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VIPKid Leads as Top Paying Side Job for Teachers

By VIPKid  |  November 12, 2019

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Thanks to a host of unusual qualities, like angelic-levels of patience and the ability to command the attention of thirty plus kindergarteners, teachers are suited to side hustles almost by design. But with more and more options coming out of the woodwork, it can be tricky pinning down the side job that makes the most sense. We’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. Spoiler alert: it’s teaching online!

Start by scratching the usual culprits off the list. Here’s why.

Let’s begin by saying side jobs like filling out online surveys, tutoring the neighborhood kids, and getting on Grandma’s payroll with weekly lessons on tech (where are the buttons on my phone?) are all legitimate options. Mentoring graduating students, assisting high schoolers with applying to college, or offering after-school homework sessions are all great, too. But are any of these really worth it when you compare them to the earning potential of online ESL teaching? Earning money in your downtime – like those awkward first few hours of the day typically dealt with by eating seven bowls of cereal – is why ESL teaching becomes so lucrative. And having near-unlimited knowledge-hungry students all on similar schedules and with similar needs is what makes it a no-brainer. We’re gonna come right out and say it in paragraph one: online ESL teaching is where it’s at.


Next, let’s talk about working smarter, not harder

Sounds obvious, right? You’d think so, but not maximizing your productivity is an easy trap to fall into. Let’s say you’re filling out surveys online. After the first one, you get distracted and end up down a YouTube rabbit hole. But at least you did some “work” in the hour, right? Well, if you’re making $4 per survey, that hour may not be as successful as you’d like to believe. If you’re losing track of the hours you’re putting into your side job, if it’s taking months to build and deducts time and emotional resources, then maybe it’s not working for you – you’re working very hard for it. Your side job is most effective when it a). translates into a decent hourly rate and b). lets you earn money when you wouldn’t usually be doing so.

Queue online ESL teaching. If you’re taking three classes before your regular job begins and another three when you get back home, you’re essentially adding three extra hours worth of revenue per day – from dead time! And when you can take as many classes as you want, suddenly you’re able to manage your workload to cover more costs when you need to or relax more when you deserve it.

Finally, VIPKid’s got your back!

We’ll pop in a little self-promotion disclaimer here. But seriously, if over 70,000 other people are teaching with VIPKid, there’s got to be something to it. Right? Controlling your schedule and adjusting your working hours week-to-week means earning-as-you-work. It’s the ultimate in actively managing your own earning potential. And earn $15-$22 an hour, it’s nothing to be laughed off either. With the difference in time zones between North America and China, you can earn money before your working hours have even begun!

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