Preply

What is Preply?

Preply is an online platform that connects students with independent tutors via video chat. It was founded in 2012 in the Ukraine by Serge Lukianov, Dmytro Voloshyn, and Kirill Bigai and is currently based in the U.S.

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Preply Jobs

Overview

  • Online platform for independent tutors

  • Teach any language

  • Choose from 100 subjects overall, including university prep, hobbies, or art.

  • Set your own schedule, no minimum hours required

  • Set your own hourly rate

  • No mandatory teaching props or backdrops needed

Is Preply legit?

Preply has been around since 2012 and has built a solid reputation. It’s total funding since it began is approximately $170 million. You'll find plenty of teachers and students using it, which is usually a good sign.

They boast having 800,000+ students, 44,000+ experienced tutors, 120+ subjects taught, 180+ tutor nationalities, and a 4.8 rating on the App Store.

One of the critical aspects of any teaching platform is how it handles payments. Preply uses a secure system for transactions, so you can trust that you'll get paid for your work. They pay you through Paypal, Payoneer, Skrill, or Wise, depending on your preference.

They also offer get support through professional development webinars, live chat and email.

Preply Tutor Requirements

  • The company does not list any specific requirements on its website to become a Preply tutor.

  • Depending on the language or subjects you wish to teach, certification may be required.

    • Certification is defined by Preply as holding either a DELTA, CELTA, TESOL, TEFL, or a university degree.

  • Your bookings depend on your profile, your rate, your qualifications, and your ratings from students.

Preply Class Type

  • One-on-one lessons

  • Preply tutors can teach 50 languages and over 100 subjects, in total.

 

Preply Age range

  • Varies

  • Since Preply is a free marketplace, you may get adults who are interested in learning themselves, or children who have been signed up by their parents. 

 Preply Minimum Hours

  • No minimum hours required

  • No maximum hours

How does Preply work?

Preply Booking System

There are two ways to get booked by students on Preply. You can:

  1. reply to offers posted by students, or

  2. be booked directly by a student through the search function.

Where your profile appears in the search results is determined by your:

  • availability,

  • reviews from students,

  • the quality of your profile,

  • and how quickly you respond to student messages.

Tutors who teach more frequently appear higher in Preply’s search results.

Preply Pay

  • Tutors on Preply set their own hourly rate.

  • The average rate is between $15 and $20 USD.

  • Popular tutors earn about $550 weekly.

  • Preply takes a commission from each class you teach

  • If you teach a student their first class (a trial class), Preply takes 100% commission from this class.

    • This is because Preply gives its students a money-back guarantee on their trial class.

  • Thereafter, the commission ranges from 18 to 33 per cent

    • The commission Preply takes depends on the number of hours you teach. The more tutoring you do, the less commission you pay.

  • Preply pays its tutors via Payoneer, PayPal, Skrill, or Wise.

Preply Commission Structure:

  • 0–20 hours taught = 33% commission deducted

  • 21–50 hours taught = 28% commission deducted

  • 51–200 hours taught = 25% commission deducted

  • 201–400 hours taught = 22% commission deducted

  • 400+ hours taught = 18% commission deducted

Preply Peak Teaching Times

  • Since Preply is used to connect tutors with students from all over the world, the peak teaching times will depend on you and your students’ locations.

  • Generally, students tend to take more classes before and after work/school time in their location.

Preply Application Process

Step 1 - Basic Info:

  1. Enter:
    - your first and last name,
    - country of origin,
    - languages spoken,
    - subjects you can teach,
    - and desired hourly pay rate (you can change this anytime, $15-20/hour is the average starting rate).

Step 2 - Upload a Profile Picture:

Preply tutors who look professional and friendly get the most students.
- Smile and look at the camera.
- Frame your head and shoulders.
- Use neutral lighting and a plain background.
- Avoid logos and contact information.
- Make sure you are the only person in the photo.

Examples of good profile photos.

Examples of photos that will not pass approval.

Step 3 - Profile Description:

This is where you will write information about your:
- self,
- education,
- experience,
- and special interests.

Try to make a good impression to encourage students to book your classes. (minimum 250 characters)

Tips for writing your profile description:
- Do not include contact information or external links.
- Do not write in the third-person.
- Do not include any previous student reviews. (there is a section on the Preply platform for that)
- Try not to copy and paste any information in the various parts of your profile.
- Write a compelling headline (ex. “Experienced native-speaking tutor with degree in English and TESOL certification. Guaranteed results!” not “English teacher”)
- Describe your teaching methods.
- Be warm and reassuring.
- Include a friendly greeting at the beginning and a strong call to action in the end.

Step 4 - Upload/Record a Video Introduction:

You can record from directly within the browser or upload to Youtube/Vimeo and paste the link. Pay attention to the following instructions:

- Keep your video less than 2 minutes long.
- Record in horizontal mode.
- Position the camera at eye level.
- Use neutral lighting and background.
- Make sure your face and eyes are fully visible (unless for religious reasons).
- Do not include slideshows or presentations.
- Be friendly and smile.
- Talk about your education, skills, experience, and interests (keep in mind, you only have 2 minutes)
- Invite students to book a trial lesson.
- Don’t use filters.

Video Content Breakdown:

Introduction (15-20 seconds)

  • What is your name?

  • Where are you from? Where are you located now? 

  • What do you teach?

  • What languages do you speak?

  • What are your hobbies and interests?

Talk About Your Teaching Experience (30-50 seconds)

  • Qualifications, work experience and relevant skills.

  • Teaching and lesson style.

  • The types of activities and materials you use during class.

  • Your specialties (e.g. business English, exam preparation; beginners, intermediates, advanced)

Conclusion (15-25 seconds)

Encourage students to book a trial class with you, thank them for watching, and finish with something positive.

Additional tips 

  • If you speak multiple languages, use those various languages in your video and add subtitles where appropriate.

  • Be sure to view your video after you record it to ensure you are happy with the quality.

  • Do not use any copyrighted material in your video.

Step 5 - Availability:

Choose the times at which you are available to tutor.

Step 6 - Verification:

Within 3 business days of submitting your application, you will receive an email from the Preply team with your application status update.

Profiles may not get approved on the first attempt. This happens if the profile photo, video or description do not meet the requirements.

Be sure to use a real picture and record a video introduction. Follow the recommendations given at each step of the registration process.

Also, make sure you do not put any contact details or misleading information on your profile. This will slow down the process and may prevent you from getting approved.

Please note that if you make any changes to your profile after it has been approved, you will then have to be re-approved, which could take up to 2 business days. During this time, your profile does not appear in search results.

Check out this video that takes you through the entire Preply application process, step-by-step.

Preply Reviews

Preply is for:

  • people who are independent and have confidence in their ability to build up a dedicated student base.

  • tutors who want to have ultimate flexibility and freedom of scheduling.

  • teachers who teach languages other than English. Obviously, English tutoring is in high demand on their platform, however Preply is an opportunity for tutors who are fluent in other languages to obtain meaningful work.

  • those interested in teaching topics other than languages.

  • tutors who may not have a degree or teaching certificate, but who are passionate about teaching.

Things to consider about Preply:

  • If you teach a student who is taking their first class with Preply, you do not make any money.

  • Depending on your frequency of teaching, Preply may take up to 33 per cent commission from your hourly rate.

  • Because you are an independent tutor on a free marketplace that offers a variety of subjects, you may have to create your own lesson material, unlike some of the other online language learning companies we recommend. It may also take some time to acquire a dedicated student base.

Preply Technical Requirements

  • a computer or tablet

  • a stable internet connection

  • a webcam

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