MSc. Pham Manh Ha: "Do the job you are passionate about"

After exams and thesis defenses, finding a job is probably an important and time-consuming task for new graduates. Except for those who, thanks to their own efforts and luck, have found a fairly stable job while still studying, many other students are confused and worried about where they will "stay", whether their salary is enough to live on, how to relate to their "boss" and colleagues?... With the desire to help students get useful advice, we had a conversation with Master Pham Manh Ha - Deputy Director of the Center for Psychological Support and Counseling.

- Reporter (PV):Dear Master Pham Manh Ha, students looking for a job after graduation often feel anxious, worried, and even self-conscious. What advice do you have for them to reduce that pressure?

- MSc. Pham Manh Ha (MSc. PMH): I think we need to determine the cause of impatience or lack of confidence in order to find a solution.

In my opinion, students are under a lot of pressure when they first graduate. Pressure from the expectations of family and friends, pressure from themselves when they have to find a job to support themselves, to no longer have to depend on their family... From these pressures comes a common mentality of being willing to do anything, as long as there is work. But to find a job, some people are too eager and impatient, others feel insecure about whether they can do it or not. Therefore, you have forgotten the most important fact: do you meet the requirements of that job, is that job suitable for your abilities and interests?

My advice to you is to calm down and “polish” yourself, give yourself some quiet time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, and carefully prepare your job search strategy in many aspects. Being well prepared will help you avoid the feeling of failure and reduce the pressure of finding a job.

- PV:According to you, when looking for a job, what preparations do students need to make?

- ThS. PMH: I think the process of preparing for a job search must be done in advance, while still in school. The most important thing is that you must prepare yourself with solid professional knowledge, other skills such as foreign languages, computers... Besides, you must learn job interview skills, skills to prepare a good job application, communication skills, behavior, self-expression...

- PV:Can you suggest some skills to "score points" with employers?

- ThS. PMH: I want to emphasize one thing: most new graduates when looking for a job only think about applying for a job and do not pay much attention to whether they are suitable for that job or not, whether they meet the requirements of that position.

For employers, a beautiful profile and a good way of speaking are sometimes not very important. People only need to know what the candidate understands about the company and the job position. You need to show the employer who you are, what your strengths are, how you can meet the job requirements, and what you can contribute to the company. By showing these things, you have impressed the employer.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/5/img_5349.jpg" border="0" title="Students of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication present their graduation thesis" width="480"/>

- PV:Students are confused when they have to choose between jobs that are related to their major but have low salaries and jobs that are not related to their major but have more attractive salaries. What advice can you give them?

- ThS. PMH: This is related to the development strategy of each individual. In the long term, if you are passionate about your work, a low salary at first is not a problem. Over time, combined with your passion for your work, you can become an expert in the field you pursue. And when you become an expert in any field, you will not be poor, if not prosperous and rich. However, there are also cases where, for economic reasons, you need to choose a job that, even if it is a part-time job, has a better income, and then there will be adjustments. In general, it depends on the circumstances, abilities and goals of each person to make a decision to choose a job. I just want to advise you to choose and do the job that you are passionate about, you will definitely be well-off.

- PV:In a similar situation, if students have to choose between a job in a government agency with a low salary and a job in a non-governmental organization with a high salary but considered unstable, how should they decide?

- ThS. PMH: This also depends on the personality of each person, whether they like challenges, like fluctuations or want stability. I know that many young people work in non-governmental organizations because they want to challenge themselves, want to experience to gain practical work experience, to train themselves a dynamic working style. There are people who want a stable job and have a long-term development strategy for themselves to stick with that job. In general, choosing a job depends on each person's interests and abilities. But usually, the more volatile something is, the faster the individual matures and becomes stronger. What is stable changes less and creates less breakthroughs.

- PV:When working at a new agency, there will be many surprises. What should students proactively learn and prepare their mindset to work smoothly?

- ThS. PMH: The most important thing is that you must know your position, what you will do, and then proactively accept the job. When you are proactive, it will be easier to integrate and the job will be more favorable. Many people do not know what they will do, so they passively wait for the job to be assigned, leading to not being highly appreciated at work. If this continues for a long time, the individual will be eliminated.

- PV:In fact, some students complain that their boss is too autocratic and difficult to approach and give their own opinions, so many people choose the solution of just silently following all the boss's opinions even though they are not "convinced". Do you think that is right?

- ThS. PMH: At work, you have to know how to choose. Usually, no matter what the boss's personality is, they are the leader and have the highest responsibility for their department. You need to respect them. Moreover, no matter what the circumstances, as a worker and a leader with the main responsibility for the work, they still want to have the best solutions for their work. When they are hot-tempered, you should not argue at that time. You should also not just silently follow. It is best to choose the right time to present your point of view in a reasonable and logical way and resolve disagreements.

In addition to professional skills, you should learn about the workplace culture to adapt. That will make your work more convenient. In modern psychology, people increasingly mention the termemotional intelligenceto talk about the ability to understand psychology, personality, human values, understanding of behavioral culture, communication. Having emotional intelligence and applying it to daily behavior, communication, and work will easily bring you more success.

- PV:A situation that students often encounter in their first days at work is that their colleagues notice them and make comments that can even shock many of them. In that case, how do you think they should react?

- ThS. PMH: That is also a manifestation of the communication culture that I just mentioned above. Understanding the current communication culture is extremely important, besides having good expertise. This is also related to teamwork skills - an important skill in modern work. If you cannot integrate with your colleagues, you will be ostracized, isolated and unable to complete your work. Being teased and receiving bad comments is a manifestation of your failure to integrate with the behavioral culture at work.

So, when you find yourself in that situation, it is best to reconsider whether you have truly integrated. Generally speaking, when it comes to culture, there is an element of conservatism in it. Sometimes we have to learn to adapt and change gradually.

- PV:Finally, many people have experienced many different job positions but are still not satisfied with their current job, even though they are at a "hard" age - meaning they are no longer young enough to continue changing. Do you think they should continue to look for new jobs or be satisfied with their current job but will always have a feeling of dissatisfaction?

- ThS. PMH: As I said at the beginning, only when we do the work that we are passionate about and love, will we feel satisfied and have certain achievements in our work. If you find that you have made a mistake, you should boldly change.

- PV:Thanks for the discussion.

•Thanh Ha (perform)