Job Discussion Forums

[RustyShackleford]

Hi all,

I've been lurking here for the past couple of weeks but figure I should ask for some information more specific to my circumstances to get the whipping by all the forum regulars.

I am currently on the JET Program and decided that, rather than deal with the hassles of deposits and moving in country, I'd move to Vietnam, save a little cash and embark on a complete change of lifestyle in Saigon at the end of July.

On two prior trips to Ho Chi Minh City, I have made a small base of friends who all seem to be trustworthy, if not particularly well-connected, people. They have all assured me that a guy with five years of experience teaching ESL in Japan with a BA and a TEFL cert (Albeit one obtained online via ITTT, a firm that nonetheless seems to have gotten this forum's overall blessing) should have no problem finding work.

I'm considering applying for VUS since this seems to be the least headache-inducing of all options, but going to be bringing something like 20 resumes to pass around to various schools in case that doesn't pan out. In the meantime, I will be staying a hostel until I can find some cheap housing near wherever I wind up working.

Am I doing it right so far? I guess that's what I'm asking here.

[ExpatLuke]

Sounds fine overall to me. I don't much like Saigon, but you seem to have everything in order. You'll need notarized copies of your degree and certificate.

[LettersAthruZ]

Sounds like you've been setting things up well....so far, so good.

But, as is stated repeatedly on this forum, you most likely will have better luck boots-on-the-ground / in-person getting a gig as opposed to over the Internets....

Best of luck.....

[mark_in_saigon]

This may seem like a technical nitpick, but on the issue of resumes, I think the number you mentioned is not what matters. I find that almost none of the guys here put together a professional employment package, which can be a big help, though a lot of these hiring managers are not qualified to know who is good or who is not, but maybe that is the central point anyway. This place is very different from other countries, you are in Japan, right? Those guys are like from another planet compared to the VN managers. So, it really pays to play around with your employment package and alter it based on what you see. For example, I was fascinated to actually watch a hiring manager look over my resume once, he was like a child almost, looking at a coloring book or something. The words were like hieroglyphics, he did not want to try to actually read them, as he did not want to admit he did not understand what it all meant. So he looked at the pictures in the portfolio, while comparing them to my live visage, this was the essence of the interview.

Of course, they are not all that "interesting" but I am sure some are even worse. We have to understand their mentality (uhh, or try to anyway), and then adjust our schtick. I have come to the conclusion we have mostly these game show host jobs, with a small need for serious teachers in a few locations. Presenting yourself as a serious teacher is not a good idea for the game show host job, and vice versa. So, best bet is to see how it goes, make sure you have a good picture on your resume, and adapt your resume/employment portfolio to the reality of what happens. Copies are cheaper than dirt here.

[RustyShackleford]

Thanks Mark and everyone else. I was thinking much the same thing. I'm looking to come to Vietnam to hone my teaching skills since that seems the career path that has opened before me, but since I'm hitting the ground running I know that I will have to keep my options open.

[mark_in_saigon]

Hi Rusty.

[RustyShackleford]

Okay sure I said two different things but doesn't mean that there can't be some overlap. I speak Japanese, which I find a lot of fellow teachers actually discourage and, so by moving to Vietnam I can force myself to teach more exclusively in English, although I am studying the language for survival/general comprehension. That and I find that it's actually cheaper for me to move to Vietnam than it is to move WITHIN Japan itself and pay ridiculous fees for "key money," but that's a whole other argument.

I find many of the "edutainment" arguments to be just as relevant to Japan actually. However, I am determined to try to make it work as I have in the public school environment in Japan, where, just as anywhere, it seems that the job is what we can make of it.