Many people choose coffee shops as their 3rd shift work place.

A small working corner of Ho Chi Minh City's youth at night - Photo: TTP

Ho Chi Minh City is always noisy and bustling, even at night. The noise contributes to making this city more lively and interesting.

And there is a "different world " at night, which third-shift workers say makes them more motivated and productive at work and study than the other two shifts of the day.

Tuoi Tre Online introduces an article by reader Tran Thi Phuong.

Coffee shop as a 3rd shift office

According to the schedule, tomorrow morning is the deadline for a project that I took on extra work to increase my income.

It's 11:45 pm now, getting ready to start a new day, the laptop is about to close to rest but the work is not done yet, someone in the team suggested that my group go to a coffee shop to continue working.

I thought which cafe would still be open at this hour. Then I and two other members of the group were convinced to get out of bed and "go for a coffee at 12 midnight".

The coffee shop was also nearby so I chose a motorbike taxi service, and a second-year student picked me up. After a few conversations, I learned that this student was also working the third shift - going to school in the morning, working at a milk tea shop in the afternoon, and driving a motorbike taxi in the evening.

And I am the first guest tonight. The job of driving a motorbike taxi not only helps this student earn extra income to pay for his monthly rent, but also provides him with a vehicle to get to class every day.

My group chose a 24-hour coffee shop on Phan Van Tri Street, Go Vap District.

The first surprise was that we had to queue up to buy coffee when we thought everyone else was already asleep. At 1am, I was even more surprised when new groups of customers kept coming in, it seemed like the third shift had already started.

Everyone walked in with backpacks and laptops, lined up to buy drinks at the counter, opened their laptops, and the sounds of discussion and typing began to fill the air.

The coffee shop now looks like an office of a multinational, multi-industry company, far different from the concept of coffee that the early 9X generation like me imagined, even though it was just past 1am.

Another "world" at night

My eyes were squinting because I rarely stay up late like today, but the group of young Gen Z people sitting across from me were still arguing very enthusiastically, making my drowsiness disappear.

Phuong Uyen - a third-year student at a university in Ho Chi Minh City - shared: "This is my group's favorite place. Even though we don't have group assignments, we still make an appointment at 11pm every night to bring our laptops here to study and take on part-time projects until around 2am.

At home, I feel very lazy, have no motivation to study by myself and want to go to bed by 9pm. Going to a 24-hour coffee shop, I feel like my time has increased, I have more time to do other things, and coming here I have more motivation to study and work."

Unfortunately, my wireless mouse suddenly ran out of battery. I had to ask around the customers sitting in the shop to see if anyone had a spare mouse that I could borrow. Because of that, I had the opportunity to get acquainted and chat with Vy - a freelancer in the field of digital marketing.

Vy is 35 years old this year, but shares the same thinking with young Gen Z people that virtual offices, open spaces, and 24/7 business locations are ideal working places for those who want to make the most of their time during the day.

Here, they have adequate facilities and a bustling environment that is no different from a company office.

Taking a 15-minute break between shifts helps relieve eye strain, Vy shared, sitting and working is just that, but the most worrying thing is health. Vy still has to make sure to sleep at least 5 hours a day to give her body time to rest, eat a snack every 6 hours and make sure to have 3 main meals.

On busy days, Vy tries to finish everything because lack of sleep will definitely make her feel a little sick. Vy has considered this 24-hour coffee shop her private office to work and meet with partners for more than 2 years now.

I only lasted until nearly 3am then went home to ensure my health and energy for the new working day, that was also the time when the restaurant staff changed shifts.

Make the most of your day

Taking advantage of night time to work is not new in Vietnam and the world. Previously, when the 24-hour supermarket model flourished in Ho Chi Minh City and other big cities, many of these supermarkets also planned to serve 24 hours.

However, the space of this model is quite small, with a capacity of only about 10-15 guests, making it difficult to carry out work and meet partners.

Mr. The Nguyen - a 5-year international student in Japan majoring in F&B (food and beverage business and services) - said that working the night shift (from 10pm to 6am) has long been normal in Japan.

In fact, this shift is often "sold out" because so many young people sign up for it. They take advantage of the daytime to go to school or work, so after 10pm, almost everyone is free and wants to take advantage of this time to earn extra income.

Many of my friends still work 8 hours in the office during office hours and take advantage of the evening to teach extra classes or work extra jobs, but the time is only 60 - 120 minutes.

The experience of working the third shift almost overnight is a challenge to health and changes each individual's biological clock.

And that is part of the bustling life of Ho Chi Minh City!

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-nguoi-chon-quan-ca-phe-la-noi-lam-viec-ca-3-20240816090730262.htm