Smarthinking Reviews

Cons

The cons are that it is not full-time, but that could be a pro depending on your situation, like if you have other commitments and need something part time.

Cons

The biggest drawback to being an online writing tutor for Smarthinking is the massive pressure to respond to student essays very quickly, in 35 minutes or less. While my immediate supervisor was encouraging, I found the feedback from the periodic audits to be extremely demoralizing. I tried my best to follow the Smarthinking formula, yet I felt like I was repeatedly shot down for going a few minutes over time, or for missing some minor point of their rigorous tutoring protocol.

As a writing tutor, you have to read and write very fast, almost faster than humanly possible. For this job, I needed to purchase a timer with an audible alarm. I also used macros in Microsoft Word. Since some parts of the feedback process are not yet automated, the tutor must manually do certain things that take up time, for instance, type a sentence of greeting and a personal closing on every essay. Dictation is probably the only way that tutors can keep up the pace. Even though I felt good about the writing help I gave to students, the stress level was very high.

Smarthinking also has a visual accessibility problem. Everything a tutor writes must be in a particular, small font (9pt Verdana). If that font is too tiny to read comfortably, then you must spend time converting it back and forth. Although I used a Word macro for this, you still have to make sure that your feedback as a tutor is visually distinguishable from the student's writing.

In addition, writing tutors must develop their own set of original examples to copy-and-paste into the instructional section. Smarthinking stresses that this must be original — can't be taken from anywhere else. My personal crib sheet, which I wrote for this job, was 63 pages long. I spent a few minutes between essays to update and bookmark this for use in future essays. However, the last time I was audited, the audit team told me I was being "too formulaic." There's really no way to win. You can do your best to follow the rules and provide good feedback for the students, yet still get shot down.

One would hope that Smarthinking would eventually treat the tutors as well as they do the students. However, they charge colleges by the time used, so it's unlikely that this time pressure will change. It's their billing system that drives the tutoring stress. If you can read extraordinarily fast, think fast, and write quickly, using Word macros and a bookmarked cribsheet that you write yourself, you can possibly succeed in this job. I started at $10/hour.

Cons

It's really sort of a soul-sucking job. Essays are supposed to be "tutored" in 30-minute increments, which is often just impossible. A 15-page essay with no thesis, no organization, and no content development can't be corrected in 30 minutes. It just can't. Additionally, there's really no incentive to work harder or stay with the company long-term. Pay is - truthfully - embarrassing. It's a decent job to earn Christmas money, but after a couple of years of it, I'm desperate to find another way to earn fun money.

Cons

Crazy expectations and confusing training. How can I pick one thing to concentrate on in an essay, but write about three things? I do not have a Phd in English to be insulted by a lead tutor.

Cons

Unrealistic expectations.
No stability.
Low pay considering the degree requirements.
Micromanaging
No benefits for part-time workers.
No incentives.

Cons

Pay could always be better

Cons

I cannot believe that after several years of employment at $12 an hour, when I asked if there was a possibility of earning a raise in the future, the answer was "no." What kind of employer never offers a raise to its dedicated employees?

Cons

Only 30 minutes to review a paper that includes three lessons in addition to three embedded comments. Does not allow tutors any creative approach. tutors are held to their lead tutor's strict and quirky feedback. No matter what, the lead tutors are NEVER held responsible. they can say what they want in their feedback and management and supervisors will ALWAYS take their side. Who stands up for the tutors? The tutor. You go in alone and will be alone. Pay is low and there is little to no opportunity for advancement in the organization.

Cons

-Relatively low pay for the education level they require
-30 minutes to review an essay (okay for essays less than 4 pages, but after that it gets more difficult to stick to the time frame
-Lead tutors check up on you and review your work quite often (last semester, my lead tutor checked up on me constantly; the one I have this semester is much more laid back)

Cons

The expectations are absurd. Essays can range anywhere from first year college students composition papers, ESL papers, business reports, and resumes to PhD dissertation chapters. The tutor must create three original, personalized lessons for each paper in 30 minutes, even if the paper is over 20 pages and the subject matter is not even close to the tutor's field of study (such as nursing graduate papers or resumes for business majors). The essays are downloaded by the students, and the tutor has no idea what type of essay will appear or if the student includes any type of assignment instructions.
 Lead tutors always look for something wrong in the tutor's response and never, ever give high ratings for a tutor's work.
If the tutor has a Ph,D. (and many do), they get a whopping $12/h. Those with masters degrees get $10. These rates are lower than what fast food workers make, and high expertise in writing, grammar, style, and career advice is required. Then the tutor's hard work and expertise is continuously bashed during reviews.