I am the self-proclaimed side hustle queen amongst my friends and family. I am limited by some health issues and income restrictions so I have to watch for certain criteria. But I hear that frequently in this forum so I thought that I would share my latest money-making find. They pay you thru Paypal and your 1099 is from Paypal, not the company.
I have started being an ESL tutor online. I particularly like Cambly for the majority of people because you do not have to have any college degree or teaching certifications to participate. You just need to be able to clearly conversate in native English with people from other countries that are at different stages of learning to speak English. If you want something more structured or activity-based teaching ESL, they also offer Cambly Kids that you may sign up for separately.
Now you are not going to make a ton of money doing this job but you can work almost as many hours as you want to and they need people 24 hours per day, every day. You are paid about 19-21 cents per minute. Which is $10-$12 per hour if you talk every minute, which is about impossible to do. So, of course, the biggest complaint is it doesn’t pay enough.
But making $75 - $100 per week is not a lot of work and is pretty simple to do on a regular basis. They pay via Paypal every Monday and the cashout level is $20. I have been paid every week including the first one by always getting in $20 worth of talk time. That is not difficult with this program. They provide you an online library and organized lessons if the student chooses. Majority of your time is listening to students talk.
They have some other programs tucked in there that do guarantee you a minimum $ per call during “Priority Hours”. PH pays so even if you get NO calls you still make a few bucks. If you have a no-show on a reservation you only need to wait 10 minutes and get paid a stipend. They are quick to respond to tech issues that are controllable on their end. There are two Facebook pages for tutors’ questions or tech issues. A lot of FAQ’s to clearly answer your questions!
You just need a quiet spot during calls with a neutral background. You cannot teach from your Smartphone.
I’ve heard of waits to be approved of 48 hours to 6 months. You need to fill out a form and tape a short video to show that you speak and understand English. I heard back in 4 hours and Within 48 hours I was already working!
This sounds VERY interesting to me, and I know my 1/2 brother would like it as well. My wife had heard of something like this but thought that it was “off” a bit…at least the way it was explained. I will definitely check these things out. I too am amazed at the way that people can make money these days. Thanks for the tips.
Rat race rebellion also has some legit work from home ideas, including the teaching English. My only problem is: I don’t have a quiet area and most say that the parents want someone who doesn’t have an accent… well, that takes me out of the race. Good luck!
This sounds VERY interesting to me, and I know my 1/2 brother would like it as well. My wife had heard of something like this but thought that it was “off” a bit…at least the way it was explained. I will definitely check these things out. I too am amazed at the way that people can make money these days. Thanks for the tips.
Teaching ESL is definitely a legitimate industry, and many companies like Cambly are recruiting teachers to hold classes online. The “off” part your wife may have felt was that many teaching websites (because demand for ESL teachers is so high) have a commission/recruitment system for teachers.
Some teachers get a small boost in pay by recruiting new teachers to the platform, which can lead to sometimes exaggerated claims. Just make sure to do your due diligence before signing up.
For TPH’s guide to teaching English online, I looked at 7 top online ESL companies (Cambly included!). You can compare pay, requirements and company ratings in one place.
@adam My wife said she heard that there were some inflated #'s, but they might or might not be a deterrent to her trying to do the job. It wouldn’t necessarily be new, but thanks for bringing that back to our attention.
Teaching ESL is definitely a legitimate industry, and many companies like Cambly are recruiting teachers to hold classes online. The “off” part your wife may have felt was that many teaching websites (because demand for ESL teachers is so high) have a commission/recruitment system for teachers.
I assure you that I am not receiving any credit or commission and I am not intending to recruit anyone. I am just sharing one way that readers can make money from home. Cambly does not ask tutors to recruit. They may have a referral bonus program but I am not aware of it and have not included any link or info to get myself any money.
I have been a member of the PH community less than 30 minutes and I am already SO grateful for every single one of you! @leslie.kay, this is a PERFECT fit for me! You get my vote for MVP! (Don’t be offended if I give the same vote of confidence to other members, A rising tide raises all ships!)
Hi! This is good news. I thought you have to complete a certificate program to teach ESL. Thanks for posting your side gig. I also like earning while providing something useful. Bless you.
Rat race rebellion also has some legit work from home ideas, including the teaching English. My only problem is: I don’t have a quiet area and most say that the parents want someone who doesn’t have an accent… well, that takes me out of the race. Good luck!
