Job Discussion Forums

[elliot_spencer]

Hi guys

Ive been teaching overseas since 2006 and would like to return to Asia where this journey all started. The only difference is I am not 23 any more but 31. Are there any teflers who started in Nam during their 30s and how did you find it? I am worried that if I take a job with ILA in a place like HCMC I will be working with and surrounded by 20 somethings fresh out of college whose sole purpose in life is to get drunk. Teaching is actually my career/life.

Also would Hanoi or HCMC be better? Are there any k-12 / bilingual school jobs out there?

Thanks

[skarper]

Beware asking questions that are covered well already by older threads. Not only does no-one reply some can get a little snide.

31 is not old and ILA has many older teachers. There are international schools in HCMC and they do employ all sorts of people with all sorts of qualifications. Easiest to get in if you have QTS/PGCE type quals but some simple TEFLrs slip through.

Wages are falling, the market is saturated and the visa situation a quagmire at present - but if you are sure you want to come or have only worse options then by all means give it a go.

Bring about 5000USD or equiv as a cushion/emergency fund. This gives you 3+ months living expenses and the ability to buy a plane ticket out if it all goes to ratshit. You can manage with less but it increases the risk of a less than optimal outcome.

[elliot_spencer]

Thanks for that. Its either here or BKK

[I'm With Stupid]

I've got a lot of friends at ILA, and they're pretty much universally saying that they're getting screwed over for hours right now. Teachers losing classes without any notice in the middle of a course. They've massively expanded in recent years, and it seems like they've over-hired. Their full time contract has already gone down to 73 guaranteed hours a month. I think the whole thing has gone downhill massively since the new investors took over. It's still a decent option for new teachers, but for someone with 9 years experience, I think you can do much better.

[Brunouno]

I wouldn't want to work at a place like ILA if I had 9 years of experience, and I think your assumption is probably correct:) What qualifications have you gained in these 9 years? A DELTA or Master of TESOL? Nevertheless, I think you could get a half decent gig even if you haven't gained either.

A lot of guys here will tell you that $15 an hour is the best you can hope for, but I get the impression that many guys on this forum are a little on the grey side, and perhaps aren't ideal candidates (in the employer's opinion) for the better positions. However, I can also imagine a flip side to this with employers taking advantage of the youngsters with no prior experience.

If you're normal and present yourself well, then you only need to be more concerned about finding the right job rather than actually finding a job. This has been my personal experience, anyway.

I can't personally comment about choosing HCM or Hanoi as I've never been to Hanoi. Many of my Vietnamese friends, who live in Saigon, have told me, though, that the people are ruder in Hanoi and the service is bad. Perhaps the people in Hanoi say the same things about HCM. I don't know:))

[skarper]

Both are huge, dirty, overcrowded Asian cities. I arrived in Hanoi and found it OK - but that was 8 years ago - last time I went the traffic was a lot worse.

HCMC is said to be friendlier and I think that may be true and not just prejudice.

Hanoi is much too cold for comfort for about 3 months a year. Both are too hot in summer.

Hanoi has less competition for jobs but also less jobs.

If I were coming again in your shoes I would try HCMC to start with and then after a few months try for a smaller town. Some can land on their feet in a good situation in these smaller places right away but there are far fewer options and a lot of competition so it is not a choice I'd recommend.

Lots of other threads cover this so spend a few hours browsing these.

[Demonietto]

31 is just fine, not too old. There are plenty of us here, plus the younger crowd which can be fun to hang out with occasionally. I agree, shoot for a bilingual school over a language center, or an international school if you have the qualifications. I don't, so I supplement a bilingual school job with language center hours. I wanted to make more than $1500 a month, and I am. HCMC is fun but too hot right now. I haven't made it up to check Hanoi out yet.

[EFL Educator]

Age discrimination is becoming more rife in Vietnam these days....as is the case in Thailand and neighbouring Cambodia and Laos. I guess you should consider yourself retired from the EFL scene at 36 years of age...as most ads I see in the newspapers and online are now specifying EFL teachers to be between the ages of 21 to 35 years old. Reasons to me seem to be quite obvious..

[skarper]

While they doubtless prefer 21-35 year olds - I doubt they can always find them. Also - many if not most of the better jobs are never advertised and are filled from a waiting list of previous applicants or by those who know someone already working there.

Headhunting also occurs - word gets round about who is capable and reliable and the better employers approach them directly. Maybe not routinely but it does happen.

Adverts will attract a landslide of applications most of which are substandard so if I were looking to hire I would not expect to get a good result from an online ad.

31 is still on the young side for TEFL but on the old side for a run of the mill mill.

[Toast-Artillery]

I'm currently looking to go to Nam, myself. I've spent the last year teaching in Wuhan, China and have some questions (rather ask them here than start new threads).

Does anyone have experience moving from one host country to another? I'd like to avoid heading back to the states if I can. It would be a way shorter trip!

When getting a job in China, they seemed pretty adamant about getting my info months ahead of time. Is Vietnam similar? or would I have some luck finding a job just by going straight there in the summer when my current contract expires. I'd rather have a job lined up before heading over.

I'm also having a little bit of trouble finding the right info I'd need for all the formal paperwork. Seems like a lot of the topics here are out of date. What's currently required for a work visa?

Thanks ahead of time for any help!

[VietCanada]

I'm in my fifties. I threw out a few (15) resumes last week and got hired, interviewed by five companies and offered classes by three. I wouldn't even give the time of day to anyone who's starting pay was less than $20 an hour.

I've done this and had similar results for years now. Pay has gone up in that time. I expect to get more interviews and offers over the next year from those 15 resumes.

But I have ten plus years of experience in this industry. A newbee gets offers in the 13- 15 an hour range. Cash, no guaranteed hours.

If you are committed to this career then come and pay your dues. You'll get there. But bring money to live on and fly home if necessary.

I would advise anyone (not directed at OP) who thinks coming to Asia to teach will solve their unemployment problems to understand that that situation ended many years ago.

It's also important to know that working here legally requires many documents and each must be notarized or apostilled. This takes time. As much as six months.

Do that first and then come and hit the pavement.

[ExpatLuke]

[Brunouno]

[ExpatLuke]

[chrisms86]