Online TEFL: The Truth Behind Working With A Company Vs Starting Your Own Business

27th January 2023

Online ESL teaching makes life much easier especially for teachers who want to teach and travel the world simultaneously. However, before you even start to think about teaching online and look for options, you must have at least 120 hours or 280 hours of international TEFL advanced diploma certificate to make sure you are qualified.

The best thing is you can easily do the certification course online and you do not need a lot of experience or a degree. And if you want to be a competitive teacher in the online sphere or want to launch your own business then having a specialized certification in online TEFL/TESOL courses will definitely be an added advantage.

Here is how you can find the best online teaching space for yourself.

Work For Someone Else or Yourself?
 

Source: www.grandviewresearch.com

Now that you have added a new feather to your cap by completing the TEFL certification and are feeling already, it is time to jump into the online job market.

When it comes to teaching online, there are basically three categories, depending on your goals, commitment levels, and preferences, here are the alternatives for you to choose from.

1. Work With An Online Tutoring Company

Working with online companies is a great way to gain some experience and set your foot in the TEFL/TESOL teaching market. However, this should not be the only reason why this should be your go-to.

Here is a sneak peek some pros and cons to help you decide:

Pros

• You get all the support you require especially if you are just beginning your online teaching journey. The companies usually offer tutorials, training, onboarding, and even professional development.
• You are not responsible for finding students and the company will have a bank of learners that will be assigned to you once you sign up with them.
• You won’t have to go through the hassles of making your own lesson plans as teaching materials will be provided to you by the company.
• The best thing is that you don’t have to market yourself or create a teacher profile or website to attract students as everything will be done for you.

Cons

• The income potential is quite low as you will be offered a fixed salary and even though there are incentives, there is often a maximum limit to how much you can earn.
• You will have less flexibility as you will have to put in a certain amount of hours throughout the day and lessons are usually pre-structured which means you are not free to make changes. This might often limit your creativity.
• Another downside is finding the right company that will be aligned with your goals and objectives in terms of student type, timing, finances, etc.

2. Freelancing

Many TEFL teachers prefer working in one or many online tutoring marketplaces as freelance instructors. This offers a sweet spot between working entirely for yourself and with a company. These marketplaces usually act as a middleman where you market yourself as an online trainer to the students. Additionally, you can also find companies directly that offer freelance or part-time jobs.

Take a look at the pros and cons before taking this route:

Pros

• Working as a freelancer grants you total independence as you can set your own hours and sometimes rates.
• The income potential can be higher based on your online English teaching qualifications.
• You can work with more than one company or marketplace at once without fixed working hours and pay.

Cons

• Setting up a teaching profile online might be a bit of hard work. You will have to write engaging profile descriptions, set professional-looking images, video descriptions, lesson demos, etc.
• You will also have to select a niche you are most compatible with to stand out from the crowd since there will be many teachers teaching ESL.
   

3. Start Your Business

Now your third and final choice is starting your own business and working entirely for yourself. This will allow you to work independently by setting up a website to market yourself as a tutor and you will need to choose a platform to deliver English classes that you will create on your own terms.

Before deciding if this is the right option for you, here are some pros and cons:

Pros

• The sky is the limit in this route both in terms of the way you teach and your income potential.
• Start-up costs are manageable and all you need is high-quality internet and a working laptop or desktop with a lot of great teaching tools.
• You can create your own website, teaching materials, and lesson plans as per your liking making them as interactive as you want them to be.

Cons

• Like any other online business, it will need time, effort, and investments to set up fruitfully.
• Finding your own students and marketing yourself might not be as easy as it sounds.
• Creating your own website, payment account, necessary tools, etc might be a bit of a hassle if you don't have a proper team.

Start Your Journey As An Online Teacher

If you are planning to be an online English teacher then there are a lot of options you can consider. Whether it is a main job or a side hustle, all you have to do is get started. If you are still not qualified, consider pursuing either 120 hours or 280 hrs international TEFL advanced diploma certificate and begin your ESL journey either with a company or be your own boss.