Want to be given the opportunity to prove their abilities
Ms. Tran Thi Quynh, 33 years old (Van Giap village, Thuong Tin commune, Hanoi city) said that after turning 30, she did not think finding a suitable job would become so difficult.
After quitting her old job at the company, Ms. Quynh repeatedly submitted applications to businesses hoping to soon stabilize her life. However, many times she received shakes of the head right from the first round, when recruiters knew her age.
Some places don't need to look closely at experience or working ability to ask about age first. Hearing me say I'm over 30 years old, they said they would contact me again, and then there was no response," Ms. Quynh recounted.
What makes Ms. Quynh feel sad is not only being rejected, but also the feeling that the years of working and accumulating experience seem to become worthless just because of age: "Even so, I still persistently look for new opportunities. For me, middle-aged workers can still work effectively, responsibly and seriously if given the opportunity to prove their abilities.
Also rejected due to age like Ms. Quynh, Mr. Tran Duc Loi, 34 years old (Thanh Xuan ward, Hanoi) recounted his "bitter" experience when interviewed: "Reaching the age of 34, I am confident that I have the most maturity in experience, practical skills in the graphics industry and responsibility to work. However, the journey of spreading job applications for the past 5 months has dealt me a fatal blow. Receiving the 8th email of rejection in 5 months with the general reason being "not suitable for the criteria of rejuvenating the team", I was really surprised".
Mr. Loi added that during direct interviews at companies, looking around the office, he noticed that all the faces were very young. Even the human resources manager was younger than him.
When interviewing, the human resources department said that the recruitment position requires continuous overtime pressure and the company prioritizes young people because they are healthy, easy to "correct" and optimize costs," Mr. Loi said.
Mr. Tran Long Giang - Director of Thang Long Architecture Company - TAA (Ha Dong ward, Hanoi) shared his views on recruiting personnel in the field of architecture and interior design.
Mr. Giang said that although he does not discriminate against 30-year-old workers, his company tends to prioritize recruiting young personnel for training, instead of placing too much emphasis on experience.
Young people often have a spirit of learning, easily adapt to the working environment and are willing to accept new thinking and design trends. What I appreciate most is still the attitude, progressiveness and desire to stick with the long term. If there is a suitable foundation and qualities, businesses can completely train you to develop into good personnel in the future," Mr. Giang said.
Human resource waste is at its peak
Sharing with Lao Dong reporters, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment - said that the story of 26 years old being considered "old" is not only residing in Vietnam but is covering the labor market of countries in the Asian region, especially in countries with fierce competition.
In China, the concept of "35-year-old curse" once shook the office world, but now, that pressure has been pushed back to an earlier age. Many employers frankly reject applications from people who have only graduated for five years because they believe they "lack breakthrough" compared to recent graduates.
In South Korea and Japan, pressure from the "labor-crazy" working culture combined with the economic downturn has made companies prioritize recruiting personnel in their twenties under cheap internship programs. Workers aged 26-28 in South Korea, if they miss the beat in the centralized recruitment period of Chaebols (large corporations), will immediately fall into a vague state: being criticized for being overage for newly started positions but lacking experience for management positions.
Pushing 26-year-old workers out of the market or forcing them to change jobs in a passive position will waste a human resource that is at maturity in thinking and combat skills. To solve this problem, we need a synchronous solution from three sides. Management agencies need to strengthen monitoring mechanisms, build strict sanctions against age discrimination in business recruitment notices. Businesses need to change their personnel management thinking, looking at workers as a long-term asset instead of a short-term cost.
On the worker's side, young people are not allowed to "frame" themselves in routine skills. Proactively multitasking themselves, accumulating management skills and constantly improving high-quality professional and technical qualifications is the most solid "shield" to save themselves," Mr. Le Quang Trung said.
