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Overseas Vietnamese moving back to Vietnam in early 2013

Just A Guy

Hi Guys,

My name is Justin and I'm 28 years old. I'm of Malaysian Chinese and Vietnamese background (I don't have a Vietnamese surname), grew up and completed my tertiary education in Sydney, Australia (I'm a native speaker). I'm in the process of completing my TESOL certificate so that I can move back to Vietnam to teach in the first year or so of my stay. I've already got a degree in Business, majoring in banking and finance.

I've been reading a few posts here and there and what concerns me is that it seems that English teachers of Asian background are at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a job and pay rate due to the colour of our skin. It is not my intention to be paid less than another person who is white but have less experience and qualifications than me just because of the colour of my skin, and I've been told that form of discrimination is rampant with ILA, British Council, VUS, RMIT and the likes. Is this the case and is there anyway of me overcoming this?

Your comments, feedbacks and suggestions are much appreciated.

Justin

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Wild_1

Justin,

The Vietnamese language school owners, who are Vietnamese themselves, believe that caucasian-looks give their schools more prestige or credibility.  That is the more important thing to them, not the quality of their curriculums. 

But, with a degree in business, why would you want to toy around with teaching English?  Are you sure you have it in you???  From my experience, good business people make terrible teachers.  For some reasons, they are not as patient, not as sincere, as good teachers ought to be.

Howie

Just A Guy

Hi Howie,

It's fantastic to get a reply from you. I'm not sure if I would like to go back to banking or stockbroking as the flame for finance is not burning as strongly in me as it used to be. Also, securing a decent paying job might be a problem but if you have suggestions then I'm more than happy to lend you all ears.

It is a shame that Vietnamese people discriminate against one of their own and have a very bad habit of preferring everything foreign over their own, and I'm talking about marrying foreign people, buying foreign goods, treating foreigners better etc.

One of the main reasons for me to go back to Vietnam is hoping to contribute whatever I can for Vietnam and hopefully in the near future we are not so socially, academically and economically backward compared to our regional and international peers.

GuestPoster348

Hi Justin,
Why don't you apply to some Universities, colleges in Vietnam to teach business by English? (may be Foriegn Trade University, Banking Academy, Institute of Finance, National Economic University ...) So it's not waste your business knowledge. I know an Italian Austrian guy who really want to do projects, but only can teach in some Universities.
Foreigners may be are being treated better, but also being "cheated" higher. For example, in some hotels where are stayed, foreigners have to pay higher publicly. And Western people can get better benefit not only in Vietnam, but also over the world.

Anatta

Wild_1 wrote:

From my experience, good business people make terrible teachers.  For some reasons, they are not as patient not as sincere, as the good teachers are.


Dude

Speak for yourself, amigo. Try to insult all of our sincere businessmen, eh? :gloria


Just A Guy wrote:

One of the main reasons for me to go back to Vietnam is hoping to contribute whatever I can for Vietnam and hopefully in the near future we are not so socially, academically and economically backward compared to our regional and international peers.


If this is your main reason, then you'll not last long here, unfortunately!

Just A Guy

Thanks Meomun for your feedback, I'll certainly explore that avenue.

As for Anatta, I've been to Vietnam 4 times and my relatives are still there (district 1, near Ben Thanh market) and that's where I'm staying. I'm confident that I'll last in Vietnam because I truly enjoy the lifestyle over there and I do want to make a difference, however small.

Anatta

Just A Guy wrote:

I'm confident that I'll last in Vietnam because I truly enjoy the lifestyle over there and I do want to make a difference, however small.


Ah, now we are talking.
One thing is to visit here short term with saved money. Another thing is to stay here long-term and earn a living. The first thing is like going on a first date: exciting and worry-free. The second is like staying in a marriage: reality collides.

Also, a completely different thing is to stay here because you enjoy staying here. Another thing is to make a difference. The first will give you staying power if you can earn a steady income. The second may send you packing quite quickly, especially if you don't enjoy staying otherwise.

Just A Guy

Hi Anatta,

Sorry for taking so long to reply as I've just completed my TESOL course over the weekend and received my certificate... Hooray.

Back to the topic, Yes I do believe in change and in order to change a society, you need to change the people's mentality and way of thinking and to do that is through education. I enjoy the Vietnamese lifestyle, the whole buzz and everything but sometimes it saddens me that the society as a whole is still archaic, chaotic and the gap between the haves and the have-nots are just jaw-dropping.

I've obtained my certificate and is in the process of completing my electives, I should finalise my arrangements in Australia by late February and be in Vietnam by March. I'm counting the days now and can't wait to be back to soak in the heat, smells and sights of Saigon.

BioFiltro

Vietnam is a great place to spend money earned from somewhere else.  To make money, earning a decent living in Vietnam is just too difficult...at least for me.  And I've been trying to do that since 2007!  So, I finally gave up and resigned to the fact that it's best for me to make money somewhere else, and then return to Vietnam to enjoy that money...since it does last longer here in VN...and I do like the people and the lifestyle here over the US, where I've been working and living for the past 37 years.

Anatta

Just A Guy

Good luck with your plan. Be prepared for quite of an adjustment.

BioFiltro

You can earn enough to make a decent living here in Vietnamese standard.

You can't compare what you make elsewhere to what you make here doing the same work, i.e., an engineer salary here is much lower than an engineer salary in the US.

In addition, you will have to give up certain things which you have taken as given in other countries. In short, you can't take anything as given here.

Read also here about what I and others wrote earlier about the positives:
/forum/viewtopic.php?id=144984

BioFiltro

Well, if any of you are looking for a Vietnam-salary job in District 1, we're hiring...Check us out at

Anatta

can't convince the boss to make a °µÍø½ûÇø package for you to come back home to work, eh? :).
Too bad for you! Anyway, put them on Vietnamworks or the ad section in this site. I am sure a lot of people are interested in working for a foreign company in SGN.

Just A Guy

Hey guys and thanks for the info. Bio, what kind of job is available and what's the pay like? I've got a friend in Vietnam who might be interested. Thanks

lethingocthem2012

Dear Bio,

does the job offer for vietnamese people as well?