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22 | Eight Easy Steps To Great Teaching Job In Vietnam Step five: looking sharp | 23

STEP FIVE:

LOOKING SHARP

rofessionalism is multifaceted, but when you drill down, the key
elements broadly fit under one of two headings: 1. how you present
Pyourself (appearance) and 2. how you conduct yourself (what you do).
In this chapter, we’ll look at point one, how to present yourself in a manner
that will receive the ‘tick of approval’ from prospective employers (schools)
in Vietnam.

While it could be argued that both Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie are
‘easy on the eye’, I think it’s a good thing that we don’t all look like them.
Being surrounded by clones or people trying to be something that they’re
not would be horrible. You don’t need to be a Tom Cruise or Angelina
Jolie lookalike to teach in Vietnam. Looking sharp for teaching in Vietnam
requires nothing more than making the best of what you have, while being
mindful of cultural nuances.

MAKING THE BEST OF WHAT YOU HAVE

Making the best of what you have in a ‘dress sense’ is easier said than
done if you’ve been backpacking around the world or haven’t worked in
an environment with a ‘formal’ dress code. Let’s assume that your current
wardrobe contains nothing more than a pair of flip-flops, ‘daggy’ shorts
and a ‘Fred Flintstone’ t-shirt that you wear every day of the week. If this
sounds like your wardrobe (or backpack), you’ll need to buy at least one
set of clothes to wear to job interviews, two more sets when you get a job
and an additional three sets of teaching clothes when you receive your first
salary payment. With a total of five sets of teaching clothes, you’ll have a
different outfit for each workday and plenty of time for washing and ironing.