Job Discussion Forums

[Peach8]

To anyone with insight! I REALLY want to come to Vietnam around Dec. 26th and start work pretty soon after that. I have been in touch with the big name international schools and some say they have part time work, while others say they have nothing until Feb/March due to Tet.
However, I am desperate to get out of the States and will need work to maintain rent/food at least for the first month until schools come back and hire again in February. Does anyone know ANYWHERE (small, unknown schools) that will likely be hiring in January in HCMC (or even Hanoi)?? Or is it easy to pick up private students? Any advice is good advice here, I truly appreciate it!!!

[jorion]

I'm in the same boat. Planning on arriving in Vietnam soon after Christmas, and will need to find some kind of work as soon as possible. I know most schools will be closed at least the last week in January, but do you think any schools will be hiring at the beginning of the month? I am TEFL - certified and experienced, a native speaker from N. America, etc.

Or, Does anyone know of any other kinds of work that one could pick up for a few weeks until schools get back into the swing of things? Or private, international companies that might need teachers, or teacher-less private students, or ANY ideas/contacts would be greatly appreciated!!!

[skarper]

I don't want to pour cold water on your plans - but you shouldn't come here if you can't live for 3 months without working at all. That's about 3000 USD.

If you can get taken on by one of the big chains who guarantee everything then that's a different story.

But things are uncertain here - a lot of the impact from the financial crisis seems to be delayed, but could still be severe - and pre TET there is always a slow down in opportunities.

I don't know what options you have where you are but don't rush over here thinking it's a quick fix.

[ajc19810]

4 years ago I was looking for work around tet. I found work rather quickly, but I was only working about 10 hours a week up until tet and then we had 3 weeks holiday. 2 weeks after the holiday my hours crept up to about 20 / week.

Last year I hired 2 people before tet, gave them solid hours up until the holiday, but then shut down for a month. After that month things went back to normal.

I think finding work in Vietnam is the easiest thing to do, but I must admit in and around Tet things do become pretty slim (not impossible, but slim).

I am actually rather interested as to what the larger chains (VATC, VUS etc.) do for the TET holiday. How long do they shut down for?

We shut down for 2 weeks and teachers will maintain their regular schedules before and after TET.

[Peach8]

What company are you affiliated with ajc19810? Is your firm hiring anyone part time at the start of January? I have spoken with ILA/Apollo/Etc...It seems they close down for the whole month of January. I told them I am coming Dec. 26th and they said they aren't hiring again until Feb/March.
I am willing to do part time work up until Tet, take some savings and hold out for a couple of weeks, and then start full time come February. But I am just wary of how much part time work there is to be had right now, even for an experienced American young woman.

[spycatcher reincarnated]

There is generally a downturn in teaching from mid-December through until a week or two after Tet. Think this post Tet period may be a week or two longer in the north. The downturn is mainly in the teaching of adults, and the teaching of children goes on as normal, except when schools close down of course.

In HCMC schools generally close for 1-2 weeks. This close down will start around 25 January.

In mid December many teachers leave Vietnam, either to go back home for Xmas and to return soon afterwards, or to leave permanently. In this present economic climate I would imagine fewer will be leaving permanently, compared to previous years. As Tet is so early this year I know that quite a few teachers have decided this is an excellent opportunity to take an extended holiday and will be away from mid to late December until early February.

Many new teachers that are coming to Vietnam like to stay wherever they are and have Xmas with friends rather than spending Xmas in a new city with no one they know. Because of this there is often a lack of teachers from the beginning of December until a week or so in to January. There is usually a lot of substitute teaching available around this time, especially for teaching children. The closer it gets to Tet the fewer opportunities there are.