How do international students make extra money?

As someone who made a lot of extra money while studying abroad, I would like to introduce to you a niche but urgently needed field: writing writing for studying abroad.

1. How to get this job

Study abroad agencies are familiar to everyone. They are responsible for providing study abroad consultation, writing application materials, and even applying for scholarships, argument offers, etc. Practitioners are divided into two categories: one is full-time consultants, responsible for facing customers directly; the other is outsourced writers. It should be noted that not all intermediaries outsource, but outsourcing is very common in the industry. Outsourced writers are usually paid on a piece-rate basis, with no guaranteed salary or five insurances and one housing fund.

How to get started? Strictly speaking, document writing is a bit of a "grey area" and is generally not openly recruited, so it is best to get to know people in the agency and make referrals. It is not difficult to get to know insiders. If you are in a first- or second-tier city, it is easy to find a local study abroad exhibition. The exhibitors are intermediaries and they are here to recruit customers. You can boldly go up and ask if you have any writing needs. As long as you meet the basic requirements, most agencies are happy to accept outsourced writers without any upfront investment.

There are three basic requirements: First, good English writing skills, usually an above-average English level for international students (I personally think TOEFL 100 is more appropriate). The second is to be familiar with the application process for studying abroad. The best situation is of course that you have studied abroad yourself. If you have no experience studying abroad, you can also learn about the application process, application requirements, etc. by studying the admissions pages of foreign universities. The third is to have professional ethics. Applications for studying abroad are very time-sensitive. Writers must cooperate with students to produce materials within the specified time and keep sensitive information confidential, so it is very important to be professional.

2.?Main work content

First of all, full-time consultants will interview students to understand their background and target school, and formulate application plans and plans. Then, the full-time consultant will communicate the student information and essay requirements to the outsourced writer (sometimes the writer can also participate in the student interview, but it is not mandatory)

The writer's main job is to help students write application materials . A common set of materials includes three items: personal statement, essay, and resume (some schools require multiple essays, which may require more workload). In terms of word count, each school has different requirements. A common PS is about 800-1,000 words, an essay is about 300-500 words, and the resume is no longer than one page.

The writer understands the student’s background through the student’s Chinese resume and interview records, and creates the first draft based on the requirements of the school to which he is applying. Most agencies will provide sample documents to standardize the writer's writing ideas. You can also find a large number of document examples online for reference. However, it should be noted that a good document must be tailor-made according to personal characteristics, which will test the writer's creative understanding to a certain extent.

After the writer completes the first draft, it is handed over to a full-time consultant for review, polishing and finalization, and then feedback to the student.

3.?Working hours and work benefits

The peak seasons for studying abroad applications vary from country to country. Taking the United States as an example, the annual application season is from October to February of the following year. Time tasks are relatively concentrated, full-time consultants will coordinate tasks, and writers can arrange according to their own time. If you are very busy, don't be embarrassed to refuse, because you are an outsourcer and there is no guaranteed salary.

The time it takes to write a set of materials varies from person to person. It takes 3-4 days intermittently at the beginning, and can be completed in 1-2 days after becoming proficient.

Fees are paid on a piece-rate basis and are related to the quality of the document.

For quality control, intermediaries usually have a set of internal review standards (which can be understood in advance). Excellent documents can receive a manuscript fee of about 3-5k (which is much higher than the Chinese manuscript fee~)

4.? My own work experience

With the original intention of making money while practicing English, I accidentally entered this industry. The biggest feeling is that the agency really makes a lot of difference, haha! The signing fee for a student is 30,000 to 50,000, and the writer only gets 1/10 of it. However, the writer is outsourced after all, and is not responsible for the application results, so it is understandable that he gets less. As a business, what you earn is excess returns.

5. Give some advice to those who are curious or want to enter this profession

To be honest, the study abroad market has weakened in recent years. It is not recommended to do this full-time. Friends who are free and good at English can try part-time jobs and earn some extra money. With the orderly opening up, I believe that the overseas study market will pick up soon, and its growth and potential are still huge.

Studying abroad is a major event in life. Due to information asymmetry, most students will choose study abroad agencies. As the invisible "behind-the-scenes heroes", outsourced writers also invisibly participate in students' "life events". This The meaning of a part-time job can be big or small, from making money to practice English to helping another young person realize his dream of studying abroad. I think no matter which one, it is an unforgettable experience worth experiencing:) If you are also interested, give it a try!