NiceKid Review Summary

NiceKid are a reasonable option for experienced Non-Native Speakers without a degree, living in cheaper countries and looking for part-time work teaching young children. Their pay is less attractive for Native Speakers, and the inflexible and limited work schedule prevents one earning a full-time income here.

NiceKid Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Both Native and Non-Native Speakers can apply
• Reasonable pay rate for Non-Native Speakers
• No Bachelor’s degree or diploma is required
• Decent teaching platform and pre-prepared materials

Cons:

• Not enough hours to provide a full-time income
• Relatively low pay rate for Native Speakers, with a track record of cuts
• Difficult to receive incentive payouts
• Fixed/inflexible schedule

What is NiceKid English?

NiceKid is a Chinese online ESL company that operates as part of Hangzhou Jiuban Education & Technology Co., Ltd. It was originally founded in 2016 as 98Kid, before being renamed around 2018. NiceKid claims to be ‘the leading company utilizing the Online Partner Learning teaching method’ (though Landi similarly adopts ‘peer instruction’), with more than 2,000 active learners.

NiceKid online teaching is aimed at young Chinese students, between the ages of 4-12 years. Classes last 30 minutes with a maximum of 2 students, and take place between 7-9pm (Beijing Time), Monday to Saturday (NiceKid asks for a minimum availability of 4 days between these hours). The company provides original teaching materials and PowerPoint slides that are uploaded to their platform, which offers interactive tools including a laser pointer, highlighter, picture cropper and chatbox.

NiceKid Salary / Pay

NiceKid pay ranges between US$9-13 per hour, though as a new teacher you will likely be offered the lower amount. As we’ve seen elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic has given many ESL companies an excuse to cut their pay rates, and NiceKid is no different as they used to offer $14-25.

An even more limiting factor in one’s earning potential is the limited number of hours available at NiceKid. Teaching takes place solely between 7-9pm (Beijing Time), Monday to Saturday, meaning you can work a maximum of 12 hours per week, resulting in a weekly NiceKid salary of $108 (at $9 per hour). This is obviously insufficient for most people, unless you live in a country with a very low cost of living, meaning NiceKid would have to be juggled alongside another job.

While NiceKid claims to offer incentive schemes (of up to $20 a month) to boost this income, teacher accounts attest that it is difficult to achieve the ‘perfect record’ required to receive this, and also claim that pilot lesson sign-ups are not reliably paid out. As is common in the industry, there are penalties for any teacher cancelations.

NiceKid makes payments via PayPal, so be prepared to lose a small percentage on the international transaction fee.

NiceKid Requirements

NiceKid tutors must meet the following requirements:

• Speak good English with a Native or neutral accent
• Must have prior teaching experience
• Possess a TESOL/TEFL/CELTA certificate or be willing to obtain one
• Able to commit to a regular weekly work schedule (7-9pm Beijing Time, Monday-Saturday)
• Have a PayPal and WeChat account

As you can see, NiceKid does not require you to have a Bachelor’s degree or a diploma.

NiceKid used to only accept Native Speakers, however, this policy has changed since they began lowering their pay rates, and you will now be considered regardless of whether you are a Native or Non-Native Speaker so long as you possess a neutral English accent.

Technical Requirements

• Laptop or desktop computer with an Intel i5 CPU or better and a benchmark score of more than 3600 (here‘s how you can test that)
• Webcam
• Separate headset with microphone
• Reliable internet connection with a minimum upload and download speed of 3 Mbps (you can test your internet speed here)

NiceKid Application Process

There are five stages to the NiceKid application process:

1. Register your application on the NiceKid website
2. Conduct a 10-minute NiceKid interview
3. Present a teaching demo
4. Receive your offer and carry out training
5. Pass a 1-month trial

To begin your NiceKid Teacher Application, here is the information you will have to submit to register on the NiceKid website:

• Email address
• First and last names
• Country code and phone number
• Nationality
• Skype ID
• Professional photo (upload)
• Resume/CV (upload)

NiceKid Interview

Once you are registered and your initial application is accepted, you will be invited to attend a NiceKid interview which will last approximately 10 minutes. The interview is a general discussion regarding your previous teaching experience, educational and professional background, and schedule availability. Past questions have included ‘What do you like about the job?‘ and ‘What’s the most challenging thing you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?‘. You will also have the opportunity here to ask any questions about the company and the position.

If you are considered a good fit for NiceKid, they will next ask you to conduct a teaching demo based on materials and slides you will be provided with ahead of time. If you pass the demo, you will then receive an offer to teach with the company, though you will still have training and a trial month to complete.

To pass their teaching demo, the company advises that you:

• ‘Jump out of the platform’, i.e. be lively and show your personality
• Use props, puppets and realia
• Be prepared and practice with the materials beforehand

NiceKid Reviews

The NiceKid Glassdoor page gives the company an average score of 3.5 stars out of 5, with 57% of reviewers willing to recommend them to a friend. Positive comments mention their students, staff support, platform and pre-prepared materials, whilst negative criticism focuses on the low (cut) pay, lack of bonuses, restricted hours, and poor communication.

These are the most balanced NiceKid reviews written over the last year:

Whilst not on Glassdoor, this NiceKid review from a forum substantiates much of what others say, though it also provides more detailed insight into this individual’s negative treatment by the company after the pay cuts, which drove them to quit:

Conclusion – Is NiceKid Worth It?

Nothing much stands out about NiceKid other than they don’t require a degree/diploma and will take on Non-Native Speakers (for whom the pay rate is more competitive than for Native Speakers), though these links show there are plenty of other companies that offer both whilst providing more teaching hours. This is NiceKid’s biggest crux, that 12 hours a week is simply insufficient for most people looking to generate a full-time income online, whilst their fixed weekly schedule also restricts the flexibility that many online teachers want.

NiceKid are worth considering by experienced Non-Native Speakers without a degree, who live in countries with a lower cost of living and are looking to supplement an existing salary with extra part-time work teaching younger children.

You can apply to NiceKid on the NiceKid website.

A full list of other online teaching companies can be found here.