This is a question that I was asked on a daily basis when working as the Admissions Manager at a TESOL training centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I would give the same answer every time (It became quite well scripted towards the end of my time at the school)… “Can you teach English without a degree in Vietnam?”
YES! You can teach English without a degree in Vietnam. Of course, it is not as easy for non-degree holders to find jobs compared to degree holders (I’m only talking about native English speakers here, non-natives I will work on getting some content for you soon). Non-degree holders need to work harder and should expect to earn less than degree holders with the same TESOL/TEFL qualifications.
Why should I get TESOL/TEFL qualified?
For a non-degree holder to get a job in Vietnam you will need to get a TESOL, TEFL or CELTA certificate before you will be able to find work. Of course, some schools will hire a native speaker without ANY qualifications, but trust me you DO NOT want to work at these schools. More often than not, teachers get ripped off and there simply isn’t anything you can do about it.
Most TESOL/TEFL providers will provide employment assistance and some may even include accommodation in the course fee. Job guarantee or employment assistance is extremely useful for those starting out as an English teacher in Vietnam.
Put yourself in your future employer’s shoes!
The first thing you should do when you are looking at Teaching English in Vietnam without a degree is get TESOL qualified! Now, being a non-degree holder I strongly suggest that you get an IN-CLASS TESOL/TEFL certificate. You need to think about what your potential employer is going to see on your CV/Resume. As a non-degree holder, you need to stick out, you can’t just rock-up at the school with a cheap $100 online certificate, zero to no experience and no tertiary education.
The school is going to think that you are just some backpacker looking for quick work to fund your travels. Which is often what people are doing, but you don’t want the school to think that. An in-class TESOL from a reputable training centre (see ours, they have been around for over 10 years!) will help show that you are taking the education of their students seriously.
What else do I need to teach English without a degree in Vietnam?
You are going to need some experience in the field when you go to apply for an English Teaching job in Vietnam without a degree. This may seem like a ‘catch-22’ but during the TESOL course, you will gain some very valuable experience. You will also be quite surprised how much relevant experience you would have gained from previous employment in your home country.
Don’t expect to be paid millions straight away!
I was only 19 when I finished the in-class TESOL course in Ho Chi Minh City… You can read about that here) Being the baby of the group (and no degree) I had twice as much work to do to find a job. The only things going for me was my new found confidence (thanks to the course), my skin colour (yes, unfortunately, this will be a factor) and my nationality (I’m an Aussie, everyone loves a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Aussie in Asia!).
It may sound like a lot but in actual fact, I was turned down by many schools simply because I was aiming too high. As a new teacher without a degree I needed to face the reality that I wasn’t going to earn $25 USD per hour, I was more likely to get $17 (I’d often take home about 20 million VND per month which is about $900 USD) or even $15 per hour. Which I was still pretty happy with as the cost of living is so damn low!
Once I have gained about a years experience Teaching Starters & kindergarten-aged students I was able to get more job offers and eventually I worked my way into a different field altogether.
How much do you earn when you teach English without a degree?
When you first start teaching English in Vietnam without a degree you can expect to earn 20 million VND (900.00 USD) to 30 million VND (1500.00 USD) which is more than enough to live on and save money in Vietnam.
I suggest you keep your expectations at a reasonable level to avoid disappointment because you won’t want to miss out on the amazing time you can have if you spend your whole life complaining about not being paid as much as ‘someone else’… Just work hard and you will have fun! $900.00 USD in Vietnam will get you a long way! I managed to live off $300 per month for a while, yea and that bearly covered my rent!
To sum up, my ramble, to teach English in Vietnam without a degree you need to get a TESOL/TEFL certification which is in-class, you need to work for it and you cant expect to get paid the max salary right away. You will need to gain experience!
I hope that you enjoyed this article, always feel free to contact us!