VIPKid Employee Reviews for English As A Second Language Teacher

Early mornings. Decent side gig. You can work from anywhere with a decent internet connection. Unable to make last minute cancellations without being heavily penalized. This is very challenging in the time of Covid. Used to have decent bonus incentives, but they keep changing them and are not what they once were.

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Set your own hours, over all culture is ok

ESL Teacher (Online) (Current Employee) - Remote - 3 October 2022

Management doesn’t really care about the individual teacher you’re replaceable. You’re not always as booked at you would like and the company has been watered down in recent years.

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flexible And relaxed once you get students

ESL Teacher (Former Employee) - Remote - 7 August 2022

This was the exact type of job I was looking for when I started here. Decent pay for minimal prep time. Students were great. Quite a bit of autonomy in a structured environment. Overall great.

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Almost entirely gone now

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Remote - 18 July 2022

When I started with VIPkid in 2019 there was always enough work to satisfy me. I was never able to completely work fulltime but I was happy with part time hours and the students were great. Unfortunately, the company started cutting corners with costs and cutting hours. There was no transparency about the decisions that were being made and how they'd affect teachers. Today it is difficult to find enough hours to get throuh the week.

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It's good when you need it.

English Second Language Teacher (Current Employee) - Remote - 5 May 2022

When there is nothing else and you want to work from home, this is an amazing opportunity to have. I keep renewing my contract even though I haven't taught for over a year just to have the option.

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Insights into VIPKid

Based on 23 survey responses

What people like

Ability to learn new things
Time and location flexibility
Clear sense of purpose

fun workshops for CEGreat StudentsWierd hours

ESL Teacher (Former Employee) - Work from Home - 26 January 2022

I loved teaching the students I had, but hours were from 3 am to 6 am and it was very difficult to achieve a work-life balance. I loved the curriculum and the teaching of it was fun- plenty of tips from experienced teachers.

Pros

flexible hours

Cons

Too tired to work well elsewhere

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VIPKid offers an easy way to make some extra money. You are your own boss, both good and bad. Must be in China to teach.

Online ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Remote - 31 December 2021

Foreign teachers no longer allowed to teach English online. This job is basically non-existent now.Most of the students were amazing (not all. Had some instances of inappropriate behaviour/nudity). You are on your own, both good and bad. HR not beneficial. Learn to pseudo-lawyer (e.g., record your presence at the start - and finish - of every lesson to prove you were truly there for the scheduled time, so you will be paid). Strengthen your skills in various functions while working online.

Pros

Pick your own times (may not get booked), Paid comparatively well (still poor), Casual dress, Wfh, Minimal preparation before work

Cons

Pick your own times... 11/12 hours ahead of your time zone (i.e., zombie hours), May not get booked despite following all advice, HR non-existent. Gaslights if report illegal acts in class (recordings NOT legal, vs. China laws), Must have physical proof of presence if challenged or no pay/score docked

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Restricted by CCP

ESL Teacher (Former Employee) - Remote - 3 December 2021

Currently restricted by CCP. Trying to launch global platform. New platform may not have staying power. Old compensation reasonable. New compensation just okay. Okay side hustle. Wonderful kids and decent materials.

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Good and flexible hours but class slides a bit...different

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Toronto, ON - 21 November 2021

Management at VIPKid is on point. There's always updates about every little thing and ways for teachers to earn more money like 'perfect streak' contests, opening PPTs (peak peak timeslots). I just had a problem with some of the teaching material which was to a North American, a bit weird. Just so different from what we're used to growing up in NA but you do get used to it. They do get back right away (within a day) with any issues brought up to support center. Overall, very good experience.

Pros

Fair and caring staff

Cons

Some teaching material didn't make sense

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Great company

Online ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Toronto, ON - 21 November 2021

I loved working for VIPKid. Unfortunately the Chinese government has made huge changes to students access to foreign teachers, so the well is dry right now. They are trying to transition to students globally.

Pros

Great students

Cons

No advancement right now

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I cannot recommend

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Work from Home - 25 September 2021

There have been many changes to compensation, reviews of job performance, and work responsibilities over the last year. The company has been affected by recent changes to Chinese law that are expected to eventually make it impossible for non-Chinese teachers to do this type of work. Communication has been very poor.

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Great company with lots of positives.

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Remote - 26 May 2021

VIPKID is a great platform from which to teach from. The pay is competitive, and the classes are plentiful. I hope they continue to bring on new students so that this job can continue for years to come!

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Great place to work from home

Online ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Online - 25 January 2021

I love working for VIPKID. Like every other job, you have to give your 100% if you want to be successful. Don’t take it easy just because it’s a job that you can do from your home. It’s okay to be imperfect at the beginning but show them that you are doing your best and you will get better with practice. They are nice and understanding people. I truly enjoy working at VIPKID.

Pros

You can make your own schedule.

Cons

Unreliable/ don’t have job security/ less pay/ no benefits

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Teach English online from the comfort of your house!

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Remote - 29 June 2020

Working from home with little-to-no time investment or stress outside of the 1/2 hour booking is wonderful! The hours suck (I live on the west coast) and the company isn't the best communicators. Bookings also fluctuate A LOT and there's no guarantee you fill your schedule. You also have no control over who you work with. But the work is easy and fun, there's no content development, just show up in your PJ's and hang out with kids. For the work, I think the pay is fair.

Pros

Work from home, no prep

Cons

Not exactly an independent contractor position

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great job!

ESL TEACHER (Current Employee) - Montréal, QC - 5 June 2020

If you are good at sales, you will love this job! The salary is good and you can work as per your preference. The kids are awesome and VIPKID supports their teachers well.

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Cutting pay for established teachers is discouraging

ESL Teacher Online (Current Employee) - On-line - 31 May 2020

I have truly enjoyed my years working here. I love my students. However, this week, the company announced an overhaul of the pay structure that cuts my pay significantly. I am a single mom working four jobs. This pay cut will impact my ability to care for my family. I was accustomed to not getting raises - but a pay cut for an employee with stellar reviews is not acceptable. I am discouraged, and I feel the company does not value me as a teacher.

Pros

The students!

Cons

Inability to cancel classes without penalty.

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No nonsense company with clear teacher expectations - a relief compared to other online teaching companies -

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Halifax, NS - 9 April 2020

I've worked for 3 different online ESL teaching companies since Dec.2018 and VIPKid is the only company I still have remained with and will continue to do so. Although the salary is lower than the other two companies I worked for, there is a certainty regarding what is expected of teachers, the supports available to teachers, many opportunities to advance in teaching qualifications, and a payment framework that is consistent, accurate, and on time. This wasn't true with the other two companies I worked for (one company had a confusing management style that created errors in payment, schedules, and teacher expectations. The other company had poor management-teacher and management-parent communication - what they told teachers vs. what they told parents, at times was contradictory - and unfair payment methods that penalized teachers to the extreme extent). For VIPKid, there are many more pluses compared to minuses with VIPKid in comparison to the other two companies I worked for.

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Lot's of fun to teach.

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Halifax, NS - 1 March 2020

You get to teach kids English and have all the material ready for you. It's a winning business model. The kids are usually very fun to teach as well. However, there are next to no benefits like healthcare or dental.

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Enjoyable and fulfilling working with the students

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Ont - 7 February 2020

I really enjoy this job. I feel like my own boss and I enjoy the flexibility of using my teaching skills to cover their prepared lesson. Providing student feedback doesn’t take long after the lesson. A very well-organized company! I don’t like the low pay and charges associated with accessing pay. That definitely needs improvement.

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Official response from VIPKid

9 February 2020

VIPKID really appreciates your kind words. We work hard every day to offer an even better environment to the amazing teachers in our platform!

Grateful for the Unique Experience

ESL Teacher (Current Employee) - Home Based - 15 November 2019

VIPKID gave me a very unique experience where I got to work from home and set my own hours. I enjoy learning the curriculum and learned a lot about teaching one on one to kids.

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It has Good and Bad Points

English as a Second Language Teacher (Current Employee) - Calgary, AB - 13 November 2019

Pros: flexible hours, great students to teach, lessons are done for you to maintain consistency. Cons: It took 2 years (4 contracts) to get a $0.50 raise, If you have to cancel a class with less than 24 hours notice without an acceptable reason to them (with proof to back your reason up) they deduct $10 from your paycheque, their incentives are not very motivating and the hours can be brutal after a while.

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Official response from VIPKid

14 November 2019

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We regard our students as the heart of our platform, and teachers like you, the lifeblood that keeps it running. If you want to speak with us further, feel free to contact us directly by submitting a ticket.