Hey new tutors, it’s Molly here!👋🏼
Getting started on Cambly can be both exciting and overwhelming. While you are reading through the Tutor Guide, learning how to navigate the platform, and meeting lots of new students, you may find yourself making a few mistakes along the way, and that’s ok!
Today we will cover 5 of the most common mistakes that new Cambly tutors may make & how to avoid them.
Mistake #1. Underutilizing Resources That Are Available To You
While tutors are not expected to spend hours each day preparing material for their lessons, it’s always a good idea to show up to the class prepared!
If you’re on a PH, you won’t have any information readily available to you about the student.
The call could be 5 minutes or 1 hour!
You may have a beginner student or a student who can easily carry on a conversation.
While meeting new students, it’s best to have various resources ready to go so that you don’t have to sit and awkwardly stare at each other.
Here are 3 ways to save some resources:
So you’ll always have lessons to fall back on!
The Cambly Library
In the Cambly Library, you can find many courses to add to your Tutor Profile, so they are ready to go even when you’re caught off guard with a new student.
All of the Cambly courses in the Library range from beginner to advanced, so you can easily hand-pick an appropriate lesson for your student.
Saved Links
Once you’ve added some Cambly courses to your Tutor Profile, they will appear under a category called “saved links,” as pictured below.
You can also add a “new link” from another website, so you can add your own material aside from what is available in the Cambly Library.
The Cambly Help Center
The Cambly Help Center also has some extra resources for tutors. It’s good practice to keep the Help Center tab open while tutoring, so you can pull a lesson at a moments notice!
Mistake #2. Leaving Important Information Out of Your Profile
Did you know that students can keyword search for tutors?
A student can search for “medical terminology” or “scuba diving” to help them find a tutor that matches their goals and interests.
You have the power to make your profile appealing to students by taking the time to fill out your work experience, interests, teaching style and more!
Do you live abroad and speak different languages, are you an engineer, do you hike in your free time?
Adding these details to your profile will not only make your tutor profile more appealing, but it may also help match students to you!
Mistake #3. Shying Away From Priority Hours
A Priority Hour is a one-hour block where you commit to being available on Cambly for the entire hour and answer all incoming calls.
Cambly will feature you to new students and pay you for at least 15 minutes of chat time just for completing the hour, even if you don’t get any calls!
Priority hours are a great way to meet new students and build your base of regulars.
Your first call can definitely be intimidating, but fear not!
It gets easier with time, and you will find yourself meeting some incredible students from all different places.
Because you cannot view a student’s profile before clicking on the call or even see how long you’ll be chatting with them, it can be easy to avoid signing up for a priority hour.
However, this is the best way for new tutors to dive right in and meet new students, who may end up being your long-term regulars!
Mistake #4. Not Sending Follow-Up Messages
Have you ever been on a date and never heard from that person afterwards? Some might call this being “ghosted.”
Well, sometimes a student might feel “ghosted” by a tutor if they don’t hear from them after the lesson!
A little positive message can go a long way!
Once you finish your day of tutoring, you can click on your History Tab and go to each student’s profile that you chatted with that day.
You can send the students a quick message to let them know it was nice meeting them and encourage them to make a reservation with you by sharing your schedule link.
Once you begin meeting more and more students on priority hours, you will build a base of regular students who will book reservations with you!
Mistake #5. Taking on Too Much, Too Soon
One of the most incredible things about Cambly is the flexibility!
Students come from all different time zones, so there is never a time you log onto Cambly where there won’t be a student online looking for a tutor.
It can be tempting to start working in the early morning or late night hours or grabbing as many Priority Hours as possible during your free time.
New tutors must balance their schedules accordingly, as chatting with new students for hours consecutively can be mentally and physically exhausting.
If your goal is to chat 30 hours a week, try starting with 15 hours so you can get a feel for how often you’d like to schedule breaks for yourself.
If you sign up for priority hours, be sure to take breaks in between.
The 5-minute breaks are not enough for you to actually take a break. If you open your schedule, try to keep 15 or 30 minutes breaks between your lessons.
This will give you time for a break to stretch, eat, nap, or just take some time to yourself.
Recommended Reading: Reservations 101: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed on Cambly
If you’re just getting started as a tutor on Cambly, don’t forget to join our tutor community Facebook group, Cambly Corner!
In Cambly Corner, tutors talk to each other and share advice/resources so we can all become the best tutors possible.
I just finished your helpful article. I would like to update my profile to market better but I can’t remember how to access it. Can you remind me?
Hi Kathleen! To update your profile information, you can click the “PROFILE” button on top of the dashboard when you are signed in as a tutor. From there, you can edit any category about you! I hope this helps. 🙂