New job
Following the concerns raised in this post I am very happy to say that I have secured a job with Mandarin Media.
With partners and employees spread between Saigon, Singapore and the States it’s fitting that they shall be able to refer to me as “Our Man in Hanoi”.
A big thank you to them for having faith in me – I was initially interviewed based on Twitter output and general online activities (blogging does pay kids). There were some Skype chats and a in-person meet up in Saigon.
I’ll be full-time from the start of June and will be chipping away at smaller projects in the meantime.
Most of the work is linked to this country’s tourism industry – something I view as absolutely vital for Vietnam’s development.
Long term we’re hoping to marry the media expertise at MM with a little of my social media experience. This is the TripAdvisor travel era after all.
Anyway, I am delighted to have a “proper” job again. In the end it was the quality of colleagues and clients that really impressed me.
I had been genuinely starting to worry about employment but, yes, everything in my life is very much now going to plan.
Hanoi always was my lucky place.
Congrats on the new job mate. I was getting concerned for you and the Mrs-to-be but things are looking up. Cheers.
Well done. It sounds like just the job for you. Not at all surprised that your blog has led you towards a job – it’s a much better test of character than any job interview can be.
Looking forward to see what comes next.
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!
Frank – you and I both. I’ve been talking to MM for a while but there were some scary moments back there. I had savings to see me through the immediate but with weddings on the horizon and with the moving house – it’s all got a bit tense.
PM – yes, it strikes me that no one in their right mind would hire anyone now without at least Googling them. All the better if you have some kind of on-line portfolio. When I was in Cameroon and I was meeting lots of young Americans doing Peace Corps and Kiva I kept telling all of them to blog as a way to launch their careers-to-be.
Kerryanne – congratulations. Much appreciated.
Well done mate.
Hey, you ‘re a natural, you sold the place to me anyway! Congrats.
Dames and Bob – thanks very much.
Working at KOTO was an eye-opener as to the difference tourism can make. I recall (and I’v written about it more than once) meeting the mother of a KOTO kid who told the KOTO staff, with tears in her eyes, that she couldn’t believe that her daughter was working at the Hilton.
If it’s good enough for her, then it’s good enough for me. Development always comes at a price but good employers with training, career advancement prospects and good conditions is always going to beat ten hours back breaking work in a rice field.
Congrats on the new job. I will be making some changes as well by the summer.
You get to stay in Hanoi, right?
Kevin, Thanks – yes, staying in Hanoi was non-negotiable.
I used to think I loved living and working abroad. Then it slowly dawned on me that I loved living and working in Vietnam.
Then I realised it probably wasn’t all of Vietnam – just Hanoi.
So I am not going to mess that up by living anywhere else just yet.
Hoi An for my retirement though ;o)
That sort of happened to me in Phnom Penh recently. I really like the city and people. I was also offered a job there. It would be perfect for me but deep down I am Saigonese. I could not part with Saigon, it is home now.
As is Hanoi.
I think there is a part of you where it dawns on you that your home city doesn’t have to be one place.
Then the temptation is to keep on moving whenever one place irritates you or gets you down or you just fancy a change.
And then there’s another part of you that realises that sometimes you have to stick with a place and while a change will always bring a fresh perspective – so will sticking with a place.
I can see me taking a year out of Hanoi in a few years time and maybe doing a year in Bangkok or KL or Singapore or wherever. But Hanoi will be home.