Labor towards "multi-tasking skills chain
Ms. Nguyen Minh Anh (26 years old) is an accountant at a joint venture company in Ngoc Ha ward (Hanoi). In addition to 4 years of experience in the accounting industry, Ms. Minh Anh also understands international tax law, is proficient in AI shaping tools and has creative content writing skills.
Along with her fluent foreign language ability, Ms. Minh Anh's job opportunities are constantly opening up. During the day, she takes advantage of tax advice for startups; in the evening, she uses AI to draw illustrations for children's book projects and manages a personal financial newsletter channel.
I don't consider myself an accountant but a solution provider. Knowing how to use AI helps me optimize my abilities in many fields and makes them more valuable in the eyes of customers," Ms. Minh Anh shared.
Mr. Hoang Tu - human resources expert at Phat Thinh Group (Tan Dinh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) said that recently, the shift from "employees" to "personal service providers" is a turning point in workers' thinking. In this model, each individual operates like a micro enterprise. They do not sell time to receive salary, they sell "solution packages" compiled from their skills," Mr. Tu said.
Reality shows that people who only possess one narrow professional skill are the most vulnerable group to the development of technology and automation. Conversely, those who know how to "assemble" seemingly unrelated skills are creating unprecedented surplus values.
Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center said that in 2026, businesses have changed their approach to personnel. “Instead of recruiting a full-time employee with a fixed job description, they prioritize hiring "pieces" suitable for each project. For example, a game programmer architect will be more sought after than a pure architect because they can build virtual space in the virtual universe - a booming field. Statistics from major recruitment platforms show that the group of workers possessing 3 or more core skills (not from the same industry group) has an income 2.5 times higher than single-industry personnel. This is the strength of "integrating" intelligence," Mr. Thanh said.
Gen Z and the "sideline job" game
Generation Z – genuine digital residents – are the leaders of this game. They no longer have the concept of "main job - side job" because all skills are assets and all passions can turn into cash flow.
Ms. Chu Phuong Anh, born in 2001, is currently a programmer (main source of income), an online yoga instructor (health source of income), an AI ethics appraiser (thinking source of income), a handicraft business and a digital content creator.
Owning a "sideline job" is not overwork, but makes me optimize different periods of time and interests. When a field is in crisis, other "pieces" will play a protective role, helping me maintain financial freedom without relying on any specific boss," Ms. Phuong Anh said.
However, becoming an "assembled laborer" does not mean learning just a little bit superficially. The "trap" of this trend is the lack of specialization - Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, former Director of the Institute of Labor and Social Sciences, said.
Assembly skills are only truly valuable when they are built on a solid professional axis. You can know many things, but you must have at least one skill that reaches the level of an expert to act as an anchor. In addition, managing multiple tasks at the same time requires time management and discipline. Employees must play the role of bosses, employees, accountants and marketing for their own personal brand," Ms. Lan Huong advised.
