Job Discussion Forums

[EricCC]

Hello,

I am a 37 year old teacher living in Korea. I worked in education in the US for several years, will have my MA in TEFL completed soon, and would like to move to Vietnam in the next three or four years to live and work.


I'm a little concerned, however, that I am getting too old and/or I will have "too much experience."


Any real advice for someone in my position? Anyone in their 40's working in Vietnam who can share their experience?

Thank you.

Eric

[isabel]

How about those of us in our 60's?

[cb400]

EricCC:

If you want to come to VN I would suggest Hanoi instead of HCMC. I am 36 yrs old with 9 years teaching experience and I am struggling to find work in HCMC, over the 20 something 'I am so hungover' group who will work for 13-15$ an hour.

I personally found Hanoi much easier for good work and professional development, but I prefer HCMC for the lifestyle.

I am moving onto greener pastures soon, let me know if you have any specific questions.

Cheers

[LettersAthruZ]

In terms of any discrimination regarding age towards my teaching peers at schools and centres in The North, age really, really does not seem to be a much of a factor from what I have observed.

[mark_in_saigon]

Discussions about rate per hour often do not address the other issues which seem to me as or more important, such as number of hours, having to trudge around from one remote location to another and the relative unprofessionalism of any particular job.

I think any mature, serious professional (regardless of age) is always going to be shocked by the experience, if this is his first time teaching outside the west. While the kids may be better in ways, the workplace, the processes, the environment, ones peers, superiors, any or all of that can be just amazingly disastrous, or in the majority of jobs it is. Most newcomers have to start off in those kinds of jobs, and I think anyone who comes over has to assume he may work in that kind of job.

It is an interesting question if a person can have too much experience. I think the answer has to depend on the person, his goals, and other factors. Just knowing how to teach very well can be too much of a good thing. Your superiors may not know or care about that, and you can actually be valued or devalued more based on things like your overall appearance or racial profile, things like that. So knowing how good you really are could actually frustrate you in a case like that. Maybe some beautiful young European comes in with broken English and gets more hours than you because he looks like a demigod, how are you gonna feel about that? I am not sure huge experience in teaching has the market value it should here, maybe it depends too on what special knowledge you have. I think business training has extra value, and some of the more advanced levels of English really require more skills than most of the backpackers carry in their tucker bags. If you actually have management experience and training (and skill), and you carry yourself professionally, you are in a rather small pool, and you should eventually be able to do something more than only teaching lower levels in a mind numbing scenario, as so much of this really is.

Best profile for working here is having enough money coming in from other sources that you can live without these guys, it really gives you the upper hand. It is best for them to need you more than you need them. Don't have to be rude about it, but if that is your profile, let them know in a subtle way that you are free to work or not to work, and you only work at places that make the effort to eliminate the stupidity of it all, which aint many.

[kurtz]

In Hanoi at least I think only the really crappy places to work would prefer the gap-yearers; aim high in Hanoi like a DOS position in one of the mills or some of the best schools like RMIT or ACET. There are opportunities in Hanoi.

Being able to adapt here is something else. Maybe spend some time in Hanoi (or Saigon) to see if you like it here before committing as Vietnam isn't for everyone.

[Mattingly]

[LettersAthruZ]