Toying with the idea of becoming a tutor on Cambly? If so, this should help you make your mind up…
I tutored on the platform from February 2020 until December 2020 — the following series of events is my experience on Cambly during that time. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly…and by ugly I mean…well, you’ll have to read on to find that out.
Becoming a Cambly tutor is easy AF
In February of 2020, I was one month away from starting a new chapter in Colombia. While at home in the UK, I was busy looking for teaching gigs to support myself. One gloomy evening, my Spanish teacher told me one of her students taught on a platform called Cambly.
Intrigued, I delved a bit deeper and learned that no prior teaching experience is necessary and there’s no interview process (result!). The only requirements are completing your tutor profile, uploading a short intro video, and a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) certification.
Getting one of those is easy. In fact, when I was in a hostel in Mexico, some boozed-up Canadian guy (who kinda looked like the tiger king) told me he bought his from a random yank online. Defo not condoning that btw…
Going the legitimate route, I enrolled in a 120hr online course through TEFL.org for like £100. They often have decent offers on so hold out for one.
As for the video, I was starting a YouTube channel at the time and had all the gear; a decent camera, microphone, and lighting set up. In fact, many students commented on the quality of my video. In some cases, they said that was why they wanted to chat with me. And, of course, because my video content was probably better than most other tutors.
Here’s some video some tips:
At least record the video on your phone (the back-facing camera). And do it in front of a window so your face is well lit. The quality will be so much better than your webcam.
Tell students how you can help them. This lets students know if you will be a good fit for them. For example, I’m not an English teacher so I wanted to avoid talking about grammar at all costs. Instead, I positioned myself as a tutor for advanced students who wanted conversation practice. Think of it like finding your niche.
And, finally, speak super slow and clear. It’s pretty obvious why.
Once you’ve submitted everything you’ve got to wait for approval.
Getting Approved by Cambly
Two weeks later Cambly emailed me to say I could start tutoring ( although I’ve heard it can be shorter or longer than that).
I have to say, Cambly has done a good job of on-boarding new tutors. You’re directed to read the tutor handbook before your first class. Do give it a proper read – It answers all the questions you probably have about getting started.
You’ll also get 10 minutes of student talk time. This basically means you can use the platform as a student to ask a tutor for any tips. I spoke with a super friendly girl from the USA. She’d been tutoring for a month and was positive about her experience so far. Always good to hear! She advised me to join the Facebook group Cambly Corner. This is an official group for Cambly Tutors. And, despite the odd feud, you’ll pick up tips, Cambly updates, and if you’re that way inclined, get involved in the chat.
How Cambly works in a nutshell
Right, so you’ve read the on-boarding majig, set-up your schedule, and now you’re ready to start tutoring.
As a newbie, priority hours are your best friend. Not only do they guarantee you 15 minutes of pay, but they also give your profile a boost when you’re set to visible i.e. showing you’re available to tutor. If you went visible while not on a PH you’d get tumbleweeds.
The good news is that as a newbie tutor you get unlimited PH’s. Basically, it’s your chance to shine and earn some regular students. However, when your newbie status is over (after 50 chats I believe) you’ll get a tutor rating out of 5. The better the rating, the more PH’s you’ll have available. So, they are good to build your rating and build your regular students. However, I found them quite exhausting. Sometimes I’d chat with someone and the covo flowed, and other times I’d be hoping the conversation would end. So, it helps to prepare for all types of levels and personalities you may encounter. That way you can avoid any awkwardness…
Be aware of free-trial students
Cambly runs A LOT of offers so some students will have free minutes. You’ll notice them right away as they usually have 5 minutes on their timer. And, they are usually either; people with zero English, teens laughing at you, or weirdos. And, apparently, you get the odd flasher…
Now, I know what you’re thinking…Nick, that doesn’t sound an attractive proposition, I mean FLASHERS!! LAUGHED AT!! I know, I know… But, if it makes you feel any better, I never once saw a flasher. And, besides, you can turn the camera off for FT students so you’re never exposed to erm, ya know. And, as for the laughers, you have 2 options; exit the convo or laugh back and rack up the pittance you earn for 5 minutes…
You get paid for the minutes you rack up each Monday. That’s only assuming you made above $20 dollars that week. Otherwise, the balance rolls over until you meet the threshold.
My first call on Cambly
I was sitting at my desk taking deep breaths. The kind you’d take before meditation practice. My pre-prepared opening questions beside me. I knew all I had to do was talk but I felt like I was about to make a presentation to 10 executives of a huge company…
At first, waiting for the incoming call tone is bloody terrifying. If you’re anything like me, waiting for any phone call is bloody terrifying. So when I heard that Cambly ringer for the first time I was ready to slam the lid of my laptop shut and abandon the idea altogether. Obviously, I didn’t. But, like anything new, it takes some getting used to.
In fact, I’d tell myself I was being selfish – it’s not about ME, it’s about the student and helping them improve. By reframing the situation I eliminated most of the anxiety. You’ve got to imagine how nervous THEY must be!
So, my best advice is to make it ALL about helping your student as best you can. I’d also have a bunch of openers written down. That way If I was stuck for something to say I could just read off a question.
In the swing of things after a month of tutoring
After a month or so, I felt I could find a common ground with anyone. Cambly is great for improving your conversational skills. Sometimes, I’d feel like a podcast host or something!
In fact, in Colombia, that kind of became a reality. One day, a Cambly worker messaged me to take part in a Cambly promotion (paid of course). So, I ended up on a Turkish YouTuber’s channel. And, I even went live on YouTube with the Latin American marketing lead. We talked about the difference between American English and British English.
After a few months, I felt I’d gained some momentum. And I’d built up some great friendships with my regular students. So much so that I’d only speak to regulars or people who booked directly with me. I’d grown tired of the mixed bag of people I’d speak to on PH’s. This also gave me time to prepare for the lesson so I’d not run out of things to talk about.
Your earning potential on Cambly
I was tutoring 3-4 hours a day. Rookie numbers by Cambly Corner tutor standards – some people claimed to rack up 10 hours a day!
On average, I’d make around $100 a week. Peanuts. Sure, I could have worked more hours but I’d need to lie down in a dark room if I did 2hrs back to back.
How people made $1000 in a week is incredible. You’d often see people post how much they earned each week in the Cambly corner Facebook group. I mean fair play, but for an introvert like myself, 100 hours of talking a week are impossible. If I got to 10 hours in I was happy…
So, what did that amount to over 7 months as a tutor on Cambly? Drum roll, please…
$3,455. At an average of $493 per month. And, I’d say I was going at like 70% of my potential. So even if I gave it that extra 30% it’s still nowhere near enough to live comfortably in Colombia.
Can we just appreciate that 4.9 rating though…
Why I stopped tutoring on Cambly after 7 months
I realised I’d need to trade so much of my time and energy to live comfortably – I just wasn’t prepared to do that. Not when the reason for me coming to Colombia was to live. So, in the end, I decided to find another way to keep my Colombian dream alive.
Would I say Cambly is worth it? I guess that depends on your circumstances. If you want to supplement another income, sure, makes sense. If it’s your only income, you’d need to be living in a country where the dollar goes a very very long way.
En fin.
I met some really interesting people on Cambly. And, during a lonely quarantine, it was nice to chat with people around the world. But, ultimately, for someone who doesn’t have a passion for teaching English, nor talking for long periods of time, it was only a means to an end.
If you have any more questions or concerns drop a comment below!
Nick
P.S. If you’re gonna tutor on Cambly and would like to earn yourself some money (and me of course 😅) sign up with my link.
Here’s the details from Cambly:
Earn more by inviting your friends to tutor on Cambly! There are two ways to earn:
• If your friend tutors for at least 10 hours on either Cambly or Cambly Kids, you will receive $20.
• If your friend is approved to tutor on Cambly Kids, both you and your friend will receive $10 (and if they tutor for at least 10 hours, you will receive $30 total).
https://www.cambly.com/invite/NICHOLAS711?st=041621&sc=4
