .I Tutor. Why are you not wearing the compulsory Red shirt .

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

I wear the red shirt when I teach :) But this is just my own independent KZbin video - I don't make these videos for the company, just for my own personal channel :)

[@catherineargibay6712]

Hi Caity, thanks for a very useful video. I am really keen to apply for work with iTutor Group and as I have a Brtish accent and live in Spain I don´t think I can apply for VIPKids. I would be happy to use your link so you can get a referral fee but I have already completed the initial application form online and am up to the automated interview stage. I am gathering information before I do the automated interview. Can I still apply with your link?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hi Catherine, thanks so much for watching, and for reaching out! Sorry I'm so late responding. I did get an email from you, though, and wrote back, so hopefully you got my message! :) Thanks again!

[@senorasarahCDMX]

Hi Caity! Does iTutorGroup try to restrict you in terms of working for competitors? My contract includes a "full disclosure" clause, which kind of makes me feel like I'm not allowed to work for any other companies. Tips?

[@TheTravelingTrainwreck]

Hey Sarah! The contract does make it sound that way, and I think they probably do discourage it, but I (and lots of other people I know) work for iTutor Group, along with some other companies. As long as your other other work doesn't interfere with your scheduled itutorgroup classes, you should be just fine :) Thanks for watching!