In this series we are outlining our tips for moving to Vietnam, to help you get set up and settled in as quickly and easily as possible. Our first week has almost seemed too easy and we are already loving expat life in Hanoi!
In this post I’m going to talk about finding a teaching job in Hanoi. Teaching English is what the majority of expats in Vietnam come to do, myself included, and there are a few ways you can go about it.
General advice for finding a teaching job in Hanoi
Move first, then find a job
First and foremost, if you are really serious about moving to Vietnam, I would recommend moving first and finding a job while you are here. This is so unlike the long and often complicated process of getting a public school teaching job in Korea and frankly feels so good.
While I did do a lot of research and watched job listings everyday, it’s been so much easier and made more sense since I arrived in Vietnam. It also means that rather than have dodgy Skype interviews, you can meet potential schools in person and understand a lot more about how they might run. We were so lucky with our jobs in Korea but really appreciate being able to choose for ourselves where we live and who we work with here in Hanoi.
Full-time, part-time or ad hoc
Something really important to consider is the freedom that can come with teaching in Vietnam as there are so many different job options to consider.
You can go the traditional ESL route and sign a 12-month contract with one language school that will give you set hours, pay and holiday. These types of jobs are what you’ll come across most often in any research you do online.
Or you could go freelance.
Many schools advertise for just a few hours a week and thus you could work for a number of different schools, creating your own schedule. Depending on the school, you will still be guaranteed a certain amount of hours a week for a certain salary but your time is yours to be flexible with. This frees you up to work as little or as much as you wish.
Lastly, you could go completely ad hoc and be something of a cover teacher, taking on classes day to day as they become available. There are a number of Facebook pages where teachers and admin will advertise needing a teacher that day for a few hours and as long as you fit their requirements, you go, teach and get paid in cash. This can be done alongside the above two options, or alone if you have another non-teaching job. This can easily be done if you are simply travelling here and want a little extra cash for the day.
With the first option, and sometimes the second, the school should help you to get a work permit. The latter options generally mean you will stay on a tourist visa and go on visa runs every few months. You may also be charged emergency tax of 20% without a work permit.
All these options have their pros and cons and once I’ve had more experience I will definitely write another post about which options I like best.
Where to look
I’m going to make this really simple for you by listing the websites I used and the schools I applied to, alongside just a few notes. There is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming so I want to make it as straightforward as possible.
Job listings online
This is the most comprehensive international job board online and is updated daily. There weren’t too many postings for Vietnam here but it’s still worth checking and may inspire you to look at other countries too. I had one Skype interview at home and one in-person interview in Hanoi through the ESL Cafe.
This is a site I only found recently and you can easily search it based on the city you prefer. It seems to be updated fairly often however to apply you have to register with the site. I haven’t yet as the schools I was interested in offered an email address in the description, thus I emailed directly.
This website is for all kinds of jobs in Vietnam and advertises in Vietnamese as well as English. There weren’t too many teaching jobs on here but it is always worth checking.
Hanoi Massive Jobs Facebook Group
For anyone living in Hanoi, both the Hanoi Massive FB group and the Hanoi Massive Jobs FB group are so worth joining. They list everything from jobs (not only teaching), places to rent and local events. It is a closed group so you must join before you can browse the listings, and it does seem to have a lot of spam. Having said that it is incredibly comprehensive.
Hanoi English Teaching Jobs Facebook Group
For Hanoi specifically, the Hanoi English Teaching Jobs Facebook group is the best for finding a teaching job in Hanoi. This is another new one I found whilst in Hanoi which has a huge variety of jobs offered each day. It includes all of the different types of jobs listed above so your options are much wider.
This became my go to in my first few days in Hanoi and I will keep checking in on it when I want to take on extra hours.
Schools I applied to when finding a teaching job in Hanoi
This is an international company and the first school I applied to through Dave’s ESL. I interviewed with them on Skype and, while it went really well, they were looking for head teachers rather than language assistants and wanted applicants who could sign two year contracts.
This is one of the biggest language schools in Vietnam and I applied directly through their website. At this time they didn’t have a position open for me but I have heard great things about the company from an expat I met who works there.
This is another huge language school and has an easy job listings page to search through. I applied but did not get through as my TEFL certificate did not have an in-class component. I find this really frustrating as I have still had a years worth of real life in-class experience in Korea…
Language Link and Schools Link
While these are both language schools working under the same umbrella company, Language Link is an after school private program and Schools Link work with local schools and thus their teaching hours are in the day. Schools Link is quite unique in this sense as most ESL jobs are in the evenings and at weekends due to being outside of school hours.
Some other language schools also work with local schools within school hours so it is all relative to each individual company.
I applied for both Language Link and Schools Link through their websites and was sent on to do an online interview. This is quite an odd system I had never come across before and it did feel strange to video my answers rather than talk with a recruiter face to face.
I applied for APAX through Dave’s ESL and was offered an interview for when I arrived in Hanoi which was really great. I much prefer face to face interviews and this one went really well. APAX are another international company who are expanding in Vietnam so they are hiring loads of new teachers over the next few months.
This centre advertised on the above Facebook pages and, after emailing them my CV, they offered me an interview. It was a very quick interview, with a few other candidates before and after me, and I got a generally positive vibe. Their management are American and they seem to have a fun approach to language learning.
Other, smaller centres that I applied to that you may want to check out are:
Viet Talent Kids English Centre
Bingo English
SET English Centre
Boston English Centre
MOJO English Centre
So there you have it, a nice big list to get you started thinking about finding a teaching job in Hanoi. It’s by no means exhaustive but I know I would have loved a list like this to get me started, as it took a good few days to find it all, let alone apply for each job!
All the best with your job searching and if you come to Hanoi, hit us up!
Looking to get a TEFL certificate so that you can teach English abroad? Browse this extensive TEFL store to find the right teaching certificate for you and be one step closer to your move to Vietnam!
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I feel like I haven’t read your blog in forever..just getting caught up. Living in Vietnam sounds awesome!
It’s so nice to hear from you! Hanoi is a really cool city. We are still settling in but I think we’re going to love it here…
Hello! I just stumbled onto your blog. I’m hoping to move to Hanoi in October. I’m in the process of an online TEFL qualification and I have a degree! My TEFL doesn’t have an in class aspect to it and I don’t actually have any teaching experience. I’m reasonably confident but do you have any tips for going into a classroom environment for the first time? Do people share lesson plans etc. ? I worry slightly that I might not take to it or struggle due to lack of experience. Got to start somewhere though I suppose.
Hi there Alex,thanks for your comment. It can be really nerve-wracking the first time you go into a classroom but I assure personality is the biggest preparation! As long as you are energetic and patient, you will do great! Once you have set up your first class with a school, they should give you exampl lesson plans to start from and then once you get more comfortable you can get more creative. Let us know when you arrive and we can meet for a drink 🙂
Very nice article but why is there a picture of Korean kids (according to the flag) in the middle
Hi there Ruth, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Are you teaching abroad? It is one of the only pictures I have of myself teaching (in Korea in 2014) so I used it despite it not being from Vietnam- great eye!
They are great photos anyway. I taught in Israel for 30 years, then 3 years in China, then a month volunteering teaching Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka where I sprained my foot. Now figuring out my next move and thought about Hanoi. All the best.
I’m actually looking to teach english in Vietnam this fall, and was looking for some advice/direction. Thank you for this blog. It’s super helpful and just what I need!
Hi Tamesha, I’m so happy you found us and found something helpful here. Do let me know if you have any more questions about teaching and living here.
Hi Jade, thanks for all the information! How difficult is it to get time off if you work at the part time teaching gigs?
Hi Zack, it really depends on the school and your relationship with them. If it is a large centre and you know other teachers who work there, then organising someone to cover you can be really simple.
This is wonderful! Moving from Aus to Hanoi in a couple of months. Thanks for the great advice. Casey
You are so welcome Casey! Let me know if you have any questions and hit me up when you arrive.
Hiya Jade! Great information thanks! I’ve just arrived in Hanoi today and I am hoping to get a teaching position but I wasn’t sure where to start haha. I will email the schools you have posted and keep my fingers crossed ☺ xx
Hi Natalie, I’m glad to help! Welcome to the city and do let me how you get on/ if you need anymore advice!
Been reading through a lot of your blogs, they are great! I’m leaving in a few weeks (from Scotland) first traveling for 6 weeks then hope to settle for up to a few months in Hanoi doing tefl work. Although I still feel a bit anxious about finding jobs out there, I always read reassuring things but I guess the thought of the unknown, and how long the process of finishing work is roughly? 🙂
Hi Leanne, great to hear from you! It’s awesome to hear that you are making your way to Hanoi, it’s such an awesome city. Jobs-wise it really depends on what you are looking for. You can find a job the day you arrive if you are happy to go with the first thing you see, or it can take a few weeks if you want to find the perfect school/staff/hours etc. The one thing you don’t have to worry about is finding no jobs – there is always something going! By the time you arrive it will be a new hiring season, after summer so it’s great timing. Good luck and let me know when you arrive.
Hey Jade, I randomly came across your blog and it was really helpful as myself and a few friends are planning to move to Vietnam next year to start teaching. Could you by any chance give some advice on when the best time would be to move to Hanoi (Jan, Feb, March?). We all have teaching degrees as well as online TEFL certificates so we are hoping to find jobs once we arrive. Thanks so much! Chloé
Hi Chloe,
I’m so glad you find us and that the information has been helpful!
So, if you are flexible I would consider arriving during Tet which happens next year between Feb 15th-20th. This way, you can enjoy potentially cheaper airfare and spend some time settling into the city when it is in both full festive and full chill mode. You won’t be able to find a job or an apartment during the holiday but it gives you time to get a feel for the city without feeling rushed.
We arrived during Tet and I found finding a job really easy once the schools were back (after Feb 20th).
The only downside to this time of year is that March is Hanoi’s worst weather month. It is cold and moldy and more than a little sad. Having said that, getting that month out of the way while you are still excited about the move isn’t a bad idea! The weather picks up in April 🙂
I hope this helps!
Your information has been very helpful. But I want to know as a first timer, is it easy to move along inVietnam? And also which of the areas in vietnam is the best place to for an expatriats
Hi Michael, sorry for the late response. I found settling into Vietnam as an expat relatively easy, especially in Hanoi and Hoi An where there is a large expat population who have all experienced it before you! Hope that helps.
No mention of public schools. Why?
Hi Charlie,
This was just the schools that I looked into. Schools link partner teachers with public schools though.
hey jade!! great post, thanks for listing all the schools 🙂 just had a quick q! I get to hanoi on January 19th…do you reckon it’s better to stay in a hostel, find a job first and then get a place or get a place right away and then get a job? also, which area would you recommend…tay ho, bah din or old quarter? appreciate your insight, many thanks 😀
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for your comment! I would say stay in a guesthouse the first few days and rent a scooter. This way you can go out to apartments and houses and meet the people you’ll be renting from/with directly when you get there. There are always so many places available so it shouldn’t take long to find a place. I would say Tay Ho for ease and Ba Dinh if you want something cheap and more local neighbours! I’d steer clear of OQ – too busy!
Hi Jade… Thank you so much for the information. I’m busy completing my tefl online course and looking to move to vietnam, possibly HCMC or Hanoi on 6 May 2018. Do you think this is a good time to find a ESL teaching job ?
Hi Sam, I would say that anytime you’ll be able to find some kind of teaching work. Short term contract positions are available all the time for the private schools. Good luck!