Job Discussion Forums

katie19 · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 4 Location: boulder, co

We are trying to decide between Taiwan and Vietnam and don't really have the money to get a better TEFL certificate than the ones online, which we hear aren't worth anything anyway. Both of us have bachelor's degrees, but that's it. How easy is it to find a decent paying job? What's the best place to try it? Has anyone showed up without a TEFL or equivalent and gotten a job?

saint57 · Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:50 pm Post subject:

Here is a general tip on the ESL job market. Anyone with extensive experience in either Vietnam or Taiwan feel free to correct me. If you want to walk into a job in either country then I'm sure you can find something without a TESL certificate (Vietnam will be more tricky). A short answer to your question is the average language school in Taiwan pays more than Vietnam. Also, there are more job postings in Taiwan than Vietnam. The people I have know in Taiwan didn't have TESL certificates and were happy with the money they were able to save by doing extra teaching on the side. They didn't like their jobs though and couldn't enjoy Taiwan. Getting a job is not difficult, getting the job you want is the trick.

katie19 · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 4 Location: boulder, co

Thanks for the good info! I apologize for being so naive here - definitely a newbie - but I'm wondering about what you said about getting the job you want in Taiwan. What are some of the problems your friends there had with their jobs? Any way to avoid those issues from the beginning? Thanks again.

saint57 · Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:16 am Post subject:

Hi Katie, no problem with newbies asking questions. It's a good thing. The comment about getting the job you want means that you probably won't be able to step into a foreign country and land a sweet job without experience or a TESL certificate. It's just like any industry. You need to get some experience first. Yes, you'll find employment and once you're in the country more opportunities will present themselves. Get a TESL while you're working your first job and go from there. Wherever you go, you probably won't be the biggest fan of your first job. However, teaching abroad can be an awesome experience. If I were you I'd pick a country for the experience rather than the money because it might save your sanity. The negative experiences of people I know are typical of posters on the Taiwan forum, so just balance them with the positive posters.

Micro67 · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 297 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

There are a number of regulations that have recently either come into effect and enforcement has lead schools to begin requiring more from their teachers.

There is some debate as to whether you need a certificate, a degree or both.