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10 | Eight Easy Steps To Great Teaching Job In Vietnam Step one: paperwork | 11

BACKGROUND CHECK

More than 90% of the teaching work in Vietnam involves young learners
aged 4 through to 17 years of age. Given the age of the student’s, it makes
sense that employers (schools) want to know about the person they’re about
to employ. One way that employers can do this is through a background
check from the candidate’s home country. It will be your responsibility to
provide a background check. It needs to be no more than six months old.
It needs to be an original document that’s notarised in your home country
as genuine and correct.

How can you get your hands on a background check of yourself?
Good question! Every country has an arm of government that deals with
background checks. The best place to start is the Department of Justice
(or similar) closest to where you live.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST

If you’re a non-native English speaker, a potential employer will likely
want to see hard evidence of your skill level in English. Rightly or wrongly,
employers in Vietnam place trust in a decent IELTS or TOEFL internet-
based test (ibt) score. Therefore, non-native English speakers should: 1.
complete an IELTS or TOEFL ibt examination in their home country; 2.
have the original document that contains the score notarised in their home
country, and 3. bring the original document (notarised) to Vietnam.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Are you one of those people who think they’re indestructible? If so, I’m
sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You’re not. Medical insurance with
adequate coverage is crucial when travelling abroad for any purpose,
teaching English in Vietnam or otherwise. With a simple Google search,
you can find horror stories about people who became ill or injured while
travelling abroad, incurring medical bills that they were unable to pay.
Being hospitalised in Vietnam and unable to pay the bill is one way to
trash your once in a lifetime teaching abroad adventure. By taking out
Medical Insurance before you leave home, you’ll be able to pay your way
if something untoward happens.