Securing ‘top jobs’ in a shifting landscape: How can students enhance their competitive advantages?

Rather than waiting until their final university year to seek internship opportunities, many modern students begin working at multinational companies in their early years of university to strengthen their competitive advantage. 

Accumulating skills, gaining experiences 

According to the 2023 recruitment demand report from TopCV, 90% of the 3,000 recruiters prioritise candidates’ experience. As a result, an increasing number of students are opting to begin internships or work from their early university years to build and develop their personal profiles, gain practical experience, and prepare for their future careers. The combination of studying and working early, along with support and advice from the university, increases students’ chances of securing positions at reputable companies immediately upon graduation, or even before completing their studies. 

Pursuing one of the most competitive fields in the job market, Đặng Minh Cường, a former Accounting and Finance student at British University Vietnam (BUV), got a head start. From his early years at university, Cường proactively sought internship opportunities within BUV’s partner network. He was accepted for an internship at Bamboo Airways. Initially, he was confused and overwhelmed by his first job, but Cường was supported by BUV to quickly adapt. “The tough exams that once kept me up at night at university unconsciously helped me get used to the industry’s pressure, where mistakes are not allowed, even before starting my job,” Cường shared. 

Thanks to the “pressure make diamonds” and his proactive mindset, continuously accumulating experience and knowledge, Cường secured a stronger position at the company after five months of interning. He was recommended by his supervisors for a full-time role at the parent company as a Treasury Officer, even before graduating. 

Minh Cường (fifth from the left) has integrated well into the environment and work at Bamboo Airways. 

Similar to Minh Cường, Tiền Thị Hà Phương, a former Marketing Management student at BUV, also has the advantage of soft skills and practical experience gained through her studies and early internships at the university’s partner companies. After several significant “stops”, Hà Phương confidently applied to VNG – Vietnam’s leading tech unicorn – and successfully passed several rounds of testing, outperforming over 300 candidates to become a Business Development Fresher even before graduation. 

Hà Phương shared: “I had an advantage over many of my peers because the university supported me throughout the application process to improve my CV and create a clear edge with recruiters. Each interview round felt like a major assignment I had already practised during my studies, so there was not much surprise. In particular, I was evaluated more highly thanks to my presentation and reporting skills, which I honed over three years at BUV.” 

Hà Phương (far right) achieved her success thanks to the skills and experience gained from BUV. 

It is clear that the support and connections provided by the university play a crucial role in students’ career journeys. Beyond knowledge, the soft skills and adaptability learned during early internships are also essential factors that create a foundation and stepping stones for students to find their “landing spot” after graduation. 

Understanding oneself to pursue the passion 

In addition to connecting with businesses, many universities focus on the resilience and practical skills of students, playing a role in guiding them to explore passions that align with their abilities. A prime example is Nguyễn Hà Vy, a former International Business Management student at BUV, who was supported in gaining diverse industry experiences without limiting herself. 

Vy has interned in various roles related to communications, marketing, and human resources, and participated in BUV’s exchange programme on event management in Germany to broaden her experience. By her third year of university, Hà Vy began working full-time and is currently serving as an International Recruiter at Exely, a company providing automation solutions for hotel workflows. To date, Vy has accumulated two years of experience at both large and small companies, despite having just graduated. 

Hà Vy (far right) and her colleagues at Exely. 

One of Hà Vy’s most valued aspects of the university environment is the Student Support Centre, where she found enthusiastic guidance from career advisors when she felt uncertain about her career path. Throughout her studies, Vy not only delved deeply into her specialised knowledge but also honed her critical thinking, self-learning, and information-seeking skills. Thanks to this, Hà Vy has been able to “dive into” any job or industry she wanted to explore, equipped her knowledge for future entrepreneurial plans. 

It is evident that the proactive nature of today’s youth, alongside the support of universities that emphasise work skills and a lifelong learning mindset, has created a high-quality workforce with extensive internship experience, even for recent graduates. Minh Cường, Hà Phương, and Hà Vy are just a few examples of the nearly 500 new graduates from BUV in October 2024. Among them, 34% secured desirable positions at major domestic and international corporations before graduating. 

According to experts, knowledge gained in universities accounts for only about 40% of success. When recruiting talent, large companies often require other standards such as proactive work capability, work speed, teamwork, communication, and creative thinking. 

Professor Rick Bennett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President of BUV, shared the university’s commitment to providing students with a world-class education. The university focuses particularly on equipping students with the components of the A-S-K (Attitude, Skill, Knowledge) competency model, which is increasingly valued by the market.