What I've Learned After Three Months Tutoring on Cambly

In the past three months, I have spent 7,421 minutes talking to 538 different students on Cambly, an online English learning platform.  Working on Cambly has proved to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, though I suggest thinking of it as a part-time job or freelance opportunity and not as a full time job.

Keep reading for the pros and cons of the job and tips for the interview.

Pros

1) Extremely Flexible: Tutors have the opportunity to sign up for priority hours, when a higher volume of calls are sent to you.  You can also set reservation availability for new and regular students to schedule slots.  You can also make your profile visible at any time and students can call in, but there is no certainty that a student will call.  Cancellation is extremely flexible and the only penalties are a restricted access to priority hours for numerous cancellations.

2) Meet the World: I have two regulars who are young women from China living in Indonesia.  Another regular is going through his pilot training in his home country of Indonesia, but lived near my hometown when he was a teenager.  I also have a woman from Saudi Arabia who says her husband is strict and traditional and she isn't allowed to turn on her camera or leave the house.  She says Cambly is her only window to the outside world and that she prays for me daily that I will become a novelist.  I've met teenagers from Brazil who love to discuss music and share recommendations with me, college students from Turkey, adults from Spain and Italy, businessmen from Japan who love to talk about figure skating, and entire families from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.  This platform has provided an amazing opportunity to learn about different cultures and countries.  I have even learned a few words in Arabic!

3) Weekly Pay: As long as you make at least $20, Cambly will send over your payment for the last week every Monday via PayPal.  Then, you can transfer it to your bank account by Tuesday.  My other jobs only pay monthly, so I love having my bank account topped up at the start of every week.


Cons

1) Inconsistent Pay: You are only paid for your time when on a video call with a student.  The exception is for every priority hour, you are guaranteed at least 15 minutes of pay per hour.  Most priority hours are extremely busy, however there have been a few times when I have gone on priority hour earlier in the day and it was slower. 

2) Unclear Priority Hour and Rating Systems: I'm a member of Cambly Tutor groups on social media and no one, even the most experienced tutors, seems to know who exactly gets the most access to priority hours and how tutors' ratings work.  There is an option for students to rate tutors, but hours completed also seem to factor in to the equation.  It's a mystery! 


Tips

In your demo video, be sure to list all teaching experience you have, even if it isn't English teaching.  I mentioned that I have over ten years of teaching figure skating.  Be sure to have good lighting and a tidy background when recording your video. Don't forget to smile!

Have a good headshot on your profile as well.  I've had more than one frustrated student hang up on me after saying, "You look nothing like your profile photo!"  I think having a good headshot attracts attention though.  It helps if you are smiling and look inviting and friendly.

Cambly can take a while to approve your profile.  This doesn't mean that it won't ever be approved!  I was approved within 24 hours of applying, but two of my referrals waited months to hear back.


Lastly, if you are ready to apply please use my referral link: www.cambly.com/en/tutors?referralCode=cici31.  If it asks for a referral code, you can also type in "cici31."  Please reach out if you have any questions about the job or want any advice about the application process.