The International Schools Review Forum

I think I am gonna move to Vietnam next Summer or Fall. I will have a middle grades math teaching license with no experience.

I will apply this Winter and Spring for jobs in Vietnam, hopefully something will turn up. If not I guess I will just have to land in the country and look for some English teaching gigs to hold me over.

If anyone has any advice about working in Vietnam it would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Why Vietnam? I know a lot of ITs that have your strategy when going somewhere like JP or maybe Thailand, but not Vietnam.

Lower secondary isnt very marketable, the small ISs (really Bilingual ISs), are going to want a maths teacher that can teach all level or all secondary maths.

PsyGuy wrote:
> Why Vietnam? I know a lot of ITs that have your strategy when going
> somewhere like JP or maybe Thailand, but not Vietnam.
>
> Lower secondary isnt very marketable, the small ISs (really Bilingual ISs),
> are going to want a maths teacher that can teach all level or all
> secondary maths.

Vietnam just interests me quite a bit.

Yea, your right. But gonna have to work with what I got. I am prepared to teach English the first year and see if I can get something the second go around. If not I will probably leave after 1 year.

There are some crappy Vietnamese schools that will likely hire you. The good ones won't. There are some middle ones who might. But you have zero experience. You are willing to each English, which you don't say you are certified for. If you want to be an international teacher, teaching English as some language school isn't going to get you very far up the ladder of international schools. Plus, the longer you hang out at lower level schools, the less likely it is that you will ever crack the ceilings of the better schools.

Just my opinion, but why don't you actually teach math at home, or look for math teaching jobs in Asia, not just Vietnam (there are lower level schools in China that would likely hire you).

Shad

shadowjack wrote:
> There are some crappy Vietnamese schools that will likely hire you. The
> good ones won't. There are some middle ones who might. But you have zero
> experience. You are willing to each English, which you don't say you are
> certified for. If you want to be an international teacher, teaching English
> as some language school isn't going to get you very far up the ladder of
> international schools. Plus, the longer you hang out at lower level
> schools, the less likely it is that you will ever crack the ceilings of the
> better schools.
>
> Just my opinion, but why don't you actually teach math at home, or look for
> math teaching jobs in Asia, not just Vietnam (there are lower level schools
> in China that would likely hire you).
>
> Shad

Yea, I am very aware teaching ESL does me no favors. But, I am willing to sacrifice 1 year doing it if it allows me to live in Vietnam for a year. I have a personal reason for wanting to go to Vietnam. The other Asian countries wont suffice.

I have zero desire to live in the USA right now. Pretty much been traveling since I graduated University in 2009.

After a year in Vietnam i'll certainly move to a country like China or Middle East where I can get hired at an International School without much experience (assuming I cant find one in Vietnam next Fall).

At the moment though just wanting to get advice about Vietnam.

Well, you'll be able to pick up ESL work easily. I have no experience teaching ESL in Vietnam but have done so in neighboring countries and know that it is a fairly similar deal in Vietnam. Pay and working conditions will be pretty awful, but you don't need a lot to sustain yourself and live a semi-local lifestyle, which seems to be your aim if I'm reading between the lines correctly.

You didn't mention where in Vietnam. I go to HCMC on a semi-regular basis and it's a fantastic city with something new going on every time I return. Hanoi is ok, but it's not HCMC. It's been about 7 years since I've visited Hanoi though, so no doubt it has changed too. The better international schools are in Hanoi, but they are not going to give you a second glance since you don't have experience.

If I were you I would apply to the international schools in HCMC (or Hanoi if you are going there) as a substitute teacher. With your teacher license you have a good chance at getting that. Then you could do a mix of ESL and substituting to sustain yourself. It is not going to look incredible on your resume and you will be paid local wages, but it is WAY better than saying you worked at XYZ Language Center for a year with no other prospects. ESL teaching does zero for your future, and will probably even hurt your chances for scoring a job at an international school if you do it for too long.

SE Asia is a tough place to get an international teaching job if you want to be in a halfway decent school with PD. Too many teachers want to go there.

Buffalo,

Thanks man, I never considered the substitute teaching thing. Yea I know ESL does nothing for me, hence only will do it for one more year. Just want to live in Vietnam for a year, anyway anyhow. After that I will move on to a real school if I didnt get one in Vietnam.

Personal reasons being... an attractive person, no?

I have definitely had personal reasons before.

chilagringa wrote:
> Personal reasons being... an attractive person, no?
>
> I have definitely had personal reasons before.

lol something like that ;)

Check American International School in Saigon. That might be possible. No way you are sneaking into the top ISs, But yea, you can find a teaching job in Saigon. I know plenty of guys teaching in Korean schools without teaching credentials. Where there is a will, there is a way...especially in Saigon. Great city with loads of opportunity. You can definitely show up without a job and find something...just depends on what kind of lifestyle you expect.

tommypizza wrote:
> Check American International School in Saigon. That might be possible. No
> way you are sneaking into the top ISs, But yea, you can find a teaching job
> in Saigon. I know plenty of guys teaching in Korean schools without
> teaching credentials. Where there is a will, there is a way...especially in
> Saigon. Great city with loads of opportunity. You can definitely show up
> without a job and find something...just depends on what kind of lifestyle
> you expect.

From what I can tell, I should be able to get some job. As for lifestyle, not expecting much. Something decent and simple will do. Which doesnt seem hard if one can make 1,000-1,500 dollars a month working some ESL gigs. Worst case anyways.

I think I should be alright either way.

Vietnam is no longer the easy job it once was, competition is fierce at the schools. You will not find a job by just turning up in the country, ESL at 15 dollar (if you are lucky) an hour with horrible conditions. International schools here are paying more and more every year as competition amongst the schools hots up, I'm on over 50k with 1k a month housing, flights every year, top insurance, bonuses paid and the schools are becoming one by one accredited by the various accreditation bodies. Substitute teaching may give you a very small chance but with no experience I doubt very much that any school will hire you. Don't give up, still apply but you might be better going to China for a year and catching a cheap flight every weekend.

nalfc wrote:
> Vietnam is no longer the easy job it once was, competition is fierce at the schools.
> You will not find a job by just turning up in the country, ESL at 15 dollar (if
> you are lucky) an hour with horrible conditions. International schools here are
> paying more and more every year as competition amongst the schools hots up, I'm
> on over 50k with 1k a month housing, flights every year, top insurance, bonuses
> paid and the schools are becoming one by one accredited by the various accreditation
> bodies. Substitute teaching may give you a very small chance but with no experience
> I doubt very much that any school will hire you. Don't give up, still apply but
> you might be better going to China for a year and catching a cheap flight every
> weekend.

This is not a move for work, atleast not primarily. So simply going to China I am not sure is an option. Like I said, if it comes down to it I will just take a 6-12 month gap year in Vietnam. From talking to people living in Vietnam, I am pretty confident I can find some ESL work to hold me over at the very least.

ESL work no problem at all and yes I do live in Vietnam. But beware there are a lot of scammers In the ESL world over here, very low pay and often working without a visa meaning you can be deported at any time. Just watch yourself, many a person thinks they can handle it but when you have worked for a month only not to be paid and told it was a trial, get home to find someone new in your apartment as you couldn't be registered with the police because you didn't have the correct visa and the landlord decided to replace you with someone who could prove where their rent money came from you may remember these word. It's a beautiful country with beautiful people but like any country there is a very dark underworld for people working illegally.

A nearby country may be more suited for work during the week and taking advantage of very cheap flights at the weekend might be a better strategy. Think about it as I would hate for you to be caught in the web of working illegally.

Join expats in Ho Chi Minh City on Facebook to get a real glimpse of life here for illegals and legal ESL teachers.

Nalfc,

Just curious, are you in Hanoi or HCMC? I'd love to find a way in to HCMC at a school with a decent package, but from people I've talked to, all the better international schools are in Hanoi