½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

    Hey guys,
I am an experienced software developer with a focus on Front End development (React.js / Next.js / MERN). With over 8 years of experience in commercial and enterprise software (web) development, I previously lived in Vietnam for 4 years before COVID-19. During that time, I consistently found employment without difficulty, securing positions as a foreign developer in both international and Vietnamese tech companies.

Currently, I am facing challenges in returning to Vietnam and securing a position with any tech company, regardless of size. Despite applying to numerous companies for roles aligned with my experience, I have received multiple rejections, often without any explanation. A few companies have shared that they are not hiring foreign developers at this time.

I am wondering if the current global financial challenges have impacted hiring practices, particularly for foreign developers in Vietnam. Is it possible that even larger tech companies are no longer considering foreign candidates, or could there be another reason?

Has anyone else faced similar issues? Perhaps some of you have successfully joined tech companies in Vietnam during 2023-2024?

I would greatly appreciate any advice, recommendations, or insights on how to find tech companies that provide visa sponsorship and permits for foreign developers in Vietnam.

I have been using platforms such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, ITviec, and various other Vietnamese job search platforms, but so far, I haven't had any positive results.

Regards,
Sergei
   

    -@Serjo Ivanov

Based on casual comments I've heard, there might be one or more reasons for the rejections, but I'm inclined to guess that foreigners such as yourself have been doing a great job teaching Vietnamese people how to do similar work, so a new generation of workers don't need the assistance they once required.

I see you are identifying as Russian.

Is there any chance that something in your CV talks about any connection to Ukraine?

As you might know, Ukraine has withdrawn passport renewal permissions for their expatriate citizens of military age.

I also believe that many job seekers are coming here on a 90 day evisa and making connections face-to-face.

We are hearing similar reports from foreigners applying from outside the country for teaching positions.

Good luck with your search.

O.B.

@OceanBeach92107

Hey O.B.,

Thank you for your feedback. As you mentioned, there are many reasons for rejections, and some of them are understandable. Simply coming to Vietnam on a 90-day visa to search for opportunities during your stay might offer some advantages, but it also carries the risk of wasting time, energy, and expenses. It seems more prudent to consider taking TEFL training and becoming an English teacher, as this may increase the chances of finding a job.

Regards,

Sergei

...It seems more prudent to consider taking TEFL training and becoming an English teacher, as this may increase the chances of finding a job.

Regards,
Sergei   

    -@Serjo Ivanov

The days of "...taking TEFL training and becoming an English teacher..." in Vietnam is thankfully a thing of the past.

Take a look at post #3, here, and also the link in that post titled

"New Foreign English Teachers Requirements Decision 4159/QD-BGDDT"

@Aidan in HCMC you are right that it is not a obligation to have an English certification. It is rather an extra points in your CV to be competitive over others, specially when you are coming from a non native English speaker country and having  degrees not concerned to Education ...and here the TEFL (teaching English cert) helps. Once in Vietnam you will be reevaluated, some hours of capacitatiinn are mandatory previous to be a teacher (legally)

@Serjo Ivanov regarding IT Jobs, in the last years there had been some waves of new vietnamese bechalors in IT and the market is a bit saturated.

some hours of capacitatiinn are mandatory previous to be a teacher (legally)
    -@ajairon

Maybe you meant "Capacitation"?

😉

@ajairon

Yeah, man. It looks like the whole World is oversaturated with devs, there are only a few open positions. IT is dead, IA has taken our places, or you must be a genius with 50+ years of experience and incredible mathematical capabilities, you might have the luck to find a job.

Why are you looking for jobs in Vietnam, you can work for other companies in other countries only remotely. That's how I work)

And right now in our company there is a need for , who know how Google Ads works or there is also a need for creative producers.

I work in a telecom company , 10 years back we were approx. 20% foreigner in the company, now we are down to 1% in mainly the leading position and with today diversity then 50% of the 1% is male.

I have one foreign employee in my team, but on local salary

The local competence is very high and very fast leaners :-),     

@Serjo Ivanov regarding IT Jobs, in the last years there had been some waves of new vietnamese bechalors in IT and the market is a bit saturated. - @ajairon

I fully agree, I made the same observation and while I'm not familiar with IT at all, in our company, which has a headcount of probably around +/- 100, that number has remained more or less the same since before, during and after COVID.

What has changed, before COVID, there were many expats in the team. Some long timers, others on temporary jobs. Now, or since the COVID era ended, the only expat working in IT is the CO of IT Dep.

What also changed or what I've noticed is a strange trend among the new, young Viet IT generation. They're not only very young and very sharp, they often speak fluent English and even have such strong accent from studying abroad for years, that they'd nearly pass for an Aussie, Texan or what have you. However, the most (to me) shocking, crazy and alerting common factor is, that a large portion of them tend to quit rather shortly. I always assumed that due to heavy competition, most who manage to land a position, pass probation and on top receive a rather nice pay check, would do all to hold on and never quit, as long as they have clear opportunities to move up the lather or in other words, are offered an easy, secure and profitable carrier path. BUT NO, time and again, one after the other tends to resign before reaching or completing the 2 year.

From what I understand, the main reason many young IT freaks quit their jobs early is boredom. Or maybe a better way of saying would be, they are so passionate and into IT, that whatever they're tasked with or for whatever they were hired for, like some unique expertise or latest IT hit that the company "acquired", like an upgrade or implementing some new system, that once it's in place, is supposed to operate for longer period of time (thus following ROI studies etc and finally receiving approval to replace some old stuff). However, at the same time that means, they'll be stuck with that "hack", which by the time their contract is up for renewal, to them is some software or IT thing of the past. IT is developing at such as speed, that for those like the nowadays IT youngsters, it simply isn't attractive to stick around, because they desire to move on to wherever they're able to be part of, or work for something which is a the latest trend thing.

Well, wish you good luck anyway!

Yea, read in VNexpress so many IT grads are competing for just a few vacancies month by month,  it's a tough journey... different from previous years....

I remember when I first arrived in Vietnam in "12 there were IT jobs for foreigners but most all in setting up networks.  Jobs for programing for locals were pretty unheard of.   Then came "Flappy Birds." and it became that young Vietnamese people would program at a top level pf world popularity.   it was only inevitable that these young people would mature into business software developers and database engineers.  The nature of the effort is to reduce the number of workers to do a. job overall not to employ more people..