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Online Teaching Jobs

Don’t be confined to just living in one beautiful country. Online teaching jobs give you the freedom to teach English online from anywhere. Find out what steps you need to take to earn extra income whilst travelling.
Are you an experienced teacher who wants freedom from the school routine? Perhaps it is time to take a look at online teaching jobs. Are you newly graduated and looking to earn some money in a gap year? There are several online teaching platforms that are happy to take freshers. You can teach online and travel the world at the same time! Though you love teaching, have you ever wished that you had more time to follow your other passions? Try online teaching. You can choose the number of hours that you work and let’s find out how you can spend the rest of the time living your dream with our in-depth guide to teaching English online!

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Explore Online Teaching Jobs

The internet has shrunk the world. It has also brought about dramatic changes in the way in which business is conducted. The education sector has benefitted immensely from the increasing use of the internet.

There has been a boom in online learning platforms. Online teaching jobs are today as much a career choice as conventional real-world teaching jobs abroad as it still provides the freedom of locating yourself in one of the best countries to teach English yet not work in a school or language centre there.

Students and parents, unwilling to compromise on the quality of education they receive, use learning platforms to connect with subject experts from across the world.

Today, a Beijing student can learn to speak conversational English with an experienced tutor based in California. An American school kid struggling to cope with Math can take private tutorials from a teacher in India.

Students’ demand for the best resources the world has to offer has made online teaching a fulfilling and rewarding profession.

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You really do have the world in the palm of your hands when you have an online teaching job

Why Should You Consider Online Teaching Jobs?

Flexibility & More 'Me-time':

A significant proportion of teachers who switch over to online teaching cite flexibility in work schedules and the availability of more time for themselves as one of the biggest benefits. Most online portals allow you to build your own availability/work schedule.

This opens up several options. You could work zero hours one week and 20 hours the next week. Or you could pencil in more hours if you need to make some extra money in a month.

Some companies expect you to take a fixed number of classes in a week. But you have the flexibility to schedule them at your convenience. Very often, you have to commit only the lesson time that you fix yourself.

There are no other ‘work’ commitments, like administrative meetings or peer reviews. This allows you to spend more quality time with your family as well as pamper yourself!

Earn Extra For A Rainy Day:

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Even if you are not travelling, online teaching jobs provides a great second income

Full-time school teachers who want an additional source of income are also signing up for online teaching jobs. It is not just teachers who can go into online teaching. A student struggling to meet ends meet can take language classes or conversational classes.

Most online education portals have weekend classes and evening classes. So, if you want to earn a little extra to save up for a rainy day, sign up with an online learning company. You can work during off-school hours and build a little nest egg for yourself.

The Savings You Make In Time & Money:

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Just for a moment imagine what it would be like not having to travel through rush hour!!

Online teaching jobs do help save time and money. If you opt to work in the morning with an online teaching portal, all you have to do is switch on your computer at the scheduled time and start teaching.

You can say goodbye to rush hour commutes and on-the-run-breakfasts. And yes, if you want, you could conduct your class in your pyjamas! That will account for quite a bit of time saved on getting dressed in the morning.

With an online class, your entire morning schedule is more relaxed and less stressful than rushing off to school daily. You are also saving on fuel, work outfits and other sundry expenses.

If you are a young parent, online teaching jobs can be a lifesaver. Schedule your work to match your baby’s nap time or toddler’s playschool timings. You will get to spend fun times with your child. With no more spending on daycare and baby sitters, your monthly outflow of funds reduces considerably.

Freedom To Explore New Worlds:

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The majority of travel vloggers & bloggers started out their journey by teaching English online in far reach places!

Online teaching jobs give you a new perspective on the world. You could be teaching a student based in Saudi Arabia or China.

Though, of course, the focus is on the curriculum and the lesson plans, the concept of interacting with individuals from across the world is exhilarating.

Most teachers end up learning quite a lot about different cultures and countries. Online teaching jobs thus allow you to both teach and learn.

Educating Abroad Quick Tip: Even though the perks are super tempting to make you want to start teaching English online immediately. Make sure you consider the impact before you make the change. Do research thoroughly!

The Different Types Of Online Teaching Jobs Available:

Are you keen to explore online teaching jobs but are not sure how to go about it? Are you worried about whether you are qualified enough? Or do you wonder if you are over-qualified? Do you have all the technology required?

With the boom in online education, it looks like there is a place for everybody in the system. If you do not have any relevant qualification, you can still be an online teacher. Several companies are looking for teachers to instruct students in conversational English and other languages.

The only requirement is that you be fluent in the language. Your job will comprise literally having a conversation with your student during the 20-30-minute class! Your qualifications, or lack of it, do not matter as long as you have a good grip of the language and the ability to make conversation.

Academic Teaching Online:

Some Schools, Colleges and Universities across the world offer tutorials for students in the K-12+ classes. These online classes for students studying in primary, middle and high school are well structured with prepared lesson plans, tests and homework. Experienced teachers with a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificates can apply for these positions.

If you have a Master’s degree or a PhD, is it possible to find online teaching jobs that will match your qualifications? The answer is yes! There are plenty of colleges that offer online classes and coaching to students across the world—there two kinds of online teaching jobs for those with higher degrees.

The first option is to sign up with a 100 per cent online college. Or you could join the distance education department of regular, traditional colleges. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to bring about a revolution in higher education.

With travel likely to be restricted soon, most colleges will attract international students via distance learning and online classes.

If you want to take a break from teaching but would like to work online in the education sector, you can apply to be a course developer or subject matter expert.

ESL/ELL Teaching Online:

One of the biggest sub-sectors in the online teaching segment is teaching English online. There are online teaching jobs available for native English speakers or those with native-like fluency in the language. Online teaching jobs for English teachers is booming in Asian countries like China, Korea and the Philippines.

Teaching English online is, by far, the largest and easiest way to get into teaching online. 

Recent studies by the British Council estimates that in 2020 the combined total of English speakers and learners will hit 2 billion. The number of English language learners has been increasing rapidly every single year.

They identified that last year saw a steep spike in the number of people worldwide who are now online. As of 2019, there were 4.5 billion active internet users – 60% of the world’s population.

Some Of Our Latest Online Teaching Jobs

There are currently no vacancies.

The Downsides To Online Teaching Jobs & How To Overcome Them

There are some disadvantages to teaching online. But teaching online can overcome them with some perseverance and practice.

Isolation:

Online teachers may often experience a sense of disconnect and isolation. You may argue that the reason for taking up an online job was to get away from people! However, the reality may be rather disconcerting.

The discussions with peers and colleagues are a vital part of your personal and professional life. Once you move into the virtual world, you do not get the chance to interact with other people other than your on-screen students.

A good way to combat this professional vacuum is to meet other online teachers on various chat rooms and forums. Who knows, you could strike up new professional and personal ties that are stimulating and productive.

Self-discipline:

Working remotely can mean that your daily routine goes for a toss. Again, the counter-argument is that it was the boring routines that made you take up an online job.

While this is true, very often, not having a routine can reduce yours productively. When you work remotely, you often work odd hours. You do not dress up to work. Your sleep schedule is irregular. Initially, you may welcome this flexibility in your life. But it could well be the edge of a slippery slope.

The lack of a routine may lead to mood swings and mental stress. It is important to be self-disciplined and set up some daily schedule for yourself.

Professional Advancement:

This is a genuine problem that several teachers face. While working on online learning platforms is great, what is the scope for professional advancement? You can increase the number of hours that you work and earn more money. There are other possibilities too.

After a few years in the field, you could become a curriculum designer or a subject matter expert. The bigger firms in the field are always looking for new talent and ideas to attract customers in a fast-evolving market.

Technical Problems:

Yes, we all know that it is possible to have an online class for students in China while vacationing in a glorious Spanish beach town. Or have a conversational language class for students in Brazil while touring the French countryside. An online teaching job indeed gives you the flexibility to combine work and play.

But the fact is that you can play only in areas with a fast and stable internet connection! A spotty internet connection can make life hell for an online teacher. One way to get over this technical hitch is to always have sufficient backups with you.

It makes sense to invest in a 4G Wi-Fi dongle if you are moving over to the virtual world. Buy a tablet as a backup for your laptop. If you are travelling, do a little research and stay in places with good internet access.

Get Your Circadian Rhythm In Order:

As an online teacher, you are the boss! You can set your own availability schedule and work the hours you want.

That’s great! But even though you may have the freedom to pick your own timings, your choices are limited by the fact that your students may be living on the other side of the world.

The biggest markets for online learning are in China and Korea. The different time zones in which the students live may mean that you have to get up at 2 am to conduct a class.

After all, you can teach only when the students are available! This can play havoc with your body clock. But most online teachers soon adjust and can cope very successfully indeed.

Unfriendly Policies:

Online teachers have to get used to a regimen that is different from the real world. Cancelling a class can cost you in the online world.

Since you have the liberty to fix your own schedule, most online learning companies demand that you should bear the cost of cancelling a class.

This could be in the form of a penalty. The only ‘earning’ that you get as an online teacher are your lesson fees and incentives. No company will offer health insurance or a retirement saving fund!

Some Quick FAQ's On Teaching English Online

Online teachers can make upto $20 USD per hour teaching English online at one of the higher paying online teaching providers such as VIPKid. In most cases this would not be enought in countries with a high cost of living, however if you teach online in country that does not then, your earnings and salary will go a long way.

VIPKid & GogoKid have the highest rated reviews as the best online teaching jobs. However this is all subjective and there are many other online teaching providers who may be a better fit for you to then consider them as  the best online teaching job provider.

The best way to get a job teaching English online is to create a video resume. A number of the large online teaching providers require a video resume so they can see how well would likely come across to their students. Make sure you come across as bright, well spoken and energetic as you will be teaching students of all ages online.

Yes, you can make a living teaching online. However contrary to contrary to others publications, earning a living teaching online is difficult if you live in country with a high cost of living. In these cases it is good to see teaching online as a supplement for your main job. However if you are not living in a wealthy country, then yes teaching online is a great way to earn a living.

Teaching English online is not only a good job, Its a fantastic job especially with the right circumstances. If you suffer from wanderlust then teaching English online will help you fuel your journeys across distant shores. Not only that online english teaching is great for you to have a second income to save for some special occassion.

If you work for some of the major online teaching companies who provide teaching online. You will not have to worry about being paid. They provide regular payment at scheduled times for all the online teaching you have carried out for them. They usually have a time keeping system so you get paid for all the hours your have taught online. It is always best to check the reviews before accepting a job to teach online for them.

How To Find Your Perfect Online Teaching Job?

Well, luckily, you are in the right place to find jobs teaching English online. If you have done so already, head over to our online teaching jobs section to find the latest jobs, we have also listed one or two of them below. Failing that, we have 5 steps for you to help you start your job search.

    1. The first step when making the transition to online teaching is to be clear about your raison d’être. It could be flexibility, making extra money or to have more time for yourself. Different companies that offer online teaching jobs have different rules for teachers. Some companies may allow you to choose your work hours. Others may want you to work a minimum number of hours per week. Some online institutes allow you to fix your own price. Others offer a fixed amount per hour. Some offer contracts; others do not. Once you have decided on your parameters for online teaching jobs, start researching companies that will meet your conditions; luckily, we have an awesome article we recently publish called the 10 Best Companies Hiring Now To Teach English Online that will certainly help in giving you a head start.

 

    1. Once this shortlist is ready, it is time to do a bit of culling. This is because not all online teaching platforms are professional in their approach. There are, unfortunately, companies that may not deliver all that they promise. It is imperative to do background research of the companies. You will find plenty of material on the internet where teachers who have taken up online teaching jobs share their experiences. There are also teacher forums or chat rooms where you can make relevant enquiries.

 

    1. Send in your applications to the online teaching companies that you would like to work with. This process may vary. Some online platforms allow you to apply directly on their website. All you have to do is fill in the online application form. You will also have to upload an online self-introductory video. Some companies do expect you to take a trial class. They will normally pay you for it. There may also be orientation sessions with other teachers and staff. Sometimes, the application process is more formal. You will have to e-mail your resume or CV to the company’s HR department and wait for their response.

 

    1. There are various kinds of employment in the online teaching jobs’ segment. You may be offered a six-month contract that is often renewable. Your employers fix the schedule and working hours. Other platforms may be more flexible. There may not even be a formal contract. Once your application is accepted, your profile will be made visible to students and parents for booking. You may also be allowed to set your own teaching charges per hour, with a commission to be offered to the platform for each session booked.

 

  1. Online ESL companies will also specify their technical requirements. You will need to buy/upgrade your equipment before you can sign in for classes.

Educating Abroad Quick Tip: We would advise you to at least consider these 3 top companies who provide English teaching online:
1. VIPKid | 2. Qkids | 3. Italki

What Qualifications Do You Need To Teach English Online?

The requirements vary depending on the type of classes organised by companies. As mentioned earlier, very often, the only requirement for conversational English classes is fluency in English.

However, companies that offer structured English classes to students hire professional teachers. The qualifications required are:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Native English speakers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa
  • If you are not from any of the above countries, you must have equivalent fluency in English.
  • Teaching certificate
  • ESL credentials like TEFL etc.
  • Experience is preferred but is often not essential.

Reviews From Teachers Who Teach English Online

Our Conclusion To Online Teaching Jobs

The COVID19 pandemic has hit the world hard. Even as people and businesses struggle to cope personally and professionally, there is a growing realization that we have to change the way we think and act.

As the virus rages through countries, the education sector has suffered the most. Schools, universities and colleges have shut down. With social distancing being the new mantra, online teaching is likely to offer a solution by ensuring that our children do not suffer academically.

From kindergartens to Master’s degree programs, online classes are likely to be on the rise. The demand for experienced online teachers is expected to be high shortly.

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