You’re Hired! Now What?

I’m hired! Now what do I do? 

Watch this video: “You’re Hired! Now What?” 

Join our sister group on Facebook: VIPKID Teachers Hired!

Congrats! You passed your mock class and got hired! Now, let’s get you through the next steps so you can start teaching.

Computer, Tablet, and Phone Apps

Download and login to the VIPKID Teach app on your phone and tablet. Go to the play store and app store and search for “VIPKID Teach.” If you have an iPad, download the VIPKID Teach HD app. You can teach a class from the iPad. You can not teach from your cell phone or an Android tablet.

IMPORTANT: VIPKid has moved all classes to the VIPKid app. Download the PC app on your PC (desktop or laptop) or Mac by clicking on the down arrow near the top right of the VIPKID website. This change has to do with the classroom requiring the use of Flash and the Chrome browser is no longer allowing Flash to be used. You cannot download the app on a Chromebook, so you cannot teach from a Chromebook.

Show Name and ID

They will assign you a random set of letters after your first name to distinguish you from other teachers that share your first name. They do not reveal our last names to students. Mine is Penny JT. This is called your show name. It is shown at the top right of the portal near your picture.

You also have an ID number but it’s harder to find it. Click on referral in the top right of the portal and click on “Copy link.” Then paste that link somewhere (Word document) and look all the way at the end of it, after the equal sign. That 7 or 8 digit number is your ID number. Mine looks like this and my id number is 7151621

https://t.vipkid.com.cn/mkt/landing/personal?referralToken=a1c3ffb7b2b5e61e198a6e687c166053&refereeId=7151621

When you sign up for some workshops or contests they may ask for these so now you know where to find them.

Submitting documents

You will have paperwork to submit: 

1. ID – Photo or scan of your driver’s license or Passport. I’m not sure what document is required for Canadian citizens
2. W-9 Tax form – there is a form on the portal for you to fill out. It is completely digital now. You will probably fill it out with your name in space 1, leave business name in space 2 blank, choose Individual in space 3, enter your address and SSN and sign. There are 4 tick marks in one section that you have to fill in all 4 for it to work. Canadians have a different form.
3. Proof of degrees. You can take a picture or scan your diploma or transcript. Many colleges will send you a PDF copy of your transcript for a small fee. You can then upload it to VIPKID. If your degree is in another name than the name you registered with, be prepared to send in a marriage license, divorce decree, newspaper announcement, wedding invitation or some other proof of the name change. They have recently been asking for this.
4. Teacher’s license and any certifications that apply. You can download these from your state education department probably. Even if it is not in date, send it in. 
5. You will upload 3 pictures of yourself that the parents will see when they go to choose a teacher. Your profile picture needs to be a headshot of you but you want something that makes you stand out from the crowd of teachers. This is the first thing parents will see about you so capture their attention! Not a stiff professional headshot! Your other 2 pictures can be more informal but still need to feature you. You can have your kids or pets or show you doing a favorite hobby or on vacation.
6. Sometimes the attachments don’t like to upload. Send it to them on an email (teachvipkid@vipkid.com.cn) or upload it from the browser on your phone. Make sure you send it from the same email address that you signed up with. That sometimes works better than from a computer for some strange reason.
7. You will record a 15-60 second introduction video that will also be placed on your profile for the parents. Make it fun and sell yourself to the parents. Edit it on iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. Add music and text. Show clips of you teaching a brief thing from one of the mock lessons or in your Brick and Mortar Classroom. Show a pic of your family and your pets. Talk about how you are an expert in pronunciation correction or grammar or conversation…you are an expert, right? Of course you are! You may need to upload the video to Youtube and set it as unlisted then send them the link. Also try uploading it from your phone on the app. Sometimes that actually goes through when it won’t upload from the computer. You can do something simple for now and then add a better one later.
8. You will write a bio to be placed on your profile. You want to emphasize your education, experience, and certifications. Do not list the university names, just the degrees. Again talk about what areas you are an expert in and what you can offer their child that no other teacher can. After you write it, go to this link and paste into the first box. This will translate it into Mandarin. Copy that and put it back into the first box to translate it back to English. Make sure that everything translates well. Use simple language. Remember this is sales! You are selling yourself to the parents. Post the original text as your bio, not the translated and retranslated text.
   
   http://fanyi.qq.com/
9. Bank Information – this does not have to be entered immediately but I will include it here. Go to the portal and click on your name in the upper right corner, then “account center.” Banking info will be on the left side. The payments are sent as a bank transfer from a bank in California. Every bank is different but I put in the address of my local branch and then my checking account number. The ABA and ACH number were both my routing number. I have never had a problem getting my payment. Check with your bank to make sure you are using the correct information. Since it is coming from an American bank there will not be transfer fees to your American bank. I’m not sure about fees if your bank is in another country.
10. Background Check – fill out the form and submit it. You will just need the number, not the actual card. It must be approved before you can begin teaching. Once submitted it is usually processed within 24 hours. Make sure you click on submit, not save! They are only looking for criminal activity that might affect children. 

Please note that it will take several days for your paperwork and background check to be approved. You cannot sign the contract until everything is approved.

They will send you an email stating that all is approved or if they have questions or need further documentation. Once it is approved, click on “My Account” in the top right corner and select contract. Scroll all the way to the bottom and type your name in. You will have to reenter your password to confirm it is you signing.

That’s it! You are officially hired and the full VIPKid portal will open for you. You can start opening slots to get bookings! Spend some time going through the portal to get to know where everything is.

Please be patient here. It may take you a while to get booked. New teachers are usually being booked fairly quickly now, but please be patient. While you are waiting to get booked, learn! The Resources Tab on the teacher portal is a great place to start. Read everything there and watch ALL the videos.

Add as many certifications as you can as soon as you can in order to have more opportunities to be booked. Add both levels of the VIPKID TESOL and add the trial class certification.

Tags

Your Mock mentors will assign 3-5 personality and teaching style tags to you based on your Mock classes. They may be things like, “Outgoing, traditional, serious, phonics, conversation, etc.” No one knows the exact list that is available. All of these are positive tags to the Chinese culture. Even something like “serious” is a good thing because it is seen as you are serious at making sure the student is learning.
To find out your tags, send in a ticket (Support, Contact Support) and ask for them. You can ask for them to be changed and even suggest new ones.