How to become English Tutor Online

The first way is by working for a company that teaches English online. These are organisations that hire teachers as employees to work for them. While the hiring process depends on the company, it usually includes signing an independent contractor agreement to teach English online. You will likely have a TEFL interview and teach a demo lesson before they hire you.

Because of these beginner-friendly benefits, working for companies is ideal for new teachers looking to plan lessons and create materials.

Moreover, since companies are established businesses, you can start earning a lot sooner with a company than if you do freelancing. You can begin teaching almost immediately after you pass a company's application process, just to give some perspective. They’ll seal the deal, set up your schedule, assign you students, and all you have to do is show up in the virtual classroom. This process is fast, especially if you compare it to freelancing, where you’d have to do a lot of marketing for months before you start getting student inquiries.

The second way to find English teaching opportunities is by using online marketplaces or teaching platforms. This route is like a middle-way, hybrid option of working for a company and going freelance completely. You’ll have a sense of stability while enjoying more flexibility as a teacher.

The function of an online marketplace is to connect the consumer with a supplier. In that sense, online marketplaces for teaching English online operate as a platform where teachers can connect with their students. Said platforms take a commission in exchange for their service, where you can create a profile, set your own prices and hours, and attract the type of students you want to teach.

These marketplaces allow students to choose their teacher by browsing profiles. Because you’ll be on a list next to other teachers, you’d still need to do some kind of marketing to promote yourself and stand out from the competition. One way to stick out is to create an introduction video to show potential students how you’re like, and make sure that the prices you set are competitive yet reasonable.

Lastly, the third way is to start your own online teaching business from scratch. While working for a company or marketplace are the two common ways to enter the ESL world, you can certainly set up your own business if you’ve gained enough experience to know what makes an ESL service perfect.

However, no matter how glamourous “building your own business” sounds, working as a freelancer entails a lot more sweat and elbow grease on your end. You have to do everything from advertising to recruiting students and collecting payments—many of which may be new to you.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of perks in setting up a successful English learning business. For one thing, there’s virtually no ceiling to how much you can earn. It’s up to you to grow as big as you want the business to grow. You also have the opportunity to chase the whole reason why you became a teacher in the first place—focusing on the students or teaching style you’re most passionate about.