“The reason is that some students have good academic performance but lack humility, causing them to miss opportunities. Others choose the wrong field from the start, fail to realize their potential, yet are unwilling to change direction midway. After graduation, if they continue in that field, they feel increasingly mismatched,” Tuan said at a recent career guidance and job fair.

Tuan acknowledged that he himself was a “misdirected product” of the career orientation process. It took him 15 years to find his path in career education.

Whether a company is prestigious or a job is “hot” matters less than whether it suits the individual and supports their development, he said. Students should gain early exposure to real work environments and the labor market.

Ha Phan, founder of recruitment firm JobUp, said that instead of spending too much time thinking about which career suits them, young people should “test” themselves through internships, with a clear goal of discovering personal fit.

“In that environment, observe how seniors work: what they do on computers, how they interact with partners, and what they discuss. I used to observe these very carefully. When assigned tasks, focus on execution and always ask: Why am I doing this? What value does it create?” she advised.

She added that many programs now allow students to study while gaining practical experience. “Only by entering the workplace, observing operations, and actively exploring can students understand which roles suit them,” she said, recommending that students start as early as their first summer in university.

According to Ha Phan, students do not need overly sophisticated CVs when applying for internships. “An empty CV will obviously be rejected, but if you have participated in research or extracurricular activities, clearly state your role and specific outcomes,” she said.

They should also highlight achievements when talking about volunteer work, such as how many candidates were competed against, how many programs were joined, or which groups were supported. Even managing a small club division shows competitiveness, trust, and responsibility.

“Many students do jobs like dishwashing, café service, or retail folding clothes but hesitate to include them in their CVs. In fact, employers value the qualities behind those jobs. They reflect attitude, discipline, and effort. For example, a student finishing work at 11 pm, commuting 15 km daily, yet maintaining a GPA above 3.2/4 can make a strong impression,” she said.

With years of recruitment experience, Ha Phan stressed that diligence and humility are key qualities for fresh graduates.

From another perspective, amid rapid labor market changes driven by digital transformation and AI, Tuan said young people need to properly understand these shifts instead of fearing them.

Society is always moving; no one can stand still. In this flow, some keep up, but some are left behind.

“AI will replace those who do not outperform it. Machines and technology will take over tasks that humans perform inefficiently, especially simple, repetitive labor. However, AI is created by humans, so we need to rise above to develop,” Tuan said.

Regarding the employment rate, top-tier universities report very positive figures. Phan Dinh Quyet from Thuongmai University said that new graduates from the university have an average salary of VND7-10 million per month; after 3–5 years of experience, it can reach VND15–20 million/month.

Many graduates from "hot" majors such as E-commerce, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Digital Marketing, and Data Analysis can earn VND20 million or more right after graduation. Some entrepreneurs can reach more than VND100 million/month.

According to statistics from Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), more than 50 percent of graduates from this university will go abroad to work or work in foreign invested enterprises in Vietnam.

Huynh Dang Chinh, Vice President of HUST, said among these, about 10–15 percent of students will go abroad to work.

“This is a group that usually has a fast promotion rate; many of them take on important positions in corporations and enterprises after only about three months of work,” Chinh said.

75 enterprises with more than 1,000 recruitment positions were present at the 2026 Job Fair of HCMC University of Technology and Education, which not only reflected a large demand for human resources but also showed a notable shift: the labor market is moving one step ahead. Enterprises proactively visit lecture halls to "hunt" for personnel while they are still studying. Many third- and fourth-year students hold many internship offers, even official job offers. 

Thuy Nga