Raising kids and trying to find a career that works for your family can be tough. But what if you could find an online opportunity that offers a flexible schedule, no commute, and more time with your family?
In this third article of our Work from Home Job Ideas for Moms series, we talk to four moms who used their skills to find flexible online teaching, tutoring or training jobs: Kaylani “Lani” Cambell, Amylee Udell, Huda Saleh, and Maria Halcumb.
Kaylani “Lani” Cambell is an online tutor and blogger. She provides personalized tutoring for students in grades K-8 for reading and math. Lani also works with children and adults who are learning English as a second language. Not only does she have a bachelor’s degree in communications, but she also obtained a master’s degree in educational leadership. Lani is TESOL-certified (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and has spent five years teaching in the traditional classroom setting, two years teaching online, and currently homeschools her youngest child. Her true passion is helping her students, and she believes everyone deserves quality educational opportunities, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, color or location.
What do you do as an online educator, and how did you start working in the field?
I provide online personal tutoring for kids and also work with adults learning English as a second language. I transitioned to working in education after having my daughter. I taught in the traditional setting for five years and found my way to the online world through VIPKid and a few other online teaching platforms. Teaching allows me to still give back to the community and connect with children and families. Online teaching allows me to do this regardless of time zones and miles between us.
How many hours, on average, do you work per week?
My hours vary depending on the needs of my students. In a typical week, I work about 25-30 hours.
How many kids do you have, and how do you manage your time between kids and working from home?
I am a blended family mama. We have three children (two girls and one boy) ages 7, 9 and 11. I work a lot of early mornings and one evening a week (after bedtime). Our youngest daughter is homeschooled, so I have to leave hours during the day to dedicate to her education.
How do you find clients, or do they find you?
I genuinely engage with parents in person and online by answering questions about education, and I offer my services when appropriate. Clients find me via my website or my Outschool profile. Some clients also find me via my mom/lifestyle blog, as those worlds often collide.
Are there any helpful resources for getting started teaching online?
I’d suggest teaching with a company before you decide to invest time and money to build your own online clientele. Also, don’t think that any skills are too small to offer—someone might be waiting and searching for someone like you. It will not happen overnight, but with consistency, you can build a loyal client base and be successful in your industry.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give moms who want to do what you’re doing? Just do it! It can be as full-time or part-time as you’d like. But remember to not only focus on how much you can make; work-life balance is the key!
Amylee Udell is the owner of Productive Mama and a teacher with VIPKid. She’s had a side gig since 1998. Her degree in English for Corporate Communication and Management has allowed her to use old-fashioned writing skills in the newfangled internet age. As a person of Chinese descent and a military brat, she loves that teaching with VIPKid allows her to interact with children from across the world. She’s not sure who has more fun—the kids or her! Amylee can help you get started with VIPKid or find another great work-at-home fit. Visit http://WorkatHomewith.ProductiveMama.com.
What does a VIPKid teacher do?
I teach young children (located in China) English via an online video platform. I’d seen ads for VIPKid for a while and finally said, “What the heck? I’ll try.” I’m about to complete my second year with VIPKid. There’s an application process, which changes periodically, but it involves a resume and possibly several rounds of video submissions or mock classes.
How many kids do you have, and on average, how many hours do you work per week? I have three girls, ages 12 to 17 years old. They’re usually sleeping when I teach or getting ready for school. I only work for VIPKid for 8 to 10 hours per week. If I lived in another time zone, it might be more, but China is 12 to 15 hours ahead of the USA, and I am realistic about my sleep needs! My weeks vary greatly because of my husband’s job; I work when he works and his schedule changes periodically.
How do you manage your time working from home?
One challenge of being a work-at-home mom is turning “off” the work part to be with your kids. With VIPKid, you MUST be fully present and engaged when teaching. But when you’re done, you are done and can focus on your family. My advice would be to streamline whatever you can; for instance, planning meals ahead of time can free up a huge chunk of time and energy for work. I focus a lot on this on my blog.
How do you find clients, or do they find you?
VIPKid sometimes places students with you but it’s typically the parents who choose the teachers. You have a photo, video and bio page to help them learn about you. As you gain experience, your parent reviews will also help you gain more students.
What experience helped you break into this field?
I have a degree in English and some experience with and exposure to the Chinese language and culture. This is NOT required at all. But understanding why it’s hard to learn Chinese has helped me understand why it’s hard for Chinese people to learn and use English. This is something I share with anyone I mentor into VIPKid.
Are there any helpful resources for getting started teaching online?
There are many YouTube videos to help with your preparation as a VIPKid teacher. I have some myself, but there are other teachers with TONS of them. Also, VIPKid has many, many workshops and resources. As a new teacher, you might not get booked immediately. I suggest new teachers do what I did—use the time you would be teaching, and instead, train by taking workshops, reading or watching videos.
Huda Saleh is a supervisor, author, freelance writer, and beauty and lifestyle blogger. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication and a post-baccalaureate certificate in paralegal studies from the University of Toledo. As a supervisor, Huda loves training new hires to become top performers on her team.
Tell me more about what a supervisor for a market research company does.
As a supervisor of Maritz Customer Experience, I am responsible for training interviewers. We represent our client in doing customer satisfaction surveys, and my job is to ensure that the interviewers follow all procedures during their calls, which entails listening in and providing feedback on a daily basis. If they need more coaching or support, I do that on the phone one on one.
I started out working as an interviewer myself before being promoted to supervisor within eight months. In 2010, I actually worked for the company in-house for a while. Then, when I found myself looking for opportunities from home as a stay at home mom, I remembered they offered remote positions. I enjoy my job very much but am currently in the process of enrolling in university for my master’s in clinical mental health counseling.
How many kids do you have, and how do you manage your time working from home?
I have two kids—a 2-year-old boy and a 4-month-old girl. It’s all about prioritizing and being organized. I would never be able to function if I didn’t use my to-do list on my calendar. Without that, it’s very easy to get lost, flustered or struggle to find time to balance being a mom and your own boss.
How many hours, on average, do you work per week?
I work 28 hours a week as a supervisor, and the great thing about this job is that the schedules are flexible from week to week. You set up your own days and hours, and that can change as often as you want it to. (I spend an additional 10-15 hours a week on other avenues, such as writing, blogging and freelancing.)
What experience helped you break into this field?
This job is considered entry-level, so there’s not a whole lot of experience necessary per se, but there are specific qualities we look for, such as being able to interact with different types of people on a daily basis, as well as having a high tolerance for repetitiveness. It’s not a job for everyone, that’s for sure.
Can you tell me a little bit about your work as a writer? For example, how do you find clients, or do they find you?
As a freelance writer, it’s actually both. I apply for jobs on the Upwork platform, but I also get a lot of requests and offers from people interested in hiring me as their writer/editor for their website, paper, book, blog or social media content.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give moms who want to do what you’re doing? To any mom who finds herself stuck at home feeling like she’s lost a little bit of herself and her independence and wants to be able to regain some of that in some way, don’t be afraid to venture out, explore and get creative with your interests. Besides being a supervisor, I’m also an author, freelancer and blogger. I do all of this from the comfort of my home. I was initially afraid to take these risks, but I did them in the hopes that they’d pay off. And I know they will because I work hard and love what I do. As moms, it’s so easy to feel guilty about doing something we want to do or put things off to the side, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are so many opportunities out there—you just have to be willing to go out and find them.
Where can people stay in touch with you?
https://blushesandbutterflies.com
Maria Halcumb is an online teacher and reading tutor. She has 10 years of experience in education, seven years as a classroom teacher and three as an online and private reading tutor. Maria is passionate about literacy—a child who can read effectively has the ability to teach herself the necessary skills that contribute to success in academics and in the workforce. With a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, English and PE, and a master’s degree specializing in curriculum and reading instruction, she also writes Literally Simple, a blog that focuses on simplifying your life and wellness.
How did you start working as an online teacher and reading tutor?
I was first a middle school and high school classroom teacher for seven years. I also worked a second job as an online teacher, while working as a classroom teacher. This part-time job then turned into a full-time position after I became a mother. At the same time, I created my own tutoring business.
How many hours, on average, do you work per week?
I work 40 hours a week on average for my online teaching job, and my tutoring side-hustle is usually six hours a week. These hours fluctuate with the changing seasons. For example, I work more hours during the end of the month for the online teaching job or if more students have reached out for help on assignments; I take about a month off from tutoring at the start and the end of the school year. And my hours vary based on how many students I have taken on my schedule.
How many kids do you have and how do you manage your time working from home?
I’m currently 39 weeks pregnant with my son and a mother to a strong-willed, 3-year-old daughter. Quite literally, I’m in the throes of motherhood while typing. Initially, I thought I could do it all. Meaning, I could work from home and care for an infant or toddler. I actually made it through the infant stage pretty easily working from home, but as soon as my daughter was mobile and could speak, those days were over. To solve time management issues, I ask for help from grandparents for extra childcare, keep a flexible work schedule, complete the hardest tasks early in the morning, and more.
How do you find clients, or do they find you?
Honestly, I rarely advertise anymore since most of the families I work with ask me to tutor again the following summer, or they keep me on during the school year. The only way I advertise my tutoring services is through a local Craigslist ad. I should caution that whenever meeting anyone through Craigslist, meet in a public place and follow your intuition. I only work with families and meet in their homes if I feel comfortable.
Are there any helpful resources for getting started as an online teacher and tutor?
I read The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau, which motivated me to start my own business.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give moms who want to do what you’re doing?
Just do it. It’s not that hard if you already have a teaching background, and even if you don’t, starting your own service-based business can be really fun and extremely flexible. You can pick your own hours, wages, etc. It’s initially hard to get started but very easy to maintain once you establish families to work with.
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