Let’s take a look at a new company GoGo Kids and see how it compares to the more established VIPKid. Which online teaching company is best? Let’s find out!
Requirements
In this department both GoGo Kids and VIPKID have the same requirements for prospective teachers. Both require you to have a bachelors degree in any field as well as at least 1 year of relevant teaching experience. It’s also helpful for you to poses a TEFL certificate as you’re going to be an ESL teacher.
China has implemented new regulations for the online teaching space in order to have the same level of requirements and expectations for online English teachers as they do actual ESL teachers in China.
Winner: Tie.
Hiring Process
VIPKID and GoGo Kids both only hired north American teachers (United States and Canada). This is where the similarities end.
VIPKID is notoriously difficult to get hired by. They have a multi-step process. You apply, then you have a quick interview, then a quick demo interview. If you pass this preliminary stage your then required to complete two mock classes before being offered a contract and actually teaching. It can take up to a month from start to finish before you become a VIPKID teacher.
For GoGo Kids it’s much more simple and streamline. You apply to teach, if you meet the minimum requirements you’re then invited to interview. The interview is for 30 minutes, of this 30 minute interview 10 minutes is a demo. That’s it.
If you pass you’re given a contract and can begin teaching online with GoGo Kids.
Winner: GoGo Kids
VIPKID Bookings and GoGo Kid Bookings
Bookings are the bread and butter of any online teacher. Who cares if a company pays up to $25 an hour if you can’t get any hours. As a current VIPKID teacher, I get more than enough hours each and every week. If I wanted to teach 40 hours a week I could with VIPKID.
With GoGo Kids though, they are a new company and your time slots may not be filled as quickly. However, there are numerous VIPKID teachers who jumped shipped from VIPKID over to GoGo Kids simply because they struggles to get any classes.
Which one is the winner is a tough call. If you’re able to build a strong reputation on VIPKID you’ll have more than enough hours week to week. GoGo Kids though may not be able to give you as many hours as VIPKID, but you have a better chance of just getting hours in the first place.
Winner: VIPKID
Salary and Hours
So what is the pay and hours like for both these companies?
VIPKID advertises it’s pay as $14-22 an hour. GoGo Kids advertises their pay as $14-25 an hour with a sign on bonus of $300 IF you teach at least 3 classes in your first month and get good parent feedback.
So in a nutshell, they pay between these two are similar. They are based upon a base rate per class plus any applicable bonuses. Expect to make $10 per class in general as that seems to be the current mid range for both companies.
VIPKID pays a base rate of $7-9 a per class. You then get a $1 bonus for completing class and a $1 bonus for teaching more than 45 classes per month. GoGo Kids pays a base rate of $7-10 an hour. They pay out bonuses based on an internal point system.
You earn points in various ways from class completion to good parent feedback. If you stay above 110 points, you get a 10% bonus of your base pay. If you have the max 120 points, you get a wooping 25% bonus of your base pay added on. So if your base pay is $10 per class and you have 120 points, you’re going to get $12.50 per class instead.
As for the hours, each class you teach is 25 minutes in length with a 5 minute buffer between classes. Lastly, you schedule your hours on your own terms with both these companies with the parents booking you. You simply give your availability, open time slots and then get booked. For GoGo Kids, they also pay 60% of your base pay if you open class during peak-peak times and are not booked.
Winner: Tie. VIPKID has the hours but GoGo Kids pays more.
Cancellations
Hey, it happens sometimes. Your internet goes out, your alarm does not go off or perhaps something last minute comes up.
For cancellations with VIPKID you’re allowed 6 cancellations per 6 month contract. Your able to cancel up to 3 classes in a day and it will only count as 1 cancellation. Also, if you cancel before the 24 hour mark, you won’t incur any penalty. If you cancel within the 24 hour period you’ll incur a small financial penalty and if you cancel 2 hours or less before class you will be deducted your base pay per class for the class you missed.
As for GoGo Kids, they go back to the point system. You start with 100 points and get points when you do good things and lose points when you do bad things. If you go below 70 points you risk termination and on the upper end, 120 points is the max. As it pertains to cancellations, like VIPKID you’re penalized slightly if you cancel before 24 hours and more so within 24 hours.
Winner: VIPKID The fact that they allow 3 cancelled classes to only count as 1 cancellation is very fair.
The Platform
Both platforms are very similar. 25 minute classes with a 5 minute break if you’re doing back to back classes. The teaching material is also similar in that it’s kid friendly, colorful, modern and engaging.
Winner: Tie
Conclusion
Well there you have it, VIPKID vs GoGo Kids. VIPKID is well established while GoGo Kids is going through growing pains with trying to retain enough students as well as teachers to meet the demand. Some teachers have also complained about payment issues with GoGo Kid not paying on time for various reasons.
Which company are you more interested in?
