Bridging the gap between young talents and employers
Within the framework of VinUni Career Day, a lively roundtable discussion took place on defining the concept of “talent”, the best ways for talents to develop and how talents can be treated by companies.
The Roundtable is a key activity in the annual VinUni Career Day. This year, the topic “Future of talents” was chosen, with the active participation of VinUni lecturers, representatives of prestigious businesses, parents and VinUni students.
This activity was part of the research project on “Challenges and prospects for Vietnam’s talent market”, conducted by VinUni, with some initial research findings published at VinUni Career Day 2023. The discussion provided more detailed information to supplement the research report, which will be published in the near future.
Focusing on “talent”, Prof. Rohit Verma, Provost of VinUni mentioned 5 topics: (1) The impact of AI and ChatGPT, (2) best practices from recent graduates, (3) best practices from employers, (4) best practices for rapid career advancement, (5) lifelong learning. Many lively opinions were raised.
The majority reached a consensus on the need to see AI – Artificial Intelligence, notably ChatGPT, as a tool instead of something to depend on. The arrival of ChatGPT means that graduates are required to develop new skills, such as creative thinking or complex problem-solving abilities, in order to make the best use of this technology. In this way, ChatGPT would be an effective tool if we learn how to use it properly.
Secondly, to quickly integrate into the corporate environment, graduates were suggested to adapt quickly to changes. This meant being proactive in self-study and taking on a lifelong learning mindset. Le Minh Thi, a student at VinUni College of Business & Management, said that talented graduates often look for companies with great influence, a fun working environment and good benefits. “Since working hours usually last from 8 hours or more, a working environment with clear OKRs, KPIs, performance monitoring, etc., will attract talent.”
As a parent of a 3rd-year VinUnian, Mr. Giap Van Duong shared that a talented person is someone who understands himself, and his surroundings and does his job well. They can create great value and great impact on society. “It is necessary to be aware of the skills and attitudes required to become talented. On the other hand, employers should offer remuneration and benefits to motivate talent. Try to make learning an enjoyable and self-motivating journey. There will be barriers to lifelong learning, but students should keep a positive mindset,” he advised.
Ms. Ngo Van Hanh – Human Resources Director, IHG Group Vietnam also highly appreciated VinUnians’ professional capacity and quick adaptation, as well as that of the new generation of students. They are considered to have a keen understanding of market trends and better foreign language skills, thereby helping them quickly grasp customer psychology.
However, according to Ms. Hanh, many students still lack perseverance and persistence. This is especially important in the service sector. “So, please focus more on developing basic soft skills that we sometimes forget, as we rely too much on technology, such as communication, negotiation, presentation skills, and so on. After all, those are the things that machines cannot do in place of humans!” – Ms. Van Hanh shared.
Dr. Le Mai Lan – President of VinUni said that, from the discussion, VinUni wishes to join hands with other stakeholders in improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese talents, thereby narrowing the gap between young talents and employers as well as contributing to developing talents for Vietnam, building Vietnam into a global centre of talent in the not-so-distant future. She also called for the creation of an open talent network between interested universities and industries. “VinUni stands ready to participate and give maximum support to this network,” said Dr. Mai Lan.
All the participation joined the Roundtable discussion at VinUni Career Day 2023
