Like any teaching job, there are times where you apply and there are times that you really want to avoid. It is great with the world of online teaching because you can get hired year round! However, if you are looking to be hired by some of the big names in online English teaching based in China like VIPKID, 51Talk, Hujiang (HiTalk), then you need to be conscious of some down periods with bookings. Definitely you can get hired year round with these companies, but your bookings will be low and you need be prepared. I obviously work for VIPKID and have truly been enjoying my experience.
However, after I had my interview, before my mock class, I joined, I joined a newbie group. It is a great group asking for advice, gives laughs, ask questions about VIPKID, etc. I started at the end fo August, and the number one complaint was NO bookings. People were going months with few to now bookings. Uh oh, what had I done? Then after doing more research and seeing how things were panning out, it makes sense. Being here 9 months now, I have seen the ebbs and flow of hiring patterns and can tell you the three worst times to get hired:
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
This one should be a no-brainer, but if I had a dollar for every time teachers were freaking out about bookings during Chinese New year (CNY), I wouldn’t have to work for VIPKID anymore! The Chinese do not get a lot of vacation days – looking at around 10 days a year and the rest will be public holidays. It is no surprise when schools and businesses are closed that the last things parents want to do is book classes! While CNY is only around two weeks long, students are actually off of school almost a month, combining them with winter holidays/spring festival. CNY is the time to go home and visit family, many leave the big cities to go back to rural China where internet and resources are limited.
Chinese children work SO hard, you cannot fault them for taking a break from additional lessons. Yes, it stinks when you are getting a lower paycheck, but that is the life of an independent contractor. When it comes to hiring, this is the worst time to be hired, because no one is really looking for new teachers and bookings are low. You potentially can go for a month without any bookings, because even trials aren’t really taking place, as the sales team is on holiday too. This is why I believe Chinese New Year is the worst time to apply to VIPKID. Don’t get discouraged! I would apply two weeks after Chinese New Year, when students are getting back into school and extracurricular activities.
June & July
Guess who’s back….back again? TEACHERS are back, tell a friend. Yep, long hail summertime! This means that all the brick & mortar teachers who work minimal hours for VIPKID are back in full force and can open up zillions of hours. These are people who have been working for VIPKID for awhile, have faithful regulars, and now can open up more time slots thanks to school being out for the summer. As I started at the end of August, I missed the major issues that almost every single June/July teacher had. All of them were 30-60 days in with ZERO bookings. That is because there were many more teachers to choose from. Also, as I mentioned above, Chinese children work really hard. They only get 7-8 weeks of vacation compared to the US where we can get closer to 10-12 depending on the district. Their summer also does not start until July, typically. This means that when they get that time off they may be, you know, vacationing and enjoying childhood. However, most parents do have them signed up for various activities, such as additional English classes.
Working with VIPKID and getting booked is honestly just a whole lot of luck. it takes patience, but summer time is definitely really rough. You should try to get hired before summer and at the tale end of summer. Everyone I spoke to who got hired at the end of August were extremely successful. I thank my lucky stars every day that I was one of those who got students sooner rather than later. This is why I think June/July is the second worst time to apply to VIPKID.
December (Christmas)
While China is not a Christian country and therefore don’t really celebrate Christmas, sometimes there might be a few days off around this time OR they are gearing up for exams in China. Know who is on break? Teachers. Yep, much like the summer time, US and Canada teachers are on winter break and therefore can open more slots making things competitive. Bookings in general go down in the month of December (see first line) therefore you again are looking at going a month or so without consistent bookings. December is tricky because depending on the year, it can lead into CNY if it is in January, so be prepared to brave the storm of low bookings if you apply in December.
However, if you are willing to work Christmas Eve and Day and New Years Eve and Day, this is a great way to get some additional classes, as a lot of teachers for VIPKID have families and refuse to open slots on these days. I sure didn’t teach on Christmas or New Years Day but that is because I value sleep and time with friends and family (although I don’t have kids!) instead. Despite some teachers not working, December is still one of the worst times to apply to VIPKID.
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Working for VIPKID has its up ands downs. You are an independent contractor and therefore are not guaranteed certain hours. it can be a tough pill to swallow, but how many other jobs can you teach from your home in PJs?! You definitely have to be patient and the bookings will come in. Do not be discouraged! It takes time. There are students out there for you who are looking to find you, it just takes time to sift through the other teachers. Those teachers who were upset back in June/July? Now fully booked. They stuck it out and it all worked out in the end.
So there you have it, the three times of year that I think are the worst times to apply to VIPKID. But despite all this, I still think it is totally worth it!
If interested in becoming a VIPKID teacher and looking for someone to help guide you through the process, feel free to sue this referral code and I will help you with each step!
