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some waygug-in
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339
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 Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 7:26 am Post subject: What are my options? |
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Hello there,
I am a 43 year old Canadian with 5 years of ESL teaching experience.
I am in Korea now, but am having trouble finding a job because of my age.
I am wondering if it would be worth my while to try Vietnam. I have a BA and a TESOL cert ......if that helps.
Would I have trouble getting a visa? What would I have to do?
Can I just fly there and look for a job or do I have to arrange things first?
If so, how much money should I have on hand?
Can I use a foreign bank account there?
How do I go about doing the criminal background check? I've never done one. Would I have to go back to Canada to do it?
Anyway, sorry if these questions are the same as someone else's, I tried to read through some threads but I couldn't find my answers there.
Thanks in advance |
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moot point
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 441
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 8:19 am Post subject: |
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| 43 years old and 5 years experience teaching English? Dude, you are not too old to work in most countries in Asia. Perhaps you're selling yourself short. Give up on the hogwans and other money-hungry English schools and place your CV with some private high schools/universities. I'm sure you'll get some bites. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Yes, I've been hearing that a lot lately. I am trying, the problem is most of them have already hired for this semester and I won't have enough cash to wait till January. I need something soon.
Anyway, thanks for your response. |
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lizarddoctor
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 141
Location: HCMC, Vietnam
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:30 am Post subject: Re: What are my options? |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
I am a 43 year old Canadian with 5 years of ESL teaching experience.
I am in Korea now, but am having trouble finding a job because of my age.
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Yep, Korea and Taiwan usually cap most jobs at 35 due to marketability to parents. A sad fact, but Vietnam doesn't descriminate for age.
| some waygug-in wrote: |
I am wondering if it would be worth my while to try Vietnam. I have a BA and a TESOL cert ......if that helps.
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That helps a lot, many schools here will hire you on the spot if you look western.
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Would I have trouble getting a visa? What would I have to do?
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Not really, come in on a tourist Visa and get a job. Getting a renewal is easy, but sometimes costly. Good thing is you don't need to fly to Osaka to get it. You do have to get it before you get here though.
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Can I just fly there and look for a job or do I have to arrange things first?
If so, how much money should I have on hand?
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That is how you do it here, almost every school hires on a walk in basis. Forget the schools who hire over the internet, they offer bad contracts and schedules for minimum pay.
I started with 1000$ and it lasted 6 weeks, just don't get too crazy when you get here.
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Can I use a foreign bank account there?
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Yes
| some waygug-in wrote: |
How do I go about doing the criminal background check? I've never done one. Would I have to go back to Canada to do it?
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This is a little more difficult, contact your Canadian Embassy and get the process started. Not necessary to get started as a temporary 6 month permit can be granted stating that you are processing your paperwork.
| some waygug-in wrote: |
Anyway, sorry if these questions are the same as someone else's, I tried to read through some threads but I couldn't find my answers there.
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Though I still try to be active here, try my site at www.saigonesl.com or browse through the forum at www.mekongesl.com as we are both operating in Vietnam and have more up to date information on real working conditions affecting us all.
fellow WayGuk Yungal Song-Sang-Niem now in Vietnam |
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Ryno
Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 1:41 am Post subject: |
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| Don't worry about your age. I teach at a prominent school here in HCMC where two of my peers are well into their 50's. I know for a fact that one of them is 59. I believe that race is far more of a problem here than age or gender. Good luck! |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 339
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| Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2005 4:22 am Post subject: |
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You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Much appreciated.
Thank you.  |
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Coats2Coast
Joined: 22 Sep 2005
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:54 am Post subject: |
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| Ryno wrote: |
| Don't worry about your age. I teach at a prominent school here in HCMC where two of my peers are well into their 50's. I know for a fact that one of them is 59. I believe that race is far more of a problem here than age or gender. Good luck! |
How bad is the race issue?
I was born in Vietnam, but adopted by a "white" Canadian family at a very young age (5 yrs old). My English is as fluent as if I was born here. How difficult will it be for me to get a job? Or should I say a well paying job? |
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VC
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: What are my options? |
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| lizarddoctor wrote: |
| some waygug-in wrote: |
How do I go about doing the criminal background check? I've never done one. Would I have to go back to Canada to do it?
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This is a little more difficult, contact your Canadian Embassy and get the process started. Not necessary to get started as a temporary 6 month permit can be granted stating that you are processing your paperwork.
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I assume it's a lot more difficult if you are American? I'm thinking about coming to Vietnam in January. I am currently in Korea. I found this link about obtaining the necessary criminal background check-
"2. Obtain a criminal background check from your local sherrif's office.
3. Have this document notorized.
4. Have this document confirmed and stamped by the clerk of courts. (1) This document is stamped and proved as valid by the higher authority.
4. Repeat the previous step (1) by the State Department of your state.
5. Repeat step (1) by the Department of the State of the U.S.A. (yes this means Colin Powell or now Condi Rice) and pay money. Not so easy to do.
6. Repeat step (1) by the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington and pay money.
These steps take many months and it takes contacts to finally get it done."
http://www.mcurtin.com/archives/2005/05/the_saga_of_the.php
Is there an easier way? |
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Ryno
Joined: 23 Jan 2005
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:59 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Repeat step (1) by the Department of the State of the U.S.A. (yes this means Colin Powell or now Condi Rice) and pay money. Not so easy to do |
I would have to seriously disagree with what that link said that the actual Secretary of State Condolleeza Rice has to personally sign anyone's little background check. In this step of the process, the document is simply going to the US Dept of Authentications Office, not to her desk. It's just anoter validation step which that office is authorized to do.
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| These steps take many months and it takes contacts to finally get it done |
I would also have to disagree that all of this has to take many months and contacts to get done. If everything is overnighted with return postage, it shouldn't take too long.
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| Is there an easier way? |
Yes, there sure is! Just don't do any of it and come over here to work. |
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