Job Discussion Forums

[johnnykamikaze]

MOD EDIT

Firstly, to define my situation: I am a Filipino/Chinese American currently living in Jakarta, I came here to do some NGO and journalism work in June and will be out by the end of September. I did a year of graduate school in international relations but ultimately decided none of the skills I was taught and positions it was training for were my interest, as I am an artist and communications specialist, so I did a year and didn't complete the degree (they asked me to withdraw due to grade curving). I also have $50k in student loans, and as we know, being a writer (unless you write a bestselling novel) and working in development/humanitarian aid will NOT pay those off. However, I bought a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia, and I have no place to go back to in America, and I barely have $1000USD to my name, and am trying to move forward (the only place to go, since I have no place to run back to and recover or hide in). Having looked around, I see Vietnam as my target for work teaching English (also from advice from friends who taught there and other countries).

Here's why I'm posting:

1) CRC - I have some background info about me checked in the U.S. at the request of my employer here, but I'm not sure if I can use this again after living here in Indonesia for the past several months. Anyone have any suggestions about how to handle this? Perhaps get a CRC from here in Indonesia? It's known for a VERY corrupt police department though.

2) Visas - I am a U.S. citizen, and I am here in Jakarta. I haven't gone to Vietnam before, and all visa work was done by organizations I worked with in the Philippines and Indonesia. So I've not done any visa work myself, aside from going to a contact in Singapore as per the instructions of the company before heading to Indonesia.

3) I only have my BA degree available as a scan. I don't have the original, I don't have a transcript.

4) Teaching experience and job searching - I attempted four years ago to get work in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, but every time, I was ignored, almost scammed, or rejected and told by disgruntled former employees or people on this forum that it pretty much is because I have an Asian face, which I refuse to be a deterrent. I anticipated not using English teaching as an option again and got into graduate school after some NGO work in the Philippines and Indonesia, but now, as mentioned earlier, NGO work is often a pittance ($500 a MONTH in Jakarta, $600 in Manila).

So I'm asking for some advice about where in HCMC would be good to look up for work, if it's a good idea to look on the ground there, or take my chance and send out some apps online (which I've already done, but have received no replies). How long does the search on the ground go for? Is it even feasible or advisable?

I don't have a TEFL/TESOL certification (yet). I don't have much time to pick up one unless it's online, and even then, I'm always out in the field doing some monitoring and evaluation, which keeps me away from training. And I don't have much cash either.

Anyone who can help with some of the questions I've posted and throw in any absolutely vital information that can help this vagabond with a camera make it after I'm done with Indonesia will have my eternal gratitude. Please spare me your rudeness, as I've already dealt with enough fatuous comments from two other English teaching websites for Japan from pompous juveniles hiding behind the mask of anonymity, and don't desire to deal with any more, hence my choice to come to MOD EDIT Dave's ESL Cafe for help.

[toiyeuthitmeo]

1) You should elaborate more on the police check you got done in the states. Was is notarized by the courts? For decent schools in VN, you'll need a US police check that has been notarized all the way up to the federal Secretary of State level. Sounds like you can't get that. I would get the Indonesian document, just in case, though I'm not confident it will pass muster here. The other option is to get a job that doesn't require one (these schools exist but often leave something to be desired) or to string your employer along for the amount of time you must live in VN to get a VN police check. Think that period of time is 6 months now. I've no idea about how to get a good US police check while abroad, but it can't hurt to contact the police department or city hall in the city in which you last resided. The police check is really only needed to get a work permit, and since you don't have a CELTA / TEFL certificate, you probably can't find work at a WP - requiring school, which is a bit of a shady region to work in, but can make more than $500 / month, for sure!

2) Currently we're in a Visas-are-easy phase. You can get 3-6 month single entry Visas very easily. Multiple entry visas are harder to find and more expensive. Several online services do this reliably and you can pick up the visa at the airport. You just get a tourist visa. $25-$50 paid to the online service, $25-$50 paid to immigration at the airport.

3) More reputable schools will not accept the scan of your BA for work permit purposes, but will trust it for hiring purposes. Contact your university or whomever is taking care of your possessions in the states or wherever it is. You need it. Official transcripts with a raised seal and ink signature of the uni registrar should also work-- that's what I used. And your Uni can send you those, for a fee of course. BUT, a decent school will see your scan and hire you and give you the time it takes to get the real paper copy or transcripts. Possible worst-case-scenario? Get the scan printed onto high-quality paper stock by a professional and perhaps even "doctor" it a bit so that the ink is raised and the seal is raised, and it would probably work.

4) The Asian-working-in-EFL thing has been gone over time and time again, so here's the short version-- You can find work but are at a slight disadvantage. Don't let it deter you from trying. I work and have worked with many Asian background teachers in VN.

Your other concerns:

Budget
Coming here with only $1000 is a bad idea. Even if you find work right away (not impossible), you likely won't get your first pay for 4-6 weeks after you start working. Hotel is going to run you $200-$300 /month, that low end figure being quite hard to find in Saigon these days. On the up-side, you may find a hotel who will allow you to pay at the end of the month, giving you that time to find work and hopefully collect some pay. Food, on the street for every meal, would run you minimum $150 /month, and it's not too reasonable to expect to stick to that diet for a whole month. Getting around town to search for work and to get to and from work will be another $50 to rent a bike. Do you need to pick up any new clothes? Any medicines, toiletries, etc? What about an emergency?

Teaching credentials
I'm fortunate to have never worked for a school that hires non-certificated teachers, so I'm not the best source on this. I will tell you that almost all reputable and well-paying schools will require a NON-ONLINE Tefl course, most preferring the CELTA. There will be work for you, but it will be at a VN owned language mill or Kindergarden type place, and sorry, I'm unable to point you in the right direction for that, as it's not in my loop of experience. Best is to search online, come here, do the rounds (dressed to kill with a big smile) and you WILL find something better than the $500 / month you earn now.

DO NOT waste your money on an on-line TEFL course. They're worthless.

Borrow money, from anyone you can, and take the CELTA in Saigon. It costs about $1500 or something. And it will immediately open many more, well paying jobs, as well as being a great course to get you started as a teacher.

OR, work in the cowboy English world, save your money, and take the CELTA later.

[skarper]

In your shoes I'd scrape together a bit more money somehow before coming here.

Then I'd work a bit here to see how I liked it. TEFL is not for everybody especially at the lower range of offers you will have to work up from given you're not white. It's not as bad here as Korea but it is still a problem.

If you like Vietnam and TEFL then you can stump up for a CELTA in Hanoi or HCMC.

Your position is not ideal but it's not hopeless and we all have to start from where we are so to speak.

But you do need 3-4 thousand dollars to get set up in some kind of security. Much less and the first hiccup could leave you stranded.