Job Discussion Forums

skarper · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 477

Expatluke hits the nail on the head there.

I'd say 90% or the 'jobs' teaching here they just want a compliant clown who speaks English. Even the better mills are looking for that plus a cert TEFL - CELTA ideally.

That market is flooded beyond capacity and apt to be even more so as the jobs market in Western countries gets worse and worse - I can see no reason to expect any real 'recovery' whatever that means anyway.

But the few [10% at a guess] jobs that are serious jobs I think the market is not so full. There are not that many people with the profile and attitude to fill these positions - but they are good jobs and they don't come round that often.

Ergo it may take a while to get one and so people take the English clown jobs to fill in and make some money while they wait. Many run out of patience while they wait and either get used to the clown act and learn to live with it or move on to another country to try their luck again.

I think for the most part you have to be in the country and already set up to get a job in places like RMIT.

I try to discourage people with low or no qualifications and who are very young and lack the resources and life skills or who would just be better off following another path. I do this for the sake of the students they will teach and also for their sakes - because 9 out 10 of them have a miserable time, waste money and don't enhance their job prospects when they do go back home to find a real job.

But people who've invested time in learning how to teach and have special skills or experience I tend to encourage. With the caveat that it is no easy ride even for the best candidate.

That is true everywhere in TEFL but especially so in Vietnam.