Vietnamese American hoping to move to HMC in 2013

Hello ThaiTQ.

Welcome to Expat.com!

Hope you'll soon be guided by other members.

Thank you,
Aurélie

1.if u want a comfortable life.i think 600$/month is enough for you.but with 600$,actually u cant save to buy a house here(in case,u enjoy local food/drinks and the occasion night out for fun).600$ for renting a house,eating food,drinking at club.
2.u will be easy to find a good job here coz u had degree and 9 years of experience. I think you can apply any company.
3. if you can teach at international school or teaching engish center as ILA,Outer space language school,VUS... the lowest salary is 1000$.
4.with 5000$,you can live well here in 10 months,I sure.u can go to nightclub as you want lol.

Thai,

I am very similar to you, except that I was born in Can Tho and raised in southern California.

I have been in Vietnam, namely Can Tho, for almost 4 years.  I would say...

1.  $1000 USDs/month.  That is Can Tho standards; and I mostly motorbike around. 

2.  It is obvious that you are trained in retail management, which is growing rather rapidly in Vietnam.  However, it will take you a while to get used to the Vietnamese way of managing others.  With an open mind, I am confident that you will get used to it.

3.  $1000 USDs/month is about the average.

4.  Basing on my estimate in #1, you will be good for only 5 months here with that amount.  So, you will need to cut cost somewhere.  Another thing is that, like I had mentioned, you will need an adjustment period.  How long will it take you to get used to the way things are done here is entirely up to you.  But, I highly suggest that you raise that reserve amount by as much as possible.  Being a Viet Kieu, life will not be fun if you are low on cash.  Just don't ever go there.

5.  I am sure you will find something here.  How long will that take or how much will you be able to enjoy it?  That is entirely up to you.  I don't know you; therefore, I can't really say anything, with any degree of certainty.

Best wishes,
Howie

Thank you! Howie and Brit. You guys just gave me more confident in myself to do this.

Hi Thai TQ,
Welcome to VN.
1. If you're single, you can live in HCMC with 500& everymonth for standard living: rent a small room, enjoy popular food and buy necessary things for you in HCMC.
But you live in apartment with two or three rooms and spent money on shopping and enjoy food in restaurant or extertaining... you have to earn over 1000$ every month.
2. Customer Service Manager is best for you. I don't know if  you can speak Vietnamese. If you can, you have more chances to living in HCMC.
3. I think at the same with Howie
4. Don't worry, if you're saver, you can live in VN for a year.
Hope to find a good job in Vietnam.

Hi ThaiTQ,

I was in your shoes last year. After finishing university in Virginia, I went to China to study Mandarin, travel, and look for work. With no success in the finding work department, I decided to return to Viet Nam. So here is what I have found out.

1. You target is definitely starting from $1000/month.

2. To achieve that monthly salary in VN, you have to aim for management level.

3. Big English school like VUS would pay around $20/hour for certified Native Speakers. I don't think you would earn much less than that. So how much you earn per month is up to you and your time managing skills.

4. Lets assume that: you will live in Ho Chi Minh city, which now is probably the most expensive city in the country; You live with your family, so you don't spend money on housing and all that come with it; You do not travel or eat out at "fancy" restaurants. Then $5000 will last you more than 6 months.

Housing in HCMC is more expensive than in most big cities in China. Restaurant and food prices are off the roof due to inflation. How long you will last without a job, is really up to "when" you will be back and how fast you get used to "Vietnamese standard."

5. With your experience, you could find jobs easier than many foreigners. However, please beware of the new government policy that started to be affected in 2011: A business can only hire a foreigner, if and only if they can prove that they have been posting the same position for Vietnamese for at least 3 months. So, the questions are: do you (still) have a Vietnamese passport? Will you work as a Vietnamese or a foreigner? Please keep in mind that: a new Vietnamese software engineer graduate earns $300/month if he is skillful, a skilled Vietnamese engineer with a few years of experience earns $600/month; and the salary does not increase as much or as often as should have been.

I hope this helps because I would be better off if I knew all of this a year ago.

Hi,

English teaching is a hot job nowadays. You can teach at International schools, Foreign Centers. Besides, you can form a group of learners with high income. Let's take a calculation, you will earn around 200.000 VND/hour and of course it depends on your working hours.

You can rent a good hotel room for $15 per day. $15 x 30 days = $450
Food and drink. $6 per day. $6 x 30 days = $180
Xe om (transportation) $4 per day. $4 x 30 days = $120

$750 per month is doable

@hanhduyen, Well ThaiTQ is going to have an awesome time and I hope he stays for a long time.  I did the same thing as him a few years back.  Only thing is I was armed with enough spare money so work wasn't important.

Take note that it is more difficult to get jobs as an English teacher when you are Vietnamese.  They employ white hobos with zero qualifications over you even if you have experience and university qualifications:  e.g. Apollo...  But then, if you wanted money you wouldn't be in Vietnam which much less than USA no matter what.

Correct me if I'm wrong about getting English teaching work.  It may have changed now.

Sadly, it hasn't change from what I've heard. Thank you all for the warm welcomes. After some considerations, I think I will have to save up a little more before I make my trip.

Hi ThaiTQ,

I am Roe (Vietnamese name is Vinh). Interesting... sounds like we are both looking to do the same - relocating to live and work in Vietnam! So are you still in Houston?  I am having the same concern as you about finding work and see teaching English as an alternative or who knows, it may be our new career!   I hope you got all your concerns taken care of and best wishes to you!

I just posted my situation in this forum and to seek advices from friends here (waiting to get their feedback). Please take a look. I am living in Phoenix now. We should really connect to exchange thoughts.  I already emailed you my cell number. Please give me a call (the time difference is only 1 hour between Houston and Phoenix).

Just a friendly reminder to refresh all your memories. You are VIET KIEU , not locals nor foreigners. You are used to overseas living standards. You will need to save and sacrifice to enjoy your life here, why? If you have a local spouse, then it's alright, but you are single. And , once they know you are Viet kieu, you will be Treated 'differently', based on what I heard...of course, it's still up to you,,,

Seniordogsg46,

Regardless of who or what one is, ultimately, it will be the person underneath it all that determines how well one gets treated.  One gets what he gives, anywhere he goes.

Wild_1
Beg to differ. This may be true of most other countries. But not totally true in the case of VN owing to the history it has gone through..of course the idea is to welcome foreign talents home, they even have a Uy Ban Ve Nguoi Viet Nam O Nuoc Ngoai to cater to any  special needs....in HCM City...LOL

Seniordogs wrote:

they even have a Uy Ban Ve Nguoi Viet Nam O Nuoc Ngoai to cater to any  special needs....in HCM City...LOL

You can't fault someone for trying.  If I remember correctly, intolerance is what led to Singapore being a nation-state it is today, is it not? 

No.  I am one of those that paid his dues, here it Vietnam.  I have never participated in any governmental handout, in the US and here.  But, the one thing I must say, these guys aren't the greatest, but they are trying very hard... 

Cut them a little slack.  You will be amazed of all that come along. 

On the other hand, if it is all that bad, it is never too late to get out of the joint.  It is that simple!  Here, as a matter of fact, they want you to get out sooner than later...

Tell me if I am wrong?

Respect,
Howie

I will take a siesta for now. We could be treading on dangerous territory for this topic!  ciao