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Monthly salary / Living costs
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Elicit



Joined: 12 May 2010
Posts: 244

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:57 am    Post subject: Monthly salary / Living costs Reply with quote

Hi, first time poster here in the Vietnam forum.

I have an opportunity to work in HCMC. I notice, through searching the Vietnam forum, lots of hourly rates for teaching hours, but I am looking for stability so am interested in monthly salaries.

Any feedback on the following questions would be highly appreciated.

1) For a complete newbie, with degree and CELTA, off the plane, what's an average starting salary?

2) I hold a relevant degree and have three years experience. What salary should I be aiming for?

3) Is it possible to rent a fully furnished and serviced apartment, eat and live moderately well, in addition to saving a few hundred bucks of the salaries.

Cheers
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JoeKing



Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 519

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 2:27 pm    Post subject: Re: Monthly salary / Living costs Reply with quote

Elicit wrote:

I have an opportunity to work in HCMC. I notice, through searching the Vietnam forum, lots of hourly rates for teaching hours, but I am looking for stability so am interested in monthly salaries.
Cheers
Just curious, are you asking to see how your "opportunity" compares to the average? Or do you mean when you say "opportunity to work" that you have yet to find a job, but are now in a position to pursue work there?

Again, just curious. I would be interested to know the answers to your questions as well, especially the one about housing and cost of living.
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Elicit



Joined: 12 May 2010
Posts: 244

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 12:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I have an offer and am interested to know if it's competitive. I have read lots of threads here, but have encountered more hourly rates than salaries.
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JoeKing



Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 519

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks.
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1st Sgt Welsh



Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Elicit,

Welcome to the forum! If you are considering an offer, I would just post the conditions that they are offering and we can just go from there.
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Prof.Gringo



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1st Sgt Welsh wrote:
Hi Elicit,

Welcome to the forum! If you are considering an offer, I would just post the conditions that they are offering and we can just go from there.


Here, here! I second that motion!
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RustyShackleford



Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 449

PostPosted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Elicit wrote:
Yes, I have an offer and am interested to know if it's competitive. I have read lots of threads here, but have encountered more hourly rates than salaries.


Yes, hourly rates are far more common and salaries are rather rare in Vietnam, as I understand it, limited to the full-time jobs at international schools some lucky sods (like me!) get. Double-edged sword though, because these places tend to require a much higher commitment of time that may not be reflected in the compensation you get and I see that many of the regulars on here are not fans of these arrangements.

From the salaried positions I poked around, I see everything from $1500-$2700/mo being offered. For a guy coming off with a BA and CELTA, you should definitely NOT take the lower end of that unless you like com tam and banh mi day after day.

My salary is somewhere in-between those extremes and, having come from a similar starting point, I am making no complaints although I will be requesting a salary increase should my contract be renewed. So much bloody grading and prep...

I rent a large, (sparsely) furnished and serviced apartment for about $400 after utilities, which allows for plenty of fun times and good dinners. Provided you have no credit card debts or student loans to worry about, you can save a couple hundred bucks easy so long as you don't over do it.
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Elicit



Joined: 12 May 2010
Posts: 244

PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

1st Sgt Welsh wrote:
Hi Elicit,

Welcome to the forum! If you are considering an offer, I would just post the conditions that they are offering and we can just go from there.


Thanks for the welcome! The world being a very small place due to the wonders of internet forums dictates I am unable to be more specific unfortunately.

Thanks Rusty for the information. To be honest the offer is nearer the lower end of the salary range you specified. A one year commitment is not too long a time and is a good opportunity to prove my worth. I would negotiate hard when a second year contract is offered based on your numbers.
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yaramaz



Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 2384
Location: Not where I was before

PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[edited for silly typo]

I'm bumping this up to the top of the pile so I don't clog up the forum with redundant new topics.

In brief: Have BA, TEFL certified with 12 years of experience in Asia and the Middle East, mostly EAP and business and IELTS stuff both in universities and private centres, with a fair amount of YL thrown in for good measure. My CV covers a lot of really good bases (or so I thought) and I even have management and training experience in two countries.

I'm looking for work in Hanoi (as my husband has already accepted a management gig there, starting later this year). I've applied to all the big schools (ILA, ACET, RMIT, Apollo, plus a few others whose ads have come up on job sites) but only heard back from one, who offered a full-time job teaching adults for a starting salary of $1425/month. I was, frankly, shocked- that's a lot lower than I had expected, based on research. As well, I thought I'd at least get a 'thanks but no thanks' courtesy email from the others, but only got an auto-reply email that said I'd be contacted if they were interested. Obviously they weren't.

Is it me? Is it Vietnam? Is it the wrong time of year? Should I go on a tourist visa to begin with, without a job lined up, and just see what is available on the ground? Can you convert tourist visas to work ones once you are in the country?
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TRH



Joined: 27 Oct 2011
Posts: 340
Location: Hawaii

PostPosted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yaramaz wrote:
I'm looking for work in Hanoi (as my husband has already accepted a management gig there, starting later this year)

Should I go on a tourist visa to begin with, without a job lined up, and just see what is available on the ground? Can you convert tourist visas to work ones once you are in the country?
I am not 100% sure on this one, but if your husband is working a management job, I recall reading that there is a spousal provision in the work permit/residency card process. Has his employer promised a work permit? If so, I think you could reside with him whether employed or not.
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yaramaz



Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 2384
Location: Not where I was before

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting. And yes, they're getting him a permit. And since we have a kid, he'd need to be on some sort of visa that's not just a tourist one. I'll find out if I can be added.
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Prof.Gringo



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

yaramaz wrote:
[edited for silly typo]

I'm bumping this up to the top of the pile so I don't clog up the forum with redundant new topics.

In brief: Have BA, TEFL certified with 12 years of experience in Asia and the Middle East, mostly EAP and business and IELTS stuff both in universities and private centres, with a fair amount of YL thrown in for good measure. My CV covers a lot of really good bases (or so I thought) and I even have management and training experience in two countries.

I'm looking for work in Hanoi (as my husband has already accepted a management gig there, starting later this year). I've applied to all the big schools (ILA, ACET, RMIT, Apollo, plus a few others whose ads have come up on job sites) but only heard back from one, who offered a full-time job teaching adults for a starting salary of $1425/month. I was, frankly, shocked- that's a lot lower than I had expected, based on research. As well, I thought I'd at least get a 'thanks but no thanks' courtesy email from the others, but only got an auto-reply email that said I'd be contacted if they were interested. Obviously they weren't.

Is it me? Is it Vietnam? Is it the wrong time of year? Should I go on a tourist visa to begin with, without a job lined up, and just see what is available on the ground? Can you convert tourist visas to work ones once you are in the country?


VN is "hot n' hip" right now. All the major schools can pick and choose who they want. Younger the better is the name of the game.

Way too many teachers, not enough hours.

How long before the VNese school owners realize they can pay $10 bucks an hour and still have teachers to fill all of the jobs?

Wages are going down, not up. Fewer and fewer schools even offer full-time contracts.

Smaller VNese owned/managed schools are all over the place, but... good luck with those. I have been to "EFL schools" where the VNese director looked right at my CV, then asked me: "You ever teach E?" or how about: "How long you Vietnam?"

Advice? Just show up on a tourist visa, same as the other 80% or whatever of TEFL'ers and have a go of it.
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ExpatLuke



Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 5:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to add to this. With what's been going on in Thailand recently, I'm sure a lot of western teachers are leaving there, and Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia are seeing a big influx. Now is definitely not the best time to be looking for work in Vietnam.
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theoriginalprankster



Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Posts: 895

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How about if you have 13 years steady work/teaching experience in Taiwan and China, with degree, CELTA and you're a certified IELTS examiner?

Would you pick up a better gig?

And does BC Vietnam need examiners?

I'm flying the Chinese roost soon, thinking of heading over..
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Prof.Gringo



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

theoriginalprankster wrote:
How about if you have 13 years steady work/teaching experience in Taiwan and China, with degree, CELTA and you're a certified IELTS examiner?

Would you pick up a better gig?

And does BC Vietnam need examiners?

I'm flying the Chinese roost soon, thinking of heading over..


How long you Vietnam?

Why you come Vietnam?

Do you like a Vietnam people?

Can you speak a Vietnam?

Laughing
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