Job Discussion Forums

[torentosan]

For those who have done it, would you recommend showing up in Vietnam to find work or secure a job before leaving home first. I have had little success finding work in Vietnam online.

[snollygoster]

You wont score well trying to get work on line without being here.
On the ground is the only way.
A few hire from e-mails, but they usually take advantage of the fact you know nothing of how the lay of the land is, and pay poorly and give you the classes and times no one else wants.
If you have the right docs, (and that has been discussed at bewildering length in other threads) just get yourself here, and knock on doors. You WILL get a job.

[hot_rock]

True but remember there's no harm in doing some groundwork before you leave. If you do that, you greatly increase your chance of having an interview or two in the first week of getting there; meaning more chance of being in the classroom, earning already, after less than a fortnight.

But that said, you might end up jumping at the first job you get offered (ie with a place you made priot contact with) without properly considering the lay of the land. Up to you, I'd advise emailing like 20 schools before you leave, and seeing what happens.

[phat man nguyen]

I came here without a job, i was working within 10 days, it was for a terrible school but a few days after that i started getting more calls....... just have your degree cert, tefl cert and a cv. take a xe om and spend a day going around the city and dropping off your cv to every esl school you see, explain your situation....youll get calls within a week or so.

[troglodyte]

How hard it is in Vietnam to get by if you just arrive, don't speak the language and don't know the city? I travel a lot and don't usually have a problem getting around and getting stuff done without speaking the local language, but some stuff varies in difficulty from country to country.

How hard is it to get a cell phone?
- do they use European or American bands?
- will they sell you a prepaid SIM card with just a passport?

How hard is it to find language schools?
- where do you look? (Yellow Pages, newspaper, walk around town?)

How hard is it to get around the big cities?
- is it feasible (and safe) to travel around the city by bike?
- can you easily get a second hand bike?
- how is the public transport system?
- do most teachers have to run around the city a lot, or do most manage to get 1 or 2 main jobs teaching full time?

Where do most teachers live?
- youth hostel? pensions?

What's the usually cost of living in a big city, per month?

What extra costs does a new arrival have to budget for?

How much money does an experienced teacher with a BA and general TEFL certificate generally earn in a month?

[H5N1]

Troglodyte,

I've read you a lot on the Korean sections. Cheers.

PM sent.

[jamieg]

[vietexpat2008]

Here are some answers. I have lived here for around 10 years, and I've taught English for a couple of those years, but I'm not a teacher now. So my teacher info may be out of date.

"How hard it is in Vietnam to get by if you just arrive, don't speak the language and don't know the city? I travel a lot and don't usually have a problem getting around and getting stuff done without speaking the local language, but some stuff varies in difficulty from country to country."

A bit hard without any language, but you can cope. Taxi and motorbike drivers don't usually speak much English, but if you write down the address and hand it to them, they'll find it. Transportation is quite cheap.


How hard is it to get a cell phone?
No problem and cheap, too. They want you to show them your passport, but they don't always care.


- do they use European or American bands? Not sure. But if I buy a Nokia here and get a new sim card in America it will work just fine. And vice versa.

- will they sell you a prepaid SIM card with just a passport? Yes. They use scratch-off cards to fill the sim cards with money, and phone system to enter the card info is in English if you want.

How hard is it to find language schools?
- where do you look? (Yellow Pages, newspaper, walk around town?) Drive around town and you'll see them all over the place. You may want to talk to some local teachers to hear about the best deals and who to avoid.

How hard is it to get around the big cities?
- is it feasible (and safe) to travel around the city by bike? It is feasible, yes, but you'll need to learn how to cope with the traffic here. That may take a couple of weeks, depending on how brave you are. Safe? No. This traffic is dangerous. Personally, I have not got into a serious accident myself, but I know plenty of people who have. Be careful.

- can you easily get a second hand bike? Yes. They are not supposed to sell you one unless you have a residency permit, but they will anyway. I bought my current bike for around 225 dollars, and it is OK. If they sell you one illegally and the police take it you will lose it, but the police rarely pull over foreigners.

- how is the public transport system? Never tried it. Buses are everywhere, but they are crowded.

- do most teachers have to run around the city a lot, or do most manage to get 1 or 2 main jobs teaching full time? 1 or 2 jobs will do the trick.

Where do most teachers live?
- youth hostel? pensions? Wherever. Hotels are cheap--around the same price as an apartment, but not as pleasant to live in of course. On the other hand, the price is the price at the hotel, and there's less opportunity for trickery. You can also renting a room at a guest house. I did this in the foreigner zone in district 1 and it was quite pleasant.

One important caveat here--there is a nationwide crackdown on foreign workers who do not have work permits. Theoretically, you are not supposed to be able to rent a house or apartment without a work permit / residency card. This has been enforced at random, so you may want to start with the guest house until you get your papers in order.

What's the usually cost of living in a big city, per month? It is up to you, but you can get by pretty cheap. My rent is medium at around 400 dollars a month. Electricity is maybe 70 dollars a month, internet 20, etc. Local food is VERY cheap and foreign food is often a bit cheaper than back home at a restaurant. If you drive yourself around, it is just gas and motorcycle repairs, which are almost absurdly cheap.

What extra costs does a new arrival have to budget for?

Mistakes. Tricks and theft. If this is your first time in Asia, you are in for a shock to the system. This place can be a lot of fun and a big adventure, but you should be prepared to be taken again and again and again. The depth of the dishonesty is astonishing and you are NOT prepared for it. It will take some time to learn to defend yourself.

You don't need to worry about cultured, elite Vietnamese. But beware of the poor and some of the new rich (like, say, the owner of your school...). Beware of your girlfriend and her family. Don't lend them money expecting to get it back. Don't let them drive around a motorcycle you can't afford to lose. Don't leave an expensive cell phone lying on your desk, unwatched. Don't give your your landlord more than 2 months deposit, and just be pleasantly surprised if your landlord gives some of it back.

Lock your doors RELIGIOUSLY. Make sure your second (and third and fourth!) story balcony door is well secured and locked. Make sure there are iron bars over all the windows someone could get into.

Don't park your motorbike at night such that people could reach through the fence and pull parts off of it, or throw a rope over the fence and somehow pull it over the wall.

Buy a safe to keep your cash, passport, papers and camera in. Use it. Put your wallet in the safe every night.

I know this makes me sound paranoid, but it comes from hard experience. When you are finally zapped, just learn to smile, take your lumps, and don't let that trick get you again. After awhile you'll learn to protect yourself and this stuff won't happen so much to you. It's not all bad--I'm still here and having fun, so there are plenty of reasons to stay!

One final comment on this--You are not in much danger of violent robbery. It is cons and thefts you must watch for.

How much money does an experienced teacher with a BA and general TEFL certificate generally earn in a month? I'm not sure anymore. I'm guessing around 18 to 25 dollars an hour.

[tennisqt84]

I didn't have a job before I came to Vietnam. I spent two days applying at five different schools. I heard back from one of them. The other school that I work at, I found out about through word of mouth.