Job Discussion Forums

[jingjai9]

Hey,

Been in Thailand for the last five years and recently got the bright idea to check out Viet Nam. I've got a few Q's.
1) How is the weather as far as flooding goes? I know SE Asia has its rainy season, but does HCMC flood annually? I have been stuck in floods in Thailand and it ain't pretty. I have not heard anyone on this site talk about floods, so I am encouraged.
2) I am trying to get hooked up before I come to VN in October, but I understand they don't usually hire over the internet. If you have a BA/ TESOL certificate and 10 years teaching adults, can you realistically expect to land a job for $1200 a month working full time?
3) I work for a government college in Thailand and I worked in Korea, and in both places it was and is a big "no no" to work other jobs. You can do it, but it has to be secret (especially in Korea) and they can deport and blacklist you if you get busted. From reading this site, it sounds as though you can work multiple jobs in VN quite openly, is that true?
4) Any word on Da Nang? Can you go there as well and find a job by turning up? If so, is the pay comparable to HCMC or Hanoi?

I have been in Thailand for five years teaching and if anyone has any questions about Thailand, ask away.
jingjai9

[sigmoid]

I too worked in Thailand numerous years. I have been in HCM City for about 5 weeks.

1) No major flooding on the scale that happens in Bangkok or at least not that I have seen yet

2) More and more schools are going online, so don't rule out the possibility of getting a job via internet or at least contacting schools and setting up interviews. Anyway, I think you'll find there is a lot of demand here. You may not find that "perfect" position right away, but you will find work of some sort to get you started in about a week.

3) Yes, the teaching profession at this point is not very regulated and working multiple jobs is the norm. You may not get as many hours as you want at one school.

4) I haven't been here long enough to comment on Danang.

[suoose]

I actually have a friend who works in Danang and I also visited there to see what it was like. It''s easy to get work over there, but the pay is a little bit lower then Hanoi or Saigon. But the cost of living is a bit lower then those cities too so it balances out. Expect to start off between 10 to 12 an hour. You will probably have to work two schools to get enough hours. My friend works at a private school and at Danang University. Its an alright place, a bit more laid back and smaller then Hanoi and Saigon. Nightlife is small but there are a few joints that are cool to hang out at and hook up if you want to. (one being the Camel Club) You can rent a big nice house near the beach for under 250 a month. My friend has a huge 5 bedroom house and its only him! I peronally would prefer to go to Saigon because of the nightlife but thats mainly because right now i'm stuck in Korea in a small city which is slowly killing me with boredom. I will be in Vietnam in September looking for work in Saigon. Plus if your single the girls are better looking in South Vietnam then the middle to northern parts of the country, well thats my opinion anyways.

[sigmoid]

[Rogue Trader]

A good portion of Dist. 5 was underwater yesterday as well. Flooding in HCMC is a very real problem.

RT