Job Discussion Forums

[Julio von Chewlio]

Hiya All
I am moving to Vietnam later this year and a friend has decided to join me.
This is great in one way, company etc, but unfortunately he is only educated to UK secondary school (GCSE) level.
If we both take CELTA / TEFL together in Ho Chi Minh city, will he be allowed to get a teaching job and apply for a work permit?
I am not sure about this and hate to give him the bad news, but want to be honest and up front with him.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Andy123]

Sadly, I know of two people who have not completed their secondary school education and have taught IELTS. Really! So why not?

I have a friend with a masters degree and many years of teaching experience in his home country who has to fight the uneducated and inexperienced backpackers for hours. Go figure. Unfortunately, it rarely matters.

[Julio von Chewlio]

Thanks for your reply, Andy.
Is this in Vietnam though?
You don't say.

[toiyeuthitmeo]

VN just "elected" a new leader and politburo, and around the same time, tough talk about work permits and deportations has returned. Nevertheless, there are enough people without degrees, and without work permits for that matter, teaching. It's a risk, though. Personally, those I know who work like this have been here for many years, and have carefully cultivated work relationships, friendships, and government paperwork contacts that help keep them around. I think it might be much harder on someone new in the country. Further, working conditions can often be crap for a teacher with no degree. I know a guy who has to accept $12/hour, because he really has no other options.

The "official" rule is that all English language teachers must have a 4 year university degree, and also some kind of teaching credential or certificate.

[LettersAthruZ]

Weeelll.......it's NOT the Halcyon days of five, four...hell - even TWO years ago where, credentials be dammed - we're BEGGING you, Mr. or Ms. WhiteFace, to come and teach for us!

Nope, as the U.S. and Europe economically continue to go into the tank, and as more and more new migrants come forth to these shores, there are fewer and fewer vacancies and more downward pressure on wages and salaries.

Sadly, this also means that schools and centers can become more and more picky about whom they select for employ.

This is the case in HCMC and is rapidly becoming the case in Ha Noi.

However, I DO know some people in Hai Phong, Da Nang and out in The Provinces who have not gotten anything past secondary education and just have TEFL/CELTA/DELTA certification and have had zero issues finding employment

RE: Obtaining a work permit - don't waste your time....your friend will get one legally ONLY IF the school he finds work with a school or center that has "A Good Relationship" with Immigration and The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (AND if they pay a hefty bribe on your friend's behalf).

Best just to have him "Backpack it" or freelance around and see if he can grab private tutors and the like....but, like toiyeuthitmeo says above, don't expect the cash to come pouring down like a waterfall.

[roym]

[esbam2002]

I write this to tell people here to be careful. There is a Vietnamese guy, who's name I can't give or I will get a mod edit, that is telling ESL teachers here in HCMC that he can get them work permits outside of HCMC without certified documents. No degree, no problem he will sell you a fake. He will charge you 1100 USD for it, and want all the money up front with no security.

Problem though is that even outside HCMC your documents still have to be certified to get a work permit, as I was told by both a lawyer here and someone with a company that does work permit for their foreign staff. So he is obviously, based on this information, selling foreign teachers illegally obtained work permits, which could potentially cause them problems. The way it was explained to me is you give him the money, and hope the police don't find out your work permit is illegal, since you, not him, will have to deal with them.

Just a warning to anyone

[just noel]