Job Discussion Forums

[mia_1]

Hi guys, I'm a bit of a newbie at this, so my apologies for anything that sounds somewhat stupid. I'm Australian, have done 3 years of a 4-year university degree so have not graduated yet. I am taking 2007 out from studying.

I have been offered a position teaching in Japan with Nova (flexi position), and I must make a decision as to whether I will accept this or not. My main concern is that, because I am going to be part-time, I will not have much money to enjoy a social life and be able to go out for meals etc etc. I understand I can sign up for overtime but don't want to rely on this.

The other option I am tossing up is teaching in Vietnam by starting out doing a TEFL course on arrival. However I am uncertain of my chances of being employed in Vietnam without a degree. Does having 3 years of uni under your belt count for anything? Anyway sorry this has turned out to be a bit of an essay, was just interested in thoughts from people who may have experienced either option
thanks : )
Mia

[Brooks]

let me guess: working holiday visa?
How many hours are you going to get?
I don`t know how you can make it part-time, unless you work at least one other job.
Where in Japan is this school?

[mia_1]

yep working holiday visa, apparently with the flexi part time schedule you earn about Y220,000 per month for working 28 hours per week. It's with NOVA. They say you can pick up overtime to supplement your income and I've heard of flexi's earning more than full timers, but I suppose you never know until you get there. I think the base salary is just enough to cover your rent etc but may be living off noodles...
No idea where it will be yet, I find out in a few weeks. I had medium-sized cities as my preference though.

Brooks have you taught in Japan or Vietnam? How do you find it? I am just really unsure about Vietnam because I don't have a degree, so I don't really want to pay $1500 to do a TEFL and then not be able to find a job. I know a lot of people say that any old backpacker can get a job but maybe these are just rare occasions and having a degree is the norm... hmm.. help! I've heard its hard to get a work permit also in VN? I can't find any Australian-specific info so there might be different requirements for people from US/UK/Aus?

[Brooks]

I haven`t taught in Vietnam but obviously do in Japan.
So I don`t know about work permits for Vietnam.

Japan isn`t cheap but the Tokyo area is expensive. 220,000 yen isn`t much. At least with Nova you have a place to stay. Key money is expensive.
I think requesting to work in a medium size city is a good idea.

I thought with Nova you had to have a degree to get hired.

[mia_1]

I know Americans need a degree to work for NOVA but Aus has some agreement with them and you only need to have completed 2 years of a degree so thats helpful.
Maybe I'll just wing it and see how things go...

[Brooks]

yes, that`s right, there is no WHV for Americans, so they need the degree.

[BedTiger]

You can not even begin to compare Japan and Vietnam in terms of money. If we look at averages, the average teacher should be making 1200-1300 a month full time in Nam, while in Japan 220-250000 Yen is the average. But given this you can lead a much better life style in Vietnam as this money will go alot further, in Japan 250 is enough to get by but you will have to watch the money.

Naturally there is more money to be had in both countries, but the noobie stepping off the boat is not going to get them. Currently I make 2000$ a month in Hanoi and I lead a lifestyle that most English teacher will never have in Japan. I can easily live of 500$ a month, and save a quite a bit...not that I do...but I love traveling.

[liehtzu]

Two beers in Japan is the cost of a pretty reasonable night-long bender in Vietnam. Keep in mind. That said, consider what you like:

Is access to goods you can buy back home a factor? The stores in Vietnam are dusty, understocked, and usually lack refrigeration. Is safety and cleanliness a factor? Hygiene in VN ain't so good - even the locals wipe off their spoons and chopsticks thoroughly before using them in restaurants - and traffic accidents and fights after too much booze is common. Japan is safe, clean, efficient, and no one's going to rob you or rip you off. Vietnam is hot, poor, and on "Vietnam time" (and one can substitute the word "Vietnam" in that phrase for any other locality in the region, i.e. "Thai time," "Filipino time," which means significantly later than stated/agreed upon). The locals can be charmingly tenacious - I love it when the local xe om drivers follow you half a block down the road repeatedly asking "Sir, you want motorcycle? Where you go?" Or the market ladies who refuse to give you the correct price for a bag of oranges even though you know what it is.

But! As has been said elsewhere on here, I don't think Vietnam is an immediate love for people who arrive there, especially from friendlier countries like Thailand. Yet people grow to love it in a deep way. It is hot and chaotic, but there are so many places that are quiet and serene. Get a motorcycle by all means. Others will tell you that the traffic in Vietnam is thorough horror, and it is, but there's a weird anti-logic to it that once you understand is easy to master (it's a matter of passive-aggressiveness mostly). Drive out to the beaches and the mountains. Have a cold bia hoi on the streets of Saigon and watch the wonderful flow of traffic rush by. I'm in Japan right now, and it's cold and overcast, and the city I'm in is crowded and dreary. But it is definitely more "Western" than Vietnam in many ways (check out the record stores here in Japan! in Vietnam the only foreign band they know is The Scorpions), and if you can't live without McDonald's be aware that there ain't one in Vietnam, a nation of 80 million. Nor a Wendy's or Pizza Hut.

As you will note on this forum, a lot of people hate living in Vietnam. I am not one of them.

To sum

Japan: totally too-cool-for-school, great clubs, shopping, first-world, gorgeous girls, efficiency, cleanliness, good food, good beer, pockets of traditional culture, skyskrapers, ultra-expensive, cold weather in winter, confusing, crowded, and a rather aloof population (I find). I also think the job scene is worse in Japan: more work, longer hours. But the pay is better than Vietnam.

Vietnam: warmth, beaches, ridiculously inexpensive, gorgeous girls, chaos and calm, hit-and-miss food, good beer, lack of hygiene and facilities, months of rainy season, nice folk (though this often involves cracking the shell, and I find that the further south you go the nicer the locals are), poor, hot, crowded.

Take your pick. You are considering two very different places. If you don't mind cold winters and you're looking for something modern then Japan is the way to go. If you're interested in something a little wilder and more unpredictable, want to live in the tropics, and are willing to weather a lot of initial frustration, Vietnam is recommended.

Good luck.

[Brooks]

the pay is better in Vietnam?
You mean the cost of living is better. Japan is too expensive.