Born in 2002, Tran Vy Tra - an ethnic Tay from the former Bac Kan province - received her full-time job offer from Central Retail, Thailand’s leading retail conglomerate, in January 2024, just after completing her third year at university.

To get there, she had to overcome deep-rooted self-doubt, adapt to a competitive environment, and steadily work toward her goals.

Vy Tra was previously a math-specialized student at Bac Kan High School for the Gifted.

In 2020, she scored 28.95 out of 30 on the national D01 university entrance exam, ranking as Vietnam’s second-highest scorer nationwide and securing the top spot in her incoming class at the Foreign Trade University.

That same year, she was honored at the National Commendation Ceremony for outstanding students and young ethnic minority talent.

Since receiving that recognition, she says she felt as if she had been given new energy to keep striving forward.

However, her early days in college were marked by discomfort and doubt, especially when surrounded by confident, eloquent, and soft-skill-savvy peers from major cities.

She sometimes lost confidence in herself.

Eventually, she realized that instead of constantly comparing herself to others, she needed to focus on her own strengths and find balance between academics and real-world experience.

“At Foreign Trade, many students fully dedicate themselves to academics and research in hopes of pursuing a PhD track,” Tra shared.

“But I knew early on that wasn’t the path I wanted.”

Tra set her sights on working for multinational corporations and began actively building relevant skills and experience.

From her freshman year, she joined the university’s International Business Club, taking on roles from core team member to head of department and eventually club president, leading around 60 members.

Rather than jumping into part-time jobs too early, Tra chose to devote herself to the club, organizing competitions and practical projects.

Through these efforts, she honed decision-making, team management, leadership, and accountability.

She values those experiences deeply and credits them for building the foundation that gave her confidence in future career pursuits.

By her third year, Tra secured an internship with a French conglomerate, managing raw material inputs for their production line.

That experience taught her the importance of adaptability and collaboration in achieving strong work outcomes.

Learning to trust her own path

Thanks to those cumulative experiences, Tra applied for the Central Retail Management Trainee Program after finishing her third year.

The program targets candidates with under three years of experience and aims to nurture young talents into future leaders of the company.

Out of approximately 2,000 applicants, she went through five rounds of selection - application screening, online assessments, interviews, and business case presentations.

She described the final round as the most challenging, requiring candidates to present business operations solutions in front of seasoned executives.

“I had just finished my third year and only had foundational knowledge,” she said.

“I just gave it my all, never imagining I would be selected, given how competitive it was.”

To her surprise, she became one of just eight candidates accepted into the program.

After joining, Tra entered a two-year rotational structure, working across four departments - each for six months - designed to build business acumen, leadership, and innovation mindset.

One of the key highlights was a six-month assignment at Central Group Thailand, where she was tasked with developing a marketing strategy for a customer segment.

Although the pressure was intense, her proposals were well received - some even implemented - after her first-ever presentation to the company’s senior marketing director.

“This experience helped me become more confident in my abilities,” she said.

“During those six months in Thailand, I also completely changed my mindset about work.”

She observed that when recruiting young talent, the company didn’t prioritize extensive experience.

Instead, they valued fresh perspectives and strategic thinking.

Currently, Tra oversees two major warehouses in the food retail division of Central Retail Vietnam and is set to complete her two-year trainee journey by the end of December.

Looking back, she says the greatest reward wasn’t the job or the international opportunity - but the self-belief she cultivated along the way.

From a small-town girl daunted by the brilliance of those around her, Tra has come to realize that everyone walks a different path.

“You don’t need to follow someone else’s road or chase their achievements to be successful,” she said.

“Focus on your own path. Do your best in whatever you’re doing, and that will lead you to where you’re meant to go.”

Thuy Nga