terry l.

WHY TO AVOID WYZANT LIKE THE PLAGUE AS A PARENT/STUDENT and AS A TUTOR

FOR PARENTS/STUDENTS: While some WyzAnt tutors are likely very qualified to tutor in their respective subjects, many more are not. How do I know? Because I was one of their 'certified' tutors in 15+ subjects which I supposedly had 'expert knowledge' of! I was 'certified' to tutor Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Dreamweaver, Kung Fu, Violin, and Spanish, along with the subject in which I have an actual Ph. D. I 'earned' my certification by correctly answering 6-7 basic multiple-choice questions in their ridiculously simple online certification exam. While I rarely received inquires from students seeking tutoring in my actual area of expertise, I frequently received emailed inquires from people about those areas in which I had only limited knowledge. If their knowledge seemed more limited than mine, I 'tutored' them. If not, I politely declined.

When I did tutor them, WyzAnt collected 40% of my earnings. As my tutor 'pimp,' this was the company's cut for serving as the middle-man. Consequently, my tutoring services had to be priced significantly higher than they would typically be were I connecting with clients independently.

BOTTOM LINE: You will pay a lot more through this site for tutors who have not been vetted in any serious way. Furthermore, you will be supporting a business that exploits its independent contractors in ways that would make even a whorehouse madam blush.

FOR TUTORS: Wyzant will flatter you by immediately certifying you in everything from Cannibusiness to City Planning for Nomads. The company will then send you emails containing the (often dreadful) requests of prospective clients who you will reply to and who will then never reply back. When you are lucky enough to make a match with a client, WyzAnt will take 40% of your earnings, then, once you get close to logging the 40 hours required for a pay cut increase to 65% (!), they will send you an email out of the blue (essentially) telling you that your profile has been deleted because you have not been connecting with enough clients (i. E., bringing in enough money for them). You will be dropped like a used-up hooker without notice, and you will try to email them to find out what the problem was, and they will not respond to you because the recent Ivy League grads who own and operate the company have absolutely no basic customer service or HR management skills.

BOTTOM LINE: You will waste a lot time searching for legitimate jobs, replying to flaky clients and meeting clients for one-off sessions that don't have the potential to become steady meetings. Then, without notice, you will receive an emailed form letter stating that your account has been terminated. Best to use your time to develop your own website, flyer your local schools or manage a listing on Craigslist.