Spent another year to build on lacking skills
Graduated with a degree in Economic Law (University of Social Work) in June. In 2024, Mr. Do Huu Nghia (Thanh Liet ward, Hanoi) submitted his application for 3 companies in Hanoi City. After 2 months of waiting and being called for interviews, all 3 places refused to accept Mr. Nghia to work.
"All 3 companies, including 1 law firm and 2 manufacturing enterprises recruiting legal staff, rejected me with the reason of never working/study in a field close to the major and having poor soft skills, IT, and English," said Mr. Nghia.
After discussing with his family, Mr. Nghia decided to spend a year to improve the knowledge and skills he lacked. He registered to study English at a center with a clear roadmap for qualifications to increase his discipline, while also learning more office IT himself. Mr. Nghia also applied for a job at a law office on Giang Van Minh Street (Hanoi) with the starting job being to draft simple economic contracts.
Many people think that graduating from university and then studying with the work of drafting economic contracts is a waste of time and unnecessary, but when I do, I even see that the basic requirements for office IT such as document presentation format, correct spelling... I still cannot meet. In addition, through drafting the contract, I have to re- read knowledge about economic law and related laws, consolidating what I have learned," said Mr. Nghia.
In June 2025, Mr. Nghia completed an English course, raising his Ielts in English from 4.0 to 6.5; his teamwork skills were also improved thanks to being assigned to read documents and summarize reports on studying time at the law office.
"I was recently called for an interview at an agricultural export company. After participating in the interview, the signal was very positive. Even if I am not allowed to work here, I am much more confident than before when applying for other jobs, said Mr. Nghia.
It also took Ms. Hoang Thuc Anh (from Thanh Hoa) a whole year to improve her soft skills, graduating from the University of Commerce in 2024, but it was not until March 2025 that she started working, after nearly a year to improve her skills.
I graduated with honors from the Faculty of Human Resources Management, University of Commerce in 2024. Thanks to my relatives' promotion, I tried my hand at the Human Resources Department of a garment company in Yen Nghia Industrial Park (Ha Dong, Hanoi). Although I was introduced, after 2 days of work, I proactively asked for leave because of my own subjective issues, said Ms. Thuc Anh.
According to Ms. Thuc Anh, during her 4 years of university, she lived with her uncle and grandmother's family. Every day, outside of class, she comes home from school, does not interact, does not work extra and does not participate in any activities of the school or the class. "Even when my grandmother called me to come home for dinner," Ms. Thuc Anh admitted.
Also because she did not communicate and only focused on studying, Ms. Thuc Anh's communication skills, as she admitted, were "mental points". She was shy about talking and even had difficulty expressing her own ideas.
After taking a probationary leave from a garment company, Ms. Thuc Anh applied for an additional job at a fashion store, then worked as a receptionist at a restaurant in Cau Giay Ward (Hanoi).
After nearly 1 year of working, communication skills have improved significantly, Ms. Thuc Anh is confident in applying for a job with an excellent degree. I am truly regretful that it took me nearly a year to develop a skill that not many people are lacking in; if there is a defect, I will also take advantage of the training during my university studies, Ms. Thuc Anh shared.
soft skills should not be taken lightly
Talking to Lao Dong, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment said that most human resource managers and business leaders affirmed that the only way to cultivate soft skills is to practice and learn regularly, creating an immediate reflection in all situations.
Soft skills are considered an important key to human development, opening the door to success. In particular, in the era of 4.0 technology, to become dynamic, creative and master all situations, soft skills are also an important factor, deciding success or failure in the work process. For workers participating in the labor market, we must pay more attention to developing this skill, said Mr. Trung.
According to Mr. Trung, many students after graduation are very confident in their knowledge but are still confused about the working environment at businesses. "There are students who study very well in universities but face many difficulties when working. Therefore, equipping themselves with soft skills is extremely important for every student, Mr. Trung affirmed.
