Updated Tutoring Jobs Experience

This article originally appeared on the Wyzant Tutor Blog on 5/29/2020, written by Mackenzie Siren. 

On Wednesday, May 27th we launched an update to the tutoring jobs experience. As many of you are probably painfully aware, the tutoring jobs pages had not been updated in a very long time. The old pages were built with now outdated code, which made it hard to change or add functionality. Given how vital tutoring jobs are to tutors’ businesses we decided to create a new version, one that will allow us to respond faster to your feedback and evolving needs moving forward.

This update was based on years of your prior feedback as well as interviews and tests of new designs we ran recently with a number of you.

Some highlights from the recent release include:

Hourly Rate Guidance

A major theme of tutor feedback was the lack of transparency around hourly rate and the inability for you to self-select out of applying to jobs at rates below what you want to offer. We know that what a student is willing and able to pay for tutoring is an important part of finding a good student/tutor fit. This led to the development of the new “recommended rate” feature:

A number of you have already asked us, “Where the heck does this number come from?”

Here is the answer: we are not using a complicated algorithm or asking students what their expected budget is; we are using the best predictor we have – their actual behavior.

The recommended rate we display means the student has contacted tutors on Wyzant’s platform at or below this hourly rate. It is only reflective of the rate related to that specific job, which means the same student could have different recommended rates for jobs in different subject areas. This is important, as we all know that hourly rates vary a great deal from subject to subject.

Our data shows you are more likely to hear back from the student if the hourly rate for your job application matches or is close to (within $10) of this recommended rate. This does not mean it is impossible to convert students using significantly higher rates or lower rates. The recommended rate is meant solely as a guideline for you to assess student fit before applying to a job and you will never be penalized for not adjusting your rate.

At times you will see a recommended rate field that says, “None.” This happens when a prospective student posts a job without first contacting tutors.

Required rates for partnership student jobs

Another new feature is the “required rate” for partnership student jobs. Partnership students are pre-approved for multiple tutoring sessions. They do not pay for their own tutoring and are subject to an hourly rate budget set by their institution. This is listed on the job as a “required rate” and you must agree to the required rate when applying to the job.

Search and Filter Functionality

During tutor interviews, the jobs page search functionality was described as “a real pill” and “the bane of my existence,” so we simplified it. The search now defaults to online jobs, filtering has been dramatically streamlined and results automatically update when you change a filter (so you no longer have to click the “Search” button each time). You will also notice that your searches now persist. No more resetting your filters every time you navigate back to the search page!

Better Access to Relevant Information

We’ve added more information throughout the experience. Partnership student jobs are clearly labeled and include course/organization info in the description. We now let you know when you’ve connected with a student before and an hourly rate has already been established. Finally, we added more direct links to help center articles and informational tooltips. If you see text that is underlined, hover over it - you will see a pop up that gives you more guidance.

Job Timestamps

Did you know that the timestamp on a job reflected when the student originally contacted a tutor and not when the job was actually published to the board and made available to tutors? This lack of transparency was confusing, so now the timestamp reflects when the job was actually posted to the board. See below for a real example of the same job posted on the old tutoring jobs page vs. the new tutoring jobs page, and note the difference in timestamps.

Some Additional Changes

Click on the blue subject title to view the job application:

For online jobs, the student’s location or time zone is listed under “+ Show details” on the job card:

A student’s payment status is located on the sidebar of the job application:

There has always been a 150 character count minimum for a job application’s personal message. Previously, we didn’t show the character count until you attempted to submit your application and got an error message for not meeting the minimum. This update includes a live character count for this section of the application, so you know if you’ve met the requirement before you attempt to submit an application.

The link to view your previous job applications is on the top right-hand side of the job search page:

Our research uncovered a lot of opportunities to make the jobs experience better for tutors, and this update only tackled a handful. As we continue to learn how to improve this experience, your continued feedback is vital. We will review all incoming feedback and questions that come through our Support Team.