How WyzAnt Works

Getting Jobs Through Wyzant - Your Step-by-Step Guide To Getting Started

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Apply To be a tutor
Sign Up to Get Tutoring Jobs In Your Area

Leave at least 20 minutes when applying to be a tutor, because you won't be able to stop and come back later. The entire process is done online, and we suggest doing the work at home, so you have access to the necessary information. We'll ask for your basic information, education, resume, photo (optional), and a free response section for your tutor profile. The next day, you'll get an email from us with a link that you must click on to confirm your application. We'll review your application and get back to you within the day with further instructions. Please note: WyzAnt requires all tutors to become certified in each subject either by completing a short multiple choice test or submitting a "written request" detailing your experience.

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FAQs

Search Faqs:

General Questions

Q: How do I find a tutor using WyzAnt?
A: Simple. Use the navigation panel on the left side of your screen. Enter the subject for which you need a tutor, your travel willingness and your zip code. You’ll see a list of all WyzAnt’s tutors that match your criteria. Click on their names to learn more and to contact a tutor directly.
Q: Is this likely to become a full-time gig?
A: Probably not. Most of our tutors work a few hours a week to supplement their income, while giving them an opportunity to work in the education field and make a difference in students' lives. We do have tutors who work 20+ hours per week. Of course, it requires some time and a lot of persistance to establish this sort of client base.

WyzAnt Email

Q: Am I permitted to exchange phone numbers with a prospective client?
A: Yes, but only after the client has entered valid credit card information. You'll know whether or not you can give a particular student your phone number by looking at the messages at the top of the screen when you are viewing an email from that student.
Q: I'm about to begin tutoring a new student. What do I need to do with WyzAnt?
A: WyzAnt monitors correspondence between tutors and students very closely, so by the time you are ready to begin tutoring for a student, we'll probably know about it. Therefore, it's safe to assume that WyzAnt has already received the student's billing information. So all you have to do is to make sure you enter your hours into the WyzAnt system after each lesson.
Q: I’d like to send an email to an interested student, but the message has a lock next to it, and I’m unable to open it. What’s going on?
A: There are two possible reasons why your message is locked. Usually, the reason is that your student still hasn’t put his/her billing information on file. In this case, we’ve notified the student that we must receive this information before lessons can begin, and we’re waiting for him/her to enter it. Once the info is entered, we’ll unlock the messages.

The other reason why a message might be blocked is that it’s from a corporation rather than an individual student. Sometimes corporate clients work out well for all parties, but we must first confirm that the institution understands how WyzAnt works and is willing to abide by our terms of use. Once we confirm this, we’ll unlock the messages.
Q: You sent me an email warning me that I must reply to a student who emailed you, but I already replied to this student. What should I do?
A: Our system that sends these reminder emails is usually pretty good, so please double check your WyzAnt inbox and make sure you have no unread messages. Please also check your sent mail in order to verify that your response was actually sent. If not, try sending it again. If these things all check out, please let us know, and we’ll look into the problem further.
Q: I can’t view my WyzAnt email. What should I do?
A: Older versions of Internet Explorer sometimes have trouble with WyzAnt’s email system. So please try updating to at least Internet Explorer 7 or even better, try using Mozilla Firefox.
Q: I never received notification to my primary email address that I had a new WyzAnt inquiry.
A: Check your spam folder and adjust your spam settings to allow all emails from WyzAnt. We won’t spam you, I promise.
Q: I have received emails from WyzAnt about potential tutoring jobs, but I'm not sure how to respond. Please help.
A: There are two ways in which you can get students via WyzAnt.
1) WyzAnt will send you an email about a potential job "opportunity." At the request of the student, we have notified several other tutors about this same job. To respond, go to the jobs page by logging in, select the "My Account" tab, and choose the link that reads "search for available jobs." You may apply for any job post on this page so long as you have successfully passed the appropriate subject certification exam. To apply, press the "contact" link next to the relevant job post. If the specific job's no longer listed, it's already been taken by another tutor.

2) A student will find your specific profile while searching our site, and the student will email you directly. In this case, you are required to respond to the student. To do so, login to WyzAnt.com, go to "My Account", and then follow the link to your WyzAnt email.
Q: I sent email(s) to potential student(s), and I never heard back. Are my emails going through? Why aren't I hearing back from these students?
A: Your emails are most likely being successfully sent. To confirm this, you can always check your sent mail folder. Please keep in mind that not all student inquiries will result in clients. Students usually look in many different places simultaneously when searching for a tutor, so in many cases they turn elsewhere for help. Approximately one in five students will result in WyzAnt clients, so it does require some patience to build your client list.
Q: I've received an email from a student who does not yet have billing information on file with WyzAnt. So what should I do?
A: Please respond to the email and answer any questions the student may have. Tell the student about your availability, and see if it would be a good fit. Once you exchange a few emails with the student, he/she will probably add credit card info, and you'll then be able to exchange phone numbers and begin the lessons.
Q: Once my student has a valid credit card file, can I start using my personal email address to correspond with him/her?
A: No. WyzAnt requires that you use your WyzAnt email address for all email correspondence with your student. This is a very important policy, so we thank you for your cooperation.
Q: How do I send references to prospective students? The email filters keep catching the phone numbers & email addresses, and preventing me from sending the email.
A: In this case, you are allowed to send references with their contact information in an email attachment. Please remember, you may not attach your personal contact info. Thanks.
Q: How do I know if my emails are being sent?
A: Check your "sent mail" folder. If the emails are in there, then they've been sent successfully.

Questions About Your WyzAnt Account

Q: My account has been deactivated because I was unable to tutor for a period of time. Now I'd like to tutor again. How do I reactivate myself?

or

I am going to be unable to tutor for a certain period of time, so I'd like to remove myself from the website for now. How do I do that?
A: To re/de-activated yourself, just login to WyzAnt.com (if you forgot your password you can request it to be emailed to you) and follow the "My Account" link in the upper right portion of the screen. Once there, you'll see a link to activate/deactivate your profile.
Q: I need to correct one of the sessions I entered into the system because the details aren't accurate. How do I do this?
A: In order to correct a session that has already been submitted, login to WyzAnt.com and go to "My Account". Scroll down and use the calendar to locate the lesson that needs to be adjusted. Click on the lesson link in the calendar, and this will take you to a screen with the option to edit the session. Note: if your session is more than seven (7) days old, please email the specific changes that need to be made to schedule@wyzant.com.
Q: How do I upload my resume?
A: Login to WyzAnt.com and click the "My Profile" link in the upper right portion of the screen. This will bring you to a page with a link to upload your resume. Only PDF files and Word files will be accepted.
Q: I've recently deactivated my profile but still see it when I search for my name on Google? Why?
A: If you've deactivated your profile, WyzAnt has completely removed you from our website. Google keeps a cache of web pages, so Google may still show your tutor profile for a few days. As soon as Google (or any other other search engine) updates its cache, which occurs every few days, your profile will disappear. At this point, there's nothing we can do to get your information to disappear.
Q: How do I add or update my availability on the website?
A: Login to WyzAnt.com, go to "My Account", and follow the small link at the very top of the page called "Availability."
Q: How to I change my personal information on the website?
A: Just login to WyzAnt.com and click the small "My Profile" link at the very top of the page. From there, you can change all your personal information including your picture, free response, resume, SSN, address, tutoring location, hourly rate and profile status.
Q: How do I add or change my tutoring schedule?
A: Login to WyzAnt.com and click the small "Availability" link in the gray box at the top of the page.

Jobs Page and Job Postings

Q: I received an email about a potential job, so I went to the jobs page as instructed but couldn’t find it there. Where did it go?
A: Jobs often get removed from the jobs page very quickly. Once four (4) tutors have emailed a student, we remove that student’s job. We don’t want you to waste your time emailing students who have already heard from several other tutors, and we don’t want the student to get inundated with emails from tutors.
Q: I am trying to contact a student from the jobs page, but it’s not working for me.
A: First, make sure you’re logged in. You can check by looking at the top of the page. If it says “logged in as yourname”, then you’re all set. If it says “login here”, then you need to login. Then select the header titled "Tutors' then 'Find students' enter your zip code and subject you tutor, it will search up to 40 miles if you'd like to customize it pull down and select the distance you're willing to travel. If you're unable to contact a student, the student is probably 40 miles or more away from you. WyzAnt is a site for students to find local tutors, so we don’t allow you to contact students who are outside of a reasonable traveling distance.

Registration Questions

Q: I just received notification that my WyzAnt registration has been approved. I did a search on the website in my area, but my profile isn't listed yet. When will I show up on your site?
A: Your profile should appear within 12 hours once you verify your email address.
Q: Are there any formal requirements to be a tutor for WyzAnt? For instance, do I need a college degree?
A: There are no formal requirements to be a tutor for WyzAnt. We review each tutor on a case-by-case basis. If you're filling out WyzAnt's application and see a question that does not pertain to you (such as college GPA if you didn't go to college), you may leave it blank.
Q: I have just applied to become a new tutor With WyzAnt. How long will it take for my application to be approved?
A: Applications will generally take 24 hours to be reviewed. You will receive an email usually the morning after you submit an application informing you if you have been approved to be a tutor with WyzAnt.

Subject Management & Certification

Q: How many subjects am I permitted to tutor and how do I become certified?
A: We limit this to 10 in order to help maintain a high quality instruction. Before being certified by WyzAnt to tutor a given subject, you must first pass a proficiency exam that demonstrates your competency in that subject. WyzAnt's online testing system makes it easy to keep track of your subjects and tests. For other subjects that aren't conducive to multiple choice exams, we ask you to write a short paragraph detailing your experience/credentials in that subject.
Q: How do I get certified in my subjects?
A: To become certified, you have to either pass a short multiple choice test or submit a written request; it varies among the different subjects. You can do both of these certification processes by logging into WyzAnt.com, selecting the heading titled 'My Account' then selecting 'Subjects', your next step is to add the subject you want to be certified in. It will then prompt you to either take the test or submit your request. Best of luck!
Q: I failed one of the certification tests. Am I permitted to retake it?
A: As we say explicitly on the testing page, you only have one opportunity to pass each subject test. The tests have received a lot of thought and have proven over time to be fair assessments.
Q: How do I add or remove tutoring subjects?
A: Just go to WyzAnt.com, login to your account, go to the My Account page, and then click the "Manage Your WyzAnt Subjects" link. From there, click the big link that says "Interested Subjects." At the bottom of the screen it brings you to, there's a place to add subjects. To remove a subject, use the "remove" link in the right column.

If you'd like to remove a subject in which you are already certified, go to "My Subjects" and then follow the "Subject Removal" link.
Q: I'm confused as to which subjects appear in my profile. For which subjects will I appear in search results on the website? Do I have to be certified first? Once I pass a test, how long until that subject appears? Please explain.
A: When you first register with WyzAnt, prospective students searching WyzAnt.com will be able to find you for all your subjects, even if you haven't become certified. But even though students can find you in these subjects, you must still become certified prior to actually giving the lessons, so we highly recommend you do the certifications ASAP.

Once you pass a test or have a written request approved in a given subject, that subject may be removed from your profile for up to 12 hours while the system is processing the changes. If you fail a test or have a written request rejected, that subject will be permanently removed from your profile.

Your Payments From WyzAnt

Q: What happens at tax time? What do I need to do? Does WyzAnt send me any tax forms?
A: If you earned over $600 in the previous year, WyzAnt will send you a form 1099 in January or February. Form 1099 is an earnings statement so that you know exactly how much "additional income" you are supposed to enter on your taxes. WyzAnt is required by law to send a copy of your 10-99 to the IRS, so be sure to enter this income accurately. If you made less than $600, WyzAnt will send neither you nor the IRS a record of this income. You are still supposed to report this income on your taxes.
Q: How much money do I make as a WyzAnt tutor?
A:

When you start as a new tutor for WyzAnt, you take home exactly 60% of your posted hourly rate. (Remember, you can set your hourly rate by logging in and selecting the "my profile" link at the top of the page.) Of the remaining 40%, WyzAnt gives an average of between 10% and 15% to students in the form of discounts, leaving the company with 25-30%.

As you continue to tutor for WyzAnt, we will continue to increase your take home percentage. See the table below for the detailed breakdown.

# Hours Worked pay %
20 65
50 70
200 75
400 80

Q: Am I ever permitted to be paid directly by the customer?
A: No- this is a very important policy. All payments are processed by WyzAnt directly. If the customer offers you compensation for gas or you'd like to change the hourly rate for any other reason, that's fine. Just let us know the agreed upon rate, and we'll make the change on our end.
Q: Is there any sort of travel compensation?
A: WyzAnt does not offer travel compensation. The hourly rate you charge your customers is designed to cover the time from the beginning to the end of the tutoring lesson, not the travel component. If a student offers you travel compensation, please keep in mind that all payment must go through WyzAnt, so you cannot accept cash/check directly. However, you are allowed to increase your hourly rate for a particular student if this is agreed upon by the student. Just let WyzAnt know what rate you agree upon, and we'll make the change.
Q: After a lesson, what happens? What must I do to make sure to get paid? How and when will I receive payment?
A: After you give a lesson to a student, you are responsible for reporting your hours to WyzAnt. To do this, login to WyzAnt.com, go to "My Account", and then click the "Enter a Previous Lesson" link. Once you submit your lesson, we'll email the details to the student so that the student can verify their accuracy. WyzAnt mails checks to tutors (and issues direct deposits) on the 1st and the 15th of each month. We mail checks to the address you have in our database, so make sure it's accurate by following the "My Account" link at the top of the page. Please keep in mind that there is a one week (7 day) lag time for lessons to be included in a given check. For instance, if you give a lesson on the 9th of the month, it will not get included in the check that goes out on the 15th. Rather, your payment will be included in the check that goes out on the 1st of the subsequent month.

Important: You must enter your lessons ASAP after they occur. WyzAnt is not responsible for compensating tutors for lessons that they enter in our system more than three weeks after the lesson date. In most cases, we will still be able to collect payment for these old lessons, and will therefore be able to pay you. But if WyzAnt cannot collect payment due to your lesson submission delay, you may not be compensated for the lesson(s).
Q: I am registered for direct deposit. When should I expect to see the funds in my account?
A: WyzAnt pays tutors on the 1st and 15tth of each month. We will authorize the funds to be released on this day, but it will take two-three business days for the funds to post to your account.

Billing and Tutoring Procedures

Q: I would like to offer my services virtually. I think I can effectively tutor one of the students on the jobs page via the internet or telephone. Is this sort of long-distance, virtual tutoring permitted?
A: At present, WyzAnt does not support online or telephone tutoring. Rather, WyzAnt is designed to match up tutors and students locally.
Q: Once I find a client, do I just show up and tutor?
A: Probably not. Chances are you'll have to prepare for your session. It's up to you to decide what preparation is necessary. Keep in mind that WyzAnt will be in communication with your clients. If you fail to demonstrate complete understanding of the material and deliver quality tutoring, WyzAnt will know. In order to protect our credibility, we cannot accept sub-par tutoring.
Q: How do I prepare?
A: This is up to you, but we do have several suggestions: Talk to your client ahead of time. If time permits, try to obtain a copy of the relevant textbook, course syllabus, etc. Your school library is an excellent resource. Get repeat business! The hardest tutoring session to prepare for is the first one with a new customer. For follow-up tutoring sessions, you'll know exactly what's expected out of you, and preparing will be much simpler. Ask for help! WyzAnt can always find another tutor if you think you're in over your head.
Q: A client has asked me to give a group rate because there are two (or more) students. What should I do?
A: In this case, you can negotiate a rate with the client and we will honor this rate. The same take-home percentage structure applies to negotiated group rates. Just let WyzAnt know what rate you decide so we can build this rate into the system. This way when you enter your hours, the client will be billed and you will be paid accordingly.
Q: What's WyzAnt's cancellation policy? How do I enter a cancellation fee into the system?
A: We encourage you to come up with your own cancellation policy, and to be sure to communicate this to your students before the tutoring commences. A reasonable policy might be: cancellations within 24 hours will be billed at ½ an hour’s rate. It’s usually a good idea to be lenient on this, especially at first, as it serves you well in strengthening your relationship with the customer. To assess a cancellation fee, follow the "Enter a previous lesson" link, and then the link at the top of the page to assess a cancellation fee. Note: you must enter the fee as an actual lesson, with a start time and end time. So if it’s a ½ hour fee, enter a ½ hour lesson. Also note: WyzAnt is not responsible for covering cancellation fees entered more than three weeks after the cancellation date.
Q: How do I know if a student has a credit card on file?
A: When composing an email to that student, look at the notice at the top of the email. This notice will tell you the student’s billing status.
Q: Do I have to be concerned about whether the student has paid or has enough credit for my lesson? Will my pay be affected?
A: We take full responsibility for taking payment from students. In cases where we’re unable to collect from a student, you will still be paid. However, you must be sure that the student has a credit card on file before the first lesson.
Q: Am I allowed to give a free first lesson to get to know the student? (Perhaps you've been asked by the client to have a 'meet and greet' or maybe you'd like to meet the client before committing.)
A: We leave this to your discretion. If you wish to offer a first lesson at no charge, that is OK with us. However, the student will still need to have a credit card on file with WyzAnt prior to the free meeting. In order to make sure it's free for the student, just don't enter anything into the system. Please note: you are not obligated to offer a free lesson. Just be clear with the student upfront about your own policy.
Q: If I'm unable to tutor a student who inquires, can I refer the student to another tutor?
A: Not unless that tutor is in the WyzAnt network.
Q: Does a student have to pay prior to the first lesson?
A: No! Often times tutors and students get confused about this point. Before tutoring can begin (or phone numbers can be exchanged), we require that the student has a valid credit card on file. However, the student does not need to buy lessons in advance. Only if the student wants the 'package discount' should he/she pay in advance.
Q: What should I consider the start time of my tutoring lesson? When I leave my house, or when I begin tutoring?
A: Unless you have an alternate arrangement with the customer, please consider the start time as the time at which you began tutoring. If you have to wait for the tutoring to begin, even after the agreed upon start time, you can consider the time at which you arrived to be the start time.
Q: I increased/decreased my hourly rate through the website, but my old hourly rate is still being applied to some of my prospective clients. Why?
A: Your new hourly rate will only be applied to new students. So if you've already begun an email dialog with a student, the hourly rate you offered at the beginning of that correspondence will be locked in for that student. The reason for this policy is that it would be unfair for the student to have your hourly rate increase on them once they began emailing with you. If you'd like to make an exception to this policy, please email us.

Still have Questions?

Contact us to get your other questions answered.