Hiring

How do I write the perfect resume for teaching online?

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How do you write a resume to get a high-paid teaching online job? From formatting, language skills, to work history; here are 10 questions to ask before pressing ‘Send’. 

Is my resume well formatted?

A teaching resume needs to be spell-checked and grammatically correct. You are applying for an English teaching job after all. Download a free app like Grammarly and/or ask a friend to review.

Find a clean, simple template (like these from Microsoft Office) and keep it to 1-2 pages.

You should also put in a few things that you don’t when applying for a job domestically:

  • Put your time zone, with the GMT+number code, e.g “GMT+10:00 (AEDT)”. This helps the interviewer schedule an interview with you at a mutual time.
  • Phone number, including country code, +61 Australia / +64 New Zealand.
  • Photo (Optional). While there is A LOT of debate on whether or not to include a photo, I recommend that you include a small, professional-looking head shot. If a company is going to reject me based on my looks, I’d rather they do it before wasting my time in an interview. This is optional and completely up to you.

Who is reading my resume?

Keep language simple and clear for an ESL reader. Many staff members speak excellent English but don’t assume this to be the case. Consider the person reading your resume. Are you using any colloquial English that someone from another country wouldn’t understand?

Is my resume focused?

Make sure that your resume is focused on teaching or your professional history. Keep personal history relevant to your job only; languages, qualifications, short courses etc.

If you are a new teacher, consider how your previous work experience can directly help you teach (good organisation, people skills etc.) OR how you may be able to teach related English.

Try and keep it related to teaching-adjacent skills as much as possible. Emphasise non-teaching experience only when relevant to to the English that you will be teaching. Stand back from your own experience and consider what your student might need. 

Use key words and phrases for the area in which you wish to teach. IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Adult, Business, Career, Health, Psychology, Exam preparation, high school etc. 

Make notes of any keywords in the application or job ad. Image (c) Pexels

Is my resume highlighting my positives?

If you are from a non-teaching background, this is a positive thing, so don’t be afraid to highlight your experience. If you have skills sought by others in common or popular professions such as medicine, business, any professional skill such as accounting, finance and media – this makes you stand out. Just try and focus on how it could apply to teaching.

How do I highlight my positives?

Teachers are often humble folk and the idea of a mission statement seems to them self-promotional and marketing a terrible beast to be best avoided. While we understand this feeling, it cannot be further from the truth. 

In order to attract the highest salary, you must be able to quickly and succinctly tell a company that you are worth the amount that you are asking for by highlighting your strengths.

E.g: “I am name. I am from x. (My mission statement is) I help students to manage anxiety in IELTS speaking tests. This comes from my own experience of anxiety in international language testing and speaking which I successfully overcame (FOR EXAMPLE).”

Should I mention my language skills?

Yes, multilingualism is a widely coveted skill. If you speak multiple languages – even at a beginner level – please let your interviewer and company know. You should be paid more if you can attract students in more than one language. Highlight your skills!

Is my resume too long?

Only put relevant jobs. 1-2 pages is enough. Even for experienced teachers. 20+ years means 20+ years. No need to elaborate. Time is a premium in hiring offices.

Is my resume truthful?

Finally, do not lie on your resume. It never pays off.

Will my resume get me an interview?

If you follow the steps in this article, you will have a clear, succinct and persuasive resume that will highlight why you are the perfect candidate for that online English teaching role. 

How do I stand out even more?

In order to be ready for your interview and to ensure that your resume gets your ‘foot in the door’, I offer 1:1 job preparation sessions for aspiring and experienced teachers.  

Read more about the sessions and check out the many 5 star reviews! 

Good luck in that interview!

Can Australians teach English online with no experience?

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Many new teachers ask me if they can teach English online with no experience and my answer is “Yes” – but the quicker that you gain experience, the better – in my opinion.

Why is teaching English online experience important?

Teaching English online experience is important for multiple reasons:

  • Experience gives you more job opportunities; or ‘gets you in the door’;
  • Experience gives you an understanding of teaching (and more importantly – students);
  • Experience gives you the tools and frameworks to ‘build’ lessons with solid foundations.

While you can teach English online with no experience, some experience makes the process less scary, makes you a more effective teacher and helps you earn more money.

  • Experience provides you with successful and fun activities and lesson plans that work;
  • Experience provides confidence and the strength to charge higher rates;
  • Experience guides you towards the students/subjects that are most enjoyable for you.

How to gain teaching English online experience

I hear you asking “…but, how do I gain teaching English online experience…?” Well, you have a few options; including completing a TESOL / TEFL certificate, volunteering and/or applying for ‘no experience’ jobs. Let’s look at these in detail.

A TESOL or TEFL certificate course

I began to teach English over a decade ago, so it’s been a while since I gained my first tentative steps in the classroom, but I remember the feeling of being inexperienced and overwhelmed clearly. Luckily, I signed up for a great TESOL certificate, a part-time course that I completed with a small group of future teachers and tutors, for A$2500. If you want experience, this is an excellent option. After 20 or so hours of practice teaching during my TESOL certificate, I was still green, but I had some idea of what to expect and what to do once I opened the classroom door and walked inside. But, that might be more than you can currently afford.

If you are on a tight budget, read my post about where you can study for a TESOL / TEFL certificate in a few weeks from A$250.

In addition to an accredited TESOL / TEFL certificate, there are lots of free online courses that you can take to better understand the basics of teaching and how to manage a classroom. See my post on 50+ free TESOL courses for teachers here.

Volunteer to gain online English teaching experience

If you’ve already completed a TESOL/TEFL certificate and want to know how to teach English online with little to no experience, consider volunteering. Many organisations are looking for volunteers. It’s a great way to gain experience. For a full list of volunteer organisations that accept Australasians, click here.

Apply for an entry-level online teaching job with training

Buy my Job List and easily sort the top 50 jobs by experience requirements and find a job that will train you as you go. If you are determined to start without experience, you can begin applying for jobs that don’t require experience. Just remember, you will likely be earning a lower rate to start. Experience is a bonus and generally leads to higher hourly rates of pay.

    Finally, should Australians teach English online with no experience?

    While you can teach English online without experience, the more experience and knowledge gained through volunteering, an entry-level job and/or studying a TESOL certificate, the more confident, effective and well-paid you’ll be.

    Even in a digital era with no physical classroom door, opening a site or app to ‘teach’ English requires experience and, more importantly, an understanding of the structures of effective learning to be successful for students …and enjoyable for you.

    While Australians can teach English online without experience, the more that you teach, the easier the process becomes and the more you can offer your students. Remember, it can be intimidating to start but you can improve with time. Make notes of what works and what doesn’t. Do as much training as you can. Most importantly, learn by doing. Before long, you’ll be on your way!

    Have you considered freelance teaching? If you have skills from another field, you can slowly build your experience with students directly or via an online English teaching platform and learn as you go. Read more about 1:1 coaching.

    Can Australasians teach English online without a degree?

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    Yes! You can teach English online without a degree from an Australian or New Zealand university. We’ll explore options for non-degree holders; where to find the best jobs, average hourly rates and how you can maximise your chances of success in online ESL.

    So, how can I teach English online without a degree?

    If you’re interested in teaching English online but don’t have a university degree you may be concerned that the job is not for you. That’s not the case. A degree (especially one in an unrelated field) is a helpful, but optional requirement – with only around ≈50% of online English teaching jobs requiring a Bachelor’s degree to apply.

    Teaching English online without a degree will depend on your previous experience.

    • If you’ve taught or tutored before, you’ll find many of the skills easily transferrable. If you’ve already got a TESOL/TEFL qualification but have never taught online, there are free courses that can help you with the technology involved like Zoom.
    • If you’ve never taught or tutored before, the best place to start is with a TESOL/TEFL qualification of 120 hours or more. They can be completed for ≈$200AUD and in as little as 3 weeks, but are essential to providing the basics of teaching.

    Compare all online TESOL/TEFL qualifications in Australasia here.

    If you speak English fluently (and are patient and supportive) there are online English teaching roles for you, although you may need to apply for entry-level roles at first and work your way up over time. If you choose to teach in a freelance capacity, your sales and marketing skills as well as the reviews and referrals from your students will be an equal factor in your success.

    Can I teach English online without a degree and no experience?

    Yes, like a university degree, teaching and tutoring experience is a helpful, but optional requirement for teaching English online.

    You will often have the opportunity to acquire some online teaching experience as part of your TESOL/TEFL qualification. There are also organisations looking for volunteers. Volunteering can be a rewarding and satisfying way to gain experience.

    Other jobs can be applied for without any experience but these are often the lowest paying. They can be a good way to “get your foot in the door” and after you’ve taught classes and gained some confidence, you can then apply for better and higher-paying roles.

    How much can I earn teaching English online with no degree?

    The three major options that you have are to:

    1. Apply for an online teaching job.
    2. Create a profile on an online English teaching marketplace platforms and market your services directly to students.
    3. Start your own freelance teaching business and attract students directly.

    How much you can earn teaching English online depends on these options. Entry-level jobs average ≈$25AUD/hr (up to ≈$50AUD/hr), marketplace platforms average ≈$40-70AUD (or more for confident salespeople and those with good social media and/or marketing skills) and $100AUD/hr for those who can build a good reputation via their own freelance teaching business.

    Where can I find online English teaching jobs with no degree?

    My Complete Job List is a comprehensive list of the 50+ best and highest-paying online jobs for Australians and New Zealanders. Around ≈50% of all listed roles are open to those without a university degree. It’s updated weekly and has been built by a teacher, for teachers over the last four years to be the best resource of its kind. It is the easiest way to begin applying to jobs that fit in with your required hours, the students that you’d like to teach (kids vs adults) and the rate you want.

    Finally, how can I succeed at teaching English online with no degree?

    There are a few ways that non-degree holders can succeed at teaching English online:

    • Enrol in a quality TESOL/TEFL qualification. You’ll gain the fundamentals of teaching online and a lot more confidence to begin;
    • Do as many additional free courses as you can and be open to continually learning and growing as a teacher;
    • Start with an entry-level role or volunteer position. Use this experience to apply for the next position and so on over time;
    • Consider marketplace platforms or a freelance business where you may be able to teach/tutor in an area of previous professional or life experience or with students that you enjoy teaching.

    Teaching English online is a $10 billion USD market and growing. Non-degree holders who are willing to spend some initial time in training and gaining initial experience can be as successful as their university-educated counterparts in no time.

    So what are you waiting for?

    I’d love to offer 1:1 help with finding a TESOL job or starting your own business.

    Volunteer to teach English online

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    Are you looking for online English teaching experience? Want to use your teaching skills for good? Find out how you can volunteer to teach English online with Australian, New Zealand and International organisations in order to break into the field, or just give back.

     
    Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels

    How to volunteer

    Each organisation below has their own particular criteria for volunteers so it is best to enquire directly. A few rules of thumb:

    • Many organisations (especially those who work with children) will require you to pass a Background. or Police check and/or have a WWC (Working With Children Check). Volunteer WWC are usually free, but Australia has a regional applications for a WWC, so check your resident state.
    • Make sure that you read the requirements and time commitment/s for the position carefully before applying. 
    • If you don’t find anything on this list that suits, you can also find positions on https://www.volunteer.com.au; many that are short-term or event based. This might be better than a long-term commitment for some. 
    • Finally, have fun and congratulate yourself for your contribution. Thank you. 

    Note: If you see the code [NFP] this indicates that this organisation is 100% not-for-profit.

    Volunteering in Australia

    Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is a free service to help eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants with low English levels to improve their English language skills and settle into Australia.
    https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/settling-in-australia/amep/volunteer-tutor-resources

    Navitas (SW Sydney and Canberra)
    The Volunteer Tutor Scheme encourages people to join us in supporting adult migrants and humanitarian entrants who complete our Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), helping them develop their English skills and settle into life in Australia.
    https://www.navitas-english.com.au/careers-and-volunteering/volunteering/

    AMES (Victoria)
    You will work alongside our newly arrived refugee and migrant clients and our committed and passionate staff, joining over 500 AMES Australia volunteers
    https://www.ames.net.au/volunteering

    Djerriwarrh Community and Education Services (Melbourne West, Ballarat)
    Volunteering for Learning for Employment’s AMEP Volunteer Tutor Scheme involves meeting newly arrived migrants and refugees to help them learn English. [NFP]
    https://djerriwarrh.org.au/

    St Vincent De Paul Society
    Refugee English Tutor (QLD)
    https://www.volunteer.com.au/volunteering/118659/refugee-english-tutor-townsville

    SisterWorks Inc. (Nation-wide)
    SisterWorks is a partner of UN Women to deliver UN Women’ Second Chance Education pilot project in Australia. SisterWorks provides training programs to the most vulnerable women with little English of Refugee and migrant backgrounds. As an English Teacher Volunteer, you will be providing a training programme online, empowering migrant and refugee women by teaching them conversational English. [NFP]
    https://sisterworks.org.au/volunteering/

    STEPS (Darwin)
    “We offer a number of flexible, part-time volunteer roles for anyone who wishes to get involved and help our students to gain English skills so they are more confident in accomplishing their future goals in Australia.”
    https://www.stepsgroup.com.au/giving-back-by-teaching-migrants-and-refugees/

    Volunteering in New Zealand

    English Language Partners
    Help former refugees and migrants learn English and join New Zealand society. Deliver language support in the learners’ own homes. [NFP]
    https://www.englishlanguage.org.nz/volunteer

    Help Tank
    Volunteer with English Language Partners and help us provide free English lessons to former refugees and migrants.
    https://helptank.nz/project/detail/2705

    Let’s Talk Language Learning Groups (Auckland)
    Did you grow up in New Zealand and did you use English in your home? University of Auckland students who use English as an additional language (EAL) would love to talk to you.
    https://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/services/student-learning/ele/language-learning-groups

    International Organisations

    Language Linkers
    We empower refugees with 1:1, digital language courses volunteered by professional language teachers. [NFP]
    https://www.facebook.com/languagelinkers/

    Stepping Stones China
    With a mission to improve the education and general welfare of disadvantaged children in China, Stepping Stones has hosted numerous programs focused on children’s education and well-being since 2006. [NFP]
    https://steppingstoneschina.net/volunteer/volunteer-individuals/

    Good luck and happy volunteering!

    Become an IELTS tutor online

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    Want to become an IELTS tutor online? Read on for how to tutor from home and earn up to $100/hr supporting some of the 3.5 million+ people taking this high-stakes test yearly.

    ielts tutor online
    Online IELTS tutoring can be very lucrative. Photo by Vanessa Garcia.

    Every year, millions of people take the IELTS test for admission into universities and to satisfy the government requirements for migration and international work opportunities.

    A high score on the test can mean the difference between a life-changing dream coming true or not. For this reason, students (and their families) are heavily invested in their success and will often pay a much higher rate for tuition than for casual language learning.

    What is IELTS?

    The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is part of a network with 60% of the market share of English testing worldwide. According to reports: “The intellectual property (test questions, exams etc.) is jointly owned by Cambridge University, British Council and IDP Education. British Council and IDP Education are the exclusive distributors of the test (set the price, sell, administer, and distribute) around the world.”

    IELTS Examiners work for these organisations (and limited affiliate organisations) to implement and assess the tests, making an average of $60/hr. Most English language institutes in the countries where the test is popular (including Australia and New Zealand) offer unaffiliated courses for potential test-takers, often taught by former examiners or high-scoring students.

    Yet, IELTS test takers who want individual one-on-one support from the comfort of their own homes are looking for online IELTS tutors. Students may want a tutor specifically from the country they plan on studying or working in, or someone to help them with a particular aspect of the Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking parts of the test. That’s where you come in.

    Vallibel, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    How can I become an IELTS tutor online?

    To become an IELTS online tutor, you will need to understand the IELTS test and how to support your students to increase their scores in very specific ways. Unlike ‘general’ English tutoring, there are a clearly defined set of skills that students need to achieve at each level. Even a student who speaks excellent conversational English may perform poorly in the IELTS Speaking portion of the test if their tutor isn’t aware of what is required.

    You’ll also need an adequate home tutoring setup – including a headset, webcam and software platform. If you want to offer private/freelance IELTS tuition, you must find your own students.

    Tips to find private online IELTS tutoring students:

    • Advertise your services in online groups for IELTS test takers. While this strategy works, it is best to approach the group by offering assistance, and not just directly selling your services. Be sure to contact the admin of the group to ask permission first.
    • Network with other teachers and let them know that you are offering IELTS tuition. They may have students they can pass long.
    • Consider online English teaching ‘post-a-profile‘ platforms, but note that they can be competitive. The best rates are earned by those who start their own freelance business.

    Find out how to earn up to $100/hr by running your own freelance tutoring business.

    What qualification do I need to teach IELTS online?

    Unlike an IELTS Examiner, online IELTS tutors do not require any formal qualifications. Yet, having an accredited TESOL/TEFL qualification plus IELTS online teacher training is highly advantageous. Spending time acquainting yourself with the IELTS test and downloading practice tests from the internet will help make you an even better tutor.

    The best TEFL or TESOL online courses in Australia? A comprehensive guide.

    Is there an IELTS teacher training course online?

    While there is no official IELTS teacher training course online offered by British Council or Cambridge University, there are some excellent alternatives to get you started as an online IELTS tutor. IDP Australia offers regular free online IELTS teacher training courses, but these are very limited and are aimed at experienced teachers who are considering IELTS Examiner roles.

    Premier TEFL offers a FULLY online IELTS teacher training course!

    Module One: Understand the International English Language Testing System
    Module Two: How to Teach IELTS Listening
    Module Three: How to Teach IELTS Reading
    Module Four: How to Teach IELTS Writing
    Module Five: How to Teach IELTS Speaking
    Module Six: How to Teach IELTS Vocabulary
    Module Seven: IELTS Teaching Challenges

    This course, which can be completed in just 1-2 weeks, shows you “how to plan and deliver effective lessons that meet student and class learning objectives, typically relating to an IELTS score of 6.5 or above…the nuances of teaching English to exam-focused non-native speakers… and to grow in confidence as a new teacher to be able to enter your first exam English class.”

    Best of all, the fully online How to Become an IELTS Coach course is less than <$100!

    Becoming an IELTS tutor online

    Becoming an IELTS tutor online may be a perfect way for you to use your existing English teaching qualifications and experience to branch out into a lucrative and highly paid-teaching niche.

    Starting your own tutoring business is a great way to charge higher rates.

    Or, by doing some inexpensive training, you can embark on a new career that might give you the flexible work-from-home or remote work opportunity you’ve been seeking. Have a look at our complete How To Teach English Online guide.

    Happy tutoring!

    How to teach English online to Chinese students

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    With ≈400 million Chinese ESL learners, there is large demand to teach English online to Chinese students. Here is what you need to consider to be successful, including the 2021 law that could land you in hot water. What was the 720/double reduction policy and can you still be successful teaching English online despite it?

    teach english online to chinese students
    In my experience, Chinese students are generally respectful and dedicated. Photo by 绵 绵

    Why teach English online to Chinese students?

    With a population of 1.4 billion (and growing), China has been home to the largest number of ESL (English as a Second Language) students for the last two decades. Chinese students made up the largest section of the International Student cohort in Australia in 2019, with over 250,000 enrolments. Demand for online English lessons grew exponentially at the start of the pandemic, as Chinese students faced school closures and travel restrictions.

    From my experience, Chinese students are highly dedicated and diligent, with a respectful attitude towards teachers. Parents are willing to spend large amounts of money to help their children succeed in a very competitive domestic education system and place great value on international education, especially that provided by “Western” and “native English speakers”. 

    Adult professionals from China often reap large professional (and therefore financial) benefits from becoming proficient in English and pay well for quality tuition. “So how do I sign up!?”, you might be asking…

    An important consideration beforehand...

    A few years ago, the Chinese online ESL market was booming. Between 2013 -2017, it grew from 7.1 to 50.7 billion dollars annually. Hundreds of Chinese ed-tech companies jumped on board, in turn hiring thousands of online English teachers to supply the growing demand. At their peak, VIPKid hire more than 70,000 teachers. 

    That was, until mid 2021. In a complex set of legislation referred to as the “double reduction/720 policy” [Chinese], the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) banned the hiring of foreign teachers located outside China to teach English online to Chinese youth under the age of 18 (among many other reforms). I won’t go into the details of this legislation here (read more here), but the main message is this: As of 2021, it is illegal for a Chinese company to hire non-Chinese teachers to teach English online to children in China.

    Almost all of the companies in the Chinese Youth ESL Market closed or moved to markets in other countries during the second half of 2021. You can still theoretically teach freelance or on a marketplace to Chinese children but it’s worth remembering that if you choose to teach English to children in China online you (and your students) are operating in a legal grey area.

    Shanghai, China. Photo by Nuno Alberto.

    How to teach English online to China

    The main alternative to teaching English to Chinese children is to teach adults instead. Research indicated that adult online ESL makes up 68% of the total market, potentially worth $1.21 billion or more. There are few companies in China that offer ‘jobs’ teaching classes to adults online to those located overseas on our complete job list. Check it out. 

    You may want to consider either applying for roles with companies in neighbouring countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong and to a lessor extent South Korea and Japan. There are, anecdotally, many Chinese students taking classes with these operators. 

    You can also consider the profile/marketplace platforms in the region. This is a website where you advertise your teaching profile and students choose to take lessons with you. If you speak Mandarin, Cantonese or have some experience with Chinese culture and language, this will assist you to attract students very quickly on these platforms. If you have an understanding of (or are willing to do some research into) the major Chinese exams (like the gaokao (高考) and/or overseas university entrance exams like SAT, TOEFL and IELTS, this can also be a major drawcard.

    You can offer freelance teaching to students located in China but it is worth considering the Great Firewall of China, which blocks access to many sites to Chinese citizens, including “Western” social media such as Facebook.

    The final option is to market your teaching services to Chinese students located in Australia. There are many International students studying in Australian universities who are looking for ESL tuition as well as students in Primary and Secondary who require additional assistance. Parents located in Australia will pay much higher rates for tuition, with a constant demand. Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese) speaking tutors in Australia are paid a premium ($100 AUD/hr or more), but tutoring roles are available for “native” English speakers as well.

    Teaching English online in China

    If you are a little more adventurous, you could always consider moving to China itself and teaching English online from inside the country. This circumvents many of the restrictions of the 720/double reduction policy. This could also be done in combination with in-person teaching (being sure to follow any work visa/immigration policies carefully, of course).

    Teach English online to Chinese students FAQ

    How much can you make teaching English to Chinese students online?

    While highly variable, the average hourly rate offered by Chinese online ESL companies is ≈$25 AUD/hr, profile/marketplace platforms (≈$40 AUD/hr) or freelance (Up to $100 AUD/hr). Tutoring Chinese students in Australia will likely net you ≈$40 – $100 AUD/hr. This depends on multiple factors, such as your TESOL qualifications, experience and sales and marketing skills. Qualified Primary and Secondary teachers usually earn higher rates.

    Accredited TEFL Courses

    Do you need to know Chinese to teach English online?

    No, you do not need to know Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) to teach English online to Chinese students, but even basic Chinese language skills will dramatically increase your ability to attract students and charge a higher rate. 

    If you want to attract Chinese students (especially beginners), having your profile professionally translated from English will help a lot, as well as including Chinese subtitles on your introduction video. Just make sure you state that you don’t actually speak Chinese or you will start receiving messages from students that you can’t understand!

    Where can I find Chinese students who want to learn English?

    The Chinese Firewall makes contacting students challenging, so consider English teaching marketplace platforms or Chinese apps like WeChat. LinkedIn is accessible on the Chinese mainland or you can build your own website. Have a look at our job list for tutoring companies that cater to Chinese students located in Australia.

    Summary

    There are millions of Chinese online ESL students, but as you’ve read, teachers encounter challenges to entering the market. If you navigate the policies limiting the teaching of children, CCP Firewall and understand the benefits of basic Chinese language skills and/or translation – you could be very successful teaching English online to Chinese students. It’s not the most straightforward path to teaching online but the rewards can be great. If you’re looking for well-paying and dedicated students, this option might be perfect.

    Pros and cons of Superprof, Preply and Outschool Australia?

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    Do you want to find students for your online English teaching lessons without the hassle of running your own business and the accompanying administration? Find students without a website or large social media audience? A platform might be for you.

    online teaching platforms

    What is an online teaching platform?

    Let’s begin with what a teaching platform is. A platform (also known as a marketplace or post-a-profile site) is a way to connect students and teachers with each other via the internet. It is often free for both parties to join and use the site, although there is sometimes a joining or subscription fee. Teachers usually pay a portion of their earnings from lessons to the platform for the connection with students, with fees varying widely.

    The online English teaching platform is a relatively recent phenomenon. When I began teaching in 2010, teaching online was still relatively uncommon. Teachers used craigslist-esque sites to advertise their services locally but the connection between the two concepts had not been made on a large scale. Fast forward to 2022, and there are seemingly new platforms appearing every day. Yet, are these platforms worth your time?

    I’ve researched over 20 online English teaching platforms for you, including three of the largest (Preply, Superprof and Outschool), to see what the major pros and cons are. Then, practical tips to how you can overcome these cons and start finding private students.

    Pros of platforms like Preply, Superprof and Outschool

    Save time finding students and the associated administration

    The companies that create these platforms build the website including the search infrastructure, advertise to attract students (Preply platform boasts over 10 million lessons booked), and process payments. This saves you a lot of effort in the running of your own business to advertise to, attract and retain students; manage a referral system; send invoices and chase up payments; keep records of attendance and assessment; etc.

    Each platform will be different, offering anything from a simple connection to a comprehensive set of administrative supports. Yet, the first pro of platforms is the removal of some or all of these additional non-teaching tasks.

    No need for a website

    A website can be a more complex (and costly) operation than many teachers consider. While it is relatively easy to set up a basic website, it is more tricky to build one that processes payments from multiple currencies and acts as a global marketing funnel. 

    Using a platform, you do not have to learn the tech skills to build, maintain and advertise a website, nor the costs of paying someone else to do so. The same goes for social media management and promotion.

    Again, while platforms may only offer some of these features, they are often designed for profitability and with an emphasis on ease of use and payment. You receive the fruits of a large sales and marketing staff whose sole job is to bring students to the platform and IT/design staff with the skills to make it user-friendly and appealing. 

    If you are considering a website, BabelTEQ is run by Paul Sallaway, an former Australian ESL teacher.

    Set your own hourly rate

    On a platform, you are able to see what other teachers are charging and to set an hourly rate accordingly, as opposed to an often arbitrary number set by those who go out independently. You receive immediate feedback on your pricing and can adjust accordingly. You can choose your own rates, with highly qualified and experienced teachers able to demand higher compensation. 

    Help establish a teaching niche

    You can see what other teachers are offering and respond in real-time to growth in student demand. On platforms that allow students to post requests (like Outschool), you can respond to students looking for your specific skills. You can see and respond to gaps in the market and test the demand for your teaching niche without much risk.

    Learn self promotion, marketing and sales

    Having a ready audience means that learning how to promote, market and sell your services on platforms is much easier than alone. You are able to observe and replicate what other successful teachers are doing and many platforms come with some training on these skills. They often provide prompts on what you should put in your profile to attract students and examples to follow. 

    A quick search on YouTube may also bring up videos of teachers who can provide tips and tricks to succeed within that platform’s landscape. Each platform has quirks and best practice, so with so many other teachers, gain as much information as possible.

    Cons of platforms like Preply, Superprof and Outschool

    Fees and charges

    The major con of teaching platforms is that you will have to pay fees. This can be the entire first class to a percentage of each class booked and paid for and occasionally a subscription model. The average is ≈20-30% of your income. 

    You must compete with many other teachers

    While there are many benefits to having other teachers to learn from and compare strategies, there is also competition. With limited methods of filtering teachers, you can end up getting lost in the shuffle of those with the most reviews or lowest prices. 

    You need to deal with other teachers undercutting your prices

    A common complaint that I hear is a perceived “race to the bottom”, where teachers (often from lower income countries) undercut each other until the hourly rate being charged is no longer tenable. Where there is little filtering available to students except by price, teachers often think that lowering their prices is the only way to attract students, leading to the “race downwards” concept. 

    You still need to do all the lesson planning and preparation

    Unlike a salaried ‘job’, you may still need to do all of the teaching administration and assessment. This can be time consuming. 

    You still need to self promote, market and sell

    Even though there are students who are on the teaching platform, you need to find a way to stand out and to attract students to study with you. These sales, marketing and sales skills are foreign to many teachers and can pose a steep learning curve. 

    Overcome cons to succeed with platforms

    General advice

    • Compare platforms and be 100% clear on the fees and charges involved. My complete job list has transparent information on the 3 platforms mentioned here and 10 other popular lesser-known platforms from around the world, saving up to 25% in fees!
    • Don’t make your profile all about you! Instead, describe exactly how you help students and what you can help them achieve. Many teachers simply list their qualifications and experience like it’s a resume. Boring!
    • Students have goals and want English to help them reach them. If you can help them study at that prestigious university, or a highly paid job, they’ll pay more. If you’re teaching kids, talk to the parents about their goals for their children’s future.
    • Have a professional (or professional looking) profile photo and make a short video, if possible. Check out my post “How to make the ultimate online English teaching video” for more details on how to make it great.
    • Think about a teaching niche that you can offer that will make you stand out among other teachers. When there are 100s of profiles with teachers who offer General English, why would a student pick you? If you’d like tailored advice about what niche to select, book in a 1:1 session. Having a niche offer also allows you to charge a higher rate.
    • Consider how you can use filters to stand out. If students can filter by price, why try and appear on the lowest price filter? Why not the highest priced? In my research, the teachers that charged the highest amount on a popular platform earned more than the lowest – and in fewer lessons!
    A major platform's teachers listed as 'Australian' with their prices in AUD. Image (c) Kate Zarb
    • Can students filter by subject, location, reviews, popularity etc? How can you use these filters to your advantage?
    • Don’t hesitate to use pre-made lesson materials that you can adjust and customise, especially for beginners. Save yourself hours of lesson planning and preparation with over 50 lesson planning resources with 10k+ lesson plans. See the list here.
    • Search for and join online groups with teachers from your chosen platform. While these groups can be terribly negative at times, they are also a good place to share tips and workshop issues.
    • Spend a few hours reading all that you can on how to market and promote your services. In addition to the info in this post, there are lots of blogs with tips and tricks for specific platforms that can be really helpful, as well as the following links:

    Conclusion

    For those who want the freedom of teaching private students in a freelance capacity without the hassle of starting their own business, a teaching platform might be right for you. There are significant cons worth considering, but many of these can be minimised by taking a few hours to plan and research the best platform for you and strategies for using it to your advantage. 

    Considering your own freelance teaching business? Express interest in a coaching session. 

    How to make an online English teaching introduction video

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    A good online English teaching introduction video can be 50% of what gets you hired. Why? With a good script, a few pieces of budget technology and planning; you’ll be best showcasing your skills and personality in a professional and captivating way.

    WHAT TO SAY

    Write a script (with bullet points).

    As a general rule, it’s best to include (some or any of) this information:

    • Name and country of origin or location;
    • Education (brief and relevant is best);
    • Relevant experience;
    • Languages spoken;
    • Teaching strength/s or specialties and how you can help students with these (concrete examples are best);
    • Showcase teaching props or materials;
    • Examples of how you’ve helped past students;
    • Showcase your teaching style – fun, energetic etc.
    Short and succinct is best. 

    Practice a few times in front of a friend (or the mirror). Remember, it will be watched by non-native speakers so keep the language simple, clear and speak slowly. Try and talk 50% about you and 50% about how you can help your students. Especially for private students, remember the WIIFM principle – students are asking “What’s in it for me?”. 

    Extra tips

    Treat the camera lens like the eyes of the student. Look at them. It makes a world of difference. If unsure, try and keep your video short and concise. Research the company and include what’s relevant to the learners that target. If for private students, focus on a particular area of teaching or student and try not to be too broad. End your video with a call to action (CTA) asking them to book a class with you or to send you a message.

    TECHNOLOGY

    Whatever your budget, buy a few items of technology to improve the way that you are seen. Camera, microphone, headset, adapters etc. can make an enormous difference to how the recruiter and student will hear you. Here’s my guide (on a budget)!

    Lighting.

    A well lit teaching space makes you instantly look more professional. ‘The more lights, the better’ is a good general rule but mindful that lights pointed directly at your face can wash you out. Lighting at 10 and 2pm (clockwise) is recommended by experts (read more here) so two covered lamps on the table or desk in front of you can work as well as a ring light, which is what I use and recommend.

    Avoid overhead or ceiling lights. Natural/window light is best when behind your camera and shining on your face.

    Editing.

    If you are not technologically/design/video ‘minded’, ask a friend. Free programs like iMovie (iOs) or any free (safe) Windows Movie Maker-esque programs will do. No need for complicated editing. You can hire a freelancer on Freelancer or Airtasker to help for a fee.

    Add subtitles, if you can.

    Free programs exist to add subtitles to your video. This is worth the extra step. Remember, your audience is not fluent in English and this particularly appeals to parents, young learners and beginners. Search for “add subtitles + program” or hire a freelancer to add.

    Extra tips

    Shoot your video horizontally (phone turned sideways). Record in the quietest place you can – preferably inside. If it’s really noisy you can record your video on Zoom with background noise suppression turned on. Use a headset or microphone if you can for the best sound. If not specified, the most common video formats are .mp4, .mov or mpeg-4.

    Summary

    Your teaching introduction video is your opportunity to showcase your teaching talent. Don’t worry about how you will be perceived. You cannot know that, no matter what that anxious voice says is true. Relax, take a deep breath and speak naturally, following a brief outline. Edit until you have a concise video that displays your strengths. Take note of any specifications from your hiring company.

    If you follow the steps from our article today, you will be able to make the ultimate online English teaching introduction video. Creativity and personality make up for technical know-how much of the time, so relax and show them why you’re great.

    International payments for online English teachers in Australasia

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    If you are getting paid by foreign online English teaching companies or students overseas, the process can leave you receiving much less than you anticipated. We’ll compare traditional banks and online money transfer services to save some serious $$$!

    Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels.

    Disclaimer: We are teachers, not financial experts, so please take all of our information as suggestions not financial advice! If you are unsure, please speak with a professional. We receive a small commission for sending you (at no cost to you) but we offer all of your available options in an unbiased fashion. We are based in Australia so our information is “Aussie-centric” but if you have any New Zealand related info, please comment below or email us and we’ll update our post.

    Receiving money from overseas

    If you receive your salary from a foreign/overseas company or students to your Australian/New Zealand bank account, it is known my many terms, including:

    • BANK-TO-BANK transfer; SWIFT transfer; Wire transfer; Telegraphic transfer; IBAN money transfer; Inward transfer;
    • Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT);
    • International money transfer;

    These are all electronic transactions but differ slightly in how the money goes from A to B.

    BANK-TO-BANK TRANSFER

    Also known as an “Inward transfer, SWIFT transfer, Wire transfer, Telegraphic transfer, or IBAN money transfer”, this is the most common way to receive money from overseas. Most of the major online English teaching companies use this method. The sender has to ‘initiate’ the transfer of funds from their bank account to yours. This then occurs via a third party system such as the SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) International payment network, for a fee (of course).

    You’ll need to provide information including your name, bank account and BSB number, residential address, your bank’s name and a SWIFT or a Bank Identifier Code (BIC) to receive money. If you don’t know these, a quick search for “Bank X SWIFT and/or BIC” will usually bring them up but you can request these from your bank if in doubt.

    As well as the most common method, it is also usually the most expensive. Banks generally charge a ‘receiver’ fee to accept the money into your account.

    How much are "bank-to-bank" transfer receiving fees?

    Receiving fees (per transaction) for the major Australian/NZ banks (2021):

    Why not just use those banks that charge $0?

    If only it was that simple!

    As you can see from the table above, two of the “fee-free” banks (Beyond and Heritage Banks) use Western Union Business Services. If you are working for an overseas company, they must be happy to use this for payment and most don’t (or won’t). You can always ask or check your contract to see your options. Suncorp only offers transfers in limited currencies, so check if your company’s bank is available and if so, you might save yourself money here. Citibank charge 2.50% on the Australian dollar conversion of the relevant transaction which might be cheaper but it will depend on the total amount of the payment as to whether this is true. As per usual, what you save in one area, you might pay for another, so read the T&C’s carefully.

    Other fees

    As well as receiving fees, some banks also ‘skim’ a little more of your money off in the form of a foreign exchange fee. Read the T&C’s of your bank (in the above links) to see if there are any other hidden fees that you are being charged as well.

    Transfers may also pass through another intermediary ‘middle-man’ bank between the sender and you and they may also take a fee as well. It’s really hard to find out IF this is going to happen and all the literature on the bank’s websites isn’t totally clear on this either. If you see another charge on your account from a bank that it not yours, it is likely to have come from this third party.

    Photo by Pixabay from Pexels.

    Exchange rates

    It’s also important to consider the exchange rate that your bank uses to convert your money from another currency to AUD/NZD. The exchange rate that appears when you search for “CNY to AUD” in a search engine, for example, is called the mid-market rate. This is the average of all the rates. This is not the one the bank uses though. They use their own rate. Consider this when calculating your salary. Unfortunately, banks are far from transparent about this and we could not compile a list of exchange rates (as they change daily) but if you receive a little less than you were expecting, this is likely the cause.

    Real-life example

    I was paid 135CNY for a class. This converted to $27.48 (AUD) by the mid-market rate but my bank (NAB) paid me $26.94 (AUD) using their “own” rate. They then charged me $4.94 (AUD) in foreign currency transfer fees, leaving me with $22.00 (AUD). I paid $5.48 (AUD) in fees – or 22%!!!

    As you can see, bank-to-bank transfers are NOT the best deal around.

    Finally, think about sending fees as well.

    Some companies will also charge you a monthly fee to cover their costs to send your money, so check your contract.

    If you are getting payments directly from students and they insist on bank-to-bank transfer, it is worth looking into the sending fees for your bank as well as the receiving ones, as this adds to what the students pays for your services.

    ELECTRONIC FUNDS (EFT) TRANSFER

    If you and the sender of your money use the same bank, the transfer with be considered an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), just like a domestic transaction within the country. It’s worth asking the company that you work for what bank they use and opening an account with the same bank to save yourself money. This is going to be the exception (likely with international banks like HSBC or Citibank) rather than the rule but it never hurts to ask. If you are teaching privately, ask your students the same question.

    INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFER

    There has been a big surge in the use of online money transfer services such as PayPal, Payoneer and Transferwise and they are a great way to avoid some of the fees that we encountered from the traditional banks above. If you are working for a company, you’ll need to ask if they send payments via these methods but at this stage, only about 10-15% of companies do.

    Wise

    Many teachers rave about Wise and for good reason – they will convert your money at the mid-market rate instead of the marked up rate that the bank offers and their fees are very reasonable (A flat fee of 0.58 AUD (approx) + 0.42% of the total amount per transaction). Unfortunately though, at this stage, there are some limitations.

    How does it work?

    Firstly, you’ll need to open an account. You’ll get an Australian or New Zealand Account (with a BSB for Australians) that functions just like a bank account. You can open a multi-currency account to receive payments from (as the name states) multiple currencies, currently – EUR, GBP, AUD, NZD, RON, HUF & SGD. If you are receiving payments in any of these currencies, you get them straight into your Wise account and then transfer them into your ‘traditional’ bank account if you want. This way you can avoid the receiving fees that we covered above. A physical Mastercard can be purchased for an additional $10 (AUD) and you can withdraw $250 AUD for free each month.

    This is from Wise customer support:

    “We’re unable to support CNY payments into the multi-currency account due to regulations. Additionally, we’re unable to accept SWIFT payments into the AUD balance for this reason; however… we can support receiving USD via SWIFT.

    We don’t charge a fee for you to receive USD into your account via SWIFT but there’s a possibility you may receive less due to SWIFT fees charged by intermediary banks.  You can read more about SWIFT payments here.

    To send the money from your USD balance to your Australian bank account, we charge a fixed fee of 0.44 USD (approx. 0.58 AUD) plus 0.42% of the amount converted.

    You can use our pricing calculator here to confirm fees for the multi-currency account.”

    So, if you work for a major Chinese company or your students are located in other countries/currencies, you can ask them to pay you in one of the eligible currencies. If not, Wise might not work for you at this time.

    Up bank and TransferWise

    If you also send money overseas on a regular basis, you may also want to consider opening an Up bank account. Up is a “neo-bank” (or a digital bank) backed by Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. While you can’t use Wise to receive money (yet), it is integrated into your account for sending payments. Save yourself the sending fee from the major banks. They offer the (joint) lowest receiving fee at $10 (AUD) and you even get $5 (AUD) just for signing up. Read more here.

    Payoneer

    Payoneer works similarly to Wise, accepting EUR, GBP, JPY, AUD, CAD, MXN for free. You pay between 0-1% to accept USD but the exact fee is different in each country. They also convert at the mid-market rate. Their fees to withdraw money are a little confusing (see below) but it appears that on top of that mid market rate, you’ll pay up to an additional 2%. Again, like TransferWise, they offer a physical MasterCard but you’ll be converting currency with MasterCards rates plus a conversion fee of up to 3.5%. We recommend emailing their customer service and asking about your specific situation.

    Many of the major English teaching companies are now offering this as alternative to a bank-to-bank transfer so it’s worth investigating. It’s a great option if you also work for freelance platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr, which pay via Payoneer. They are also offering $25 to sign-up, so go check them out.

    Paypal

    The most well-known online international money transfer service, this is the service most commonly used by online English teaching companies other than bank-to-bank. We counted 24 currently supported currencies. You’ll save yourself the receiving fee but you’ll also pay PayPal’s own fees. In our research, we found PayPal’s fees the most confusing of all (see below).

    If your company offers you the choice between receiving payment via PayPal or bank account, we recommend “guesstimating” a likely monthly salary, calculating the bank fees then emailing PayPal’s customer service with your particular scenario (currency, amount etc.) and asking them to calculate the fees you’ll likely pay. It might be cheaper, it might not.

    I have paid approximately ~5.5% fees on payments via PayPal and WooCommerce on WordPress, after all fees are considered (but this is just a guide and you might pay more or less).

    Stripe

    Another option if you have your own website is Stripe. You’ll need to set up your classes as a product using a WordPress Plug-in such as WooCommerce. You can then accept payment using a variety of methods (Credit Card, Apple Pay etc.) via Stripe. If you want to accept payment from Chinese students, you can use AliPay.

    I’ve found that Stripe fees are about half (~2.7%) of PayPal.

    CONCLUSION

    Traditional ‘bank-to-bank’ transfers are still the most common way to receive payment. While the receiver fee from your bank is generally the highest of all your options, it is also the most simple to calculate and you don’t have to convert the currency yourself. For this convenience, you will be also be losing a portion of your money during the currency conversion and possibly via any ‘middle-men’ banks that your funds pass through.

    Depending on your currency and the willingness of your payer to use a service like Western Union, some banks will not charge the receiver fee but check T&C’s carefully as there are often hidden charges. If you can use the same bank as your payer, there are real savings here. For freelance teachers, also consider Sender fees encountered by your students.

    International Funds Transfer companies like TransferWise, Payoneer and PayPal are all excellent alternatives if your company offers them and will GENERALLY be much less than via a traditional bank. BUT… Again, please take a look at the T&C’s and email them if you are unsure or contact a financial professional. Intermediary banks may still charge a fee during the transfer.

    If you have your own website, Stripe is an affordable option.

    Ask your teaching company or students for their preferences and check your contract. Email the customer service of your chosen International Transfer Fund company and ask to get an idea of the particular fees and charges for your situation. When you start teaching English Online, spend an hour or so looking at your options and you can save yourself a nice chunk of change every pay day.

    Any other payment options we have missed or any tips and trick on how to save on fees? Comment below.

    Good luck and happy teaching!