Work
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Vietnam’s opening up to capitalist countries has suddenly created all sorts of work opportunities for Westerners. The best-paid Westerners living in Vietnam are those working for international organisations or foreign companies, but most of these jobs are secured before arrival in the country.
Foreigners who look like Rambo have occasionally been approached by Vietnamese talent scouts wanting to recruit them to work as extras in war movies, but for most travellers the main work opportunities are teaching a foreign language.
English is by far the most popular foreign language with Vietnamese students, but some students also want to learn French. There is also a limited demand for teachers of Japanese, German, Spanish and Korean.
Government-run universities in Vietnam hire some foreign teachers. Pay is generally around US$5 per hour, but benefits such as free housing and unlimited visa renewals are usually thrown in.
There is also a budding free market in private language centres and home tutoring; this is where most newly arrived foreigners seek work. Pay in the private sector is slightly better, at about US$6 to US$10 per hour, but these private schools won’t offer the same extras as a government-run school. Private tutoring usually pays even better, at around US$10 to US$15 per hour.
Finding teaching jobs is quite easy in places such as HCMC and Hanoi, and is sometimes possible in towns that have universities. Pay in the smaller towns tends to be lower and work opportunities fewer.
Looking for employment is a matter of asking around - jobs are rarely advertised. The longer you stay, the easier it is to find work - travellers hoping to land a quick job and depart two months later will be disappointed.
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