The secret to 'scoring' in a job interview even with little experience

Even with little experience, young people still have ways to "score points" in job interviews, increasing their employment rate.

Many young people learn about benefits, working environment, and company history before going to an interview to increase their job opportunities - Illustration: HOAI LINH

After graduating from university with a degree in business administration, Ha Anh, 22 years old, started looking for a job but things were not easy.

“Minus points” in the eyes of employers

According to her predecessors, Ha Anh prepared a job application (CV) including a red diploma, soft skills certificate and participated in many clubs at the university.

However, when faced with a question about her experience in handling situations, she was confused and faltered in her answer, so she was eliminated. Later, she realized that the company needed people with skills and good adaptability to situations, and qualifications were only a small criterion.

Similarly, Mai Chi, a recent marketing graduate in Hanoi , said employers mostly ask about practical experience and soft skills. Places that do not require skills do not pay high salaries.

"It's very difficult to gain experience right after graduating. When interviewed, many people already had 2-3 years of work experience," Chi confided.

According to human resources officers at many companies, the situation where businesses cannot recruit enough people and candidates cannot find jobs comes from many causes.

Mr. Duong Van Loc - a recruiter at Lens Technology Vietnam Co., Ltd. - said that the company will not pay too high a salary for inexperienced candidates.

Candidates with good productivity, proficient in office software, and effective work will be considered for salary increase and training opportunities abroad (3-6 months).

Through personnel interviews, he said that those who were eliminated had in common weak communication skills, lack of confidence, and could not show a desire to stay with the company long term.

“There are cases where people arrive very late for an interview. For example, if you make an appointment for 8am but only arrive at 8:30am or 9am, it does not show professionalism or punctuality,” he said.

Job fairs organized by employment service centers are opportunities for young candidates to find jobs quickly - Photo: HA QUAN

Take advantage of the internship to gain experience

This employer suggests that young people should take advantage of their internship time, actively listen, and support official employees in their work to hone their skills and grasp practical work.

“I see that you proactively accumulate experience during your internship at a business with good skills and attitudes. Many automated factories still need people to operate and inspect, so understanding the machines and being proficient in their work is very important,” Mr. Loc added.

Meanwhile, Ms. Thanh Huong, 26 years old, a training officer at a fashion company in Hanoi, said she had difficulty finding a job when she first graduated and had no experience.

But after many years of working and talking with HR staff, she suggests that the way to "score points" with employers is to share real stories, not to say things that are not true. When asked, candidates must answer specifically, with examples, not give general answers that they will handle it, will have a plan and absolutely not speak ill of other companies or former colleagues.

Similar to Mr. Loc, Ms. Huong suggests that young people should take advantage of their internships by applying for projects and jobs to “score points” with businesses and units. This is also a way to beautify their CV. If they perform well, they can be retained for work in the future.

"The internship is an opportunity for young people to learn many soft skills such as communicating with colleagues, organizing work, using office software proficiently, and writing complete reports," she said.

According to the 2025 salary and labor market report published by Navigos Group in February 2025, surveying more than 3,400 candidates and 500 multinational enterprises in Vietnam, over 37% plan to recruit less than 10% more staff and nearly 30% plan to increase from 10% to less than 20% of employees.

Businesses prioritize recruiting employees with 1-3 years of experience (about 55%) and 3-5 years of experience (about 27%). The most recruited positions are in the fields of business/sales (over 59%), production (over 33%) and customer service (over 24%).

In terms of skills, businesses highly value problem-solving ability (about 73%) and effective communication (63%), along with foreign language skills, analytical thinking and flexible adaptation.

Navigos Group experts said that 28% of businesses apply artificial intelligence (AI) to screen resumes, analyze candidate data and forecast trends that will continue to increase in the coming years.

Therefore, workers need to focus on building their personal brand, beautifying their profile with foreign language skills such as English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and digital skills, the ability to work independently and manage time.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bi-quyet-ghi-diem-khi-phong-van-xin-viec-du-it-kinh-nghiem-20250306111836821.htm