How do non-public school students compete in the labor market?

The increasingly competitive and strict labor market makes many students worry 'Will studying at non-public universities and non-top universities be competitive enough in large corporations?'.

Reality shows that businesses need real capacity, so there are still students who graduate from non-public universities and are highly appreciated by employers, affirming their positions in domestic and foreign businesses.

Have faith in your abilities

Ton Nu Thuc Anh (22 years old, Dong Nai), just graduated with a second-class degree in business administration from Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance (UEF), is currently working in the marketing position of L'Oréal Vietnam.

Graduated from Luong The Vinh High School for the Gifted (Tam Hiep Ward, Dong Nai Province), Thuc Anh considered many options before deciding to study at a public university.

At first, she was hesitant about the "vagueness" of business administration, but with her passion for experience and clear guidance from teachers, Thuc Anh gradually discovered her suitability for this field. "The major not only gave me knowledge about business models, but also gave me soft skills in self-management and self-mastery," Thuc Anh shared.

Thuc Anh during her internship in Japan

PHOTO: NVCC

And as expected, in 4 years of university, Thuc Anh maintained the highest GPA in the faculty in the 2023-2024 school year, received a 15 million VND talent scholarship, maintained a 50% scholarship for the entire course and twice achieved the title of "5 Good Students" at the school level.

In addition to academics, she also actively participates in extracurricular activities, was the President of Du Mien Club, Vice President of Music Club, won the 2019 Southern Open Debate Runner-up and is a familiar face on many big stages as an MC, performing musical instruments such as zither, piano, guitar...

Her spirit of daring to take on challenges was further affirmed when she was honored to gain practical experience through an internship program in Japan, and especially interning at two multinational cosmetic corporations, L'Oréal and Estée Lauder, as a third-year student.

“At first, I was worried because I thought employers would be hesitant when hearing the name of a private school. But after studying, I saw that many students received scholarships and were very successful. I understood that the important thing is not what kind of school it is, what I achieved was due to my belief in my own abilities,” Thuc Anh expressed.

Foreign language is the “key” that helps Thuc Anh confidently integrate into the international community. From someone who was not good at English, she proactively improved her ability by working as an English teaching assistant at high schools, studying in a bilingual environment at UEF, and experiencing an internship in Japan.

Thuc Anh aims to continue her graduate studies to expand her opportunities for further development in the future. “You have to be allowed to experience new things, then you will know what suits you, from there you can make the right direction and try your best,” Thuc Anh affirmed.

Businesses list factors for recruiting workers

Mr. Truong Ngoc Hoang, Director of Education at Festo Multinational Corporation, shared: "For large enterprises or multinational corporations, we do not place much importance on whether candidates come from public or private schools. In fact, the strength of private school students is that they study in an environment with good investment in facilities, teaching staff, and especially the ability to work in a very flexible group. Thanks to that, they soon form a professional and dynamic style, suitable for the operations of large enterprises. In addition, many students' foreign language skills are also very natural, this is a factor that helps them be highly appreciated in the recruitment process.

Mr. Hoang also emphasized: "Whether you are a student at a public or private school, the first thing you need to do when entering the working environment is to have a receptive attitude. Next is foreign language ability, and most importantly, your own ability. Young people, no matter what environment they study in, need to try their best, because businesses will look at their activities and training process during their student years. Businesses will never underestimate or "dislike" you if you truly have the ability and spirit of progress."

Study anywhere can be successful

As a former student of Bac Lieu High School for the Gifted, Vuong Gia Ky Nam (21 years old, Ca Mau), a multimedia communications student at Van Lang University, faced many prejudices when choosing to study at a non-public school.

“I see many students choose a major they are not truly passionate about, just choosing based on the name of the school. But for me, passion and career orientation are the most important things,” Nam shared.

Nam believes that the university environment is just the starting point, the decisive factor lies in how each person proactively learns and develops. “Where you study is up to you, and if you know how to master yourself, you can shine anywhere,” Nam said.

Ky Nam at an international conference

PHOTO: NVCC

From a bewildered first-year student, Nam gradually asserted himself with impressive academic achievements when he had 3 scientific articles published in domestic and international journals, successfully accepted two excellent basic-level scientific research topics, received the VLU Talents scholarship each year and the 100% full CommTech Camp Highlight exchange scholarship (2025) in Indonesia, along with many interdisciplinary research projects.

Not only is Nam a good student, he also participates in activities such as taking on the role of Head of the Communication Research Club, and was a representative of the Factcheck Lab Vietnam VLU team to report at the Asian conference on preventing fake news (2024). At the same time, Nam also participates in MC activities for many events inside and outside the school.

After nearly 4 years of university, Nam has clearly determined his future path by continuing to study for a master's degree and dreams of becoming a lecturer at the school he is attending.

Practical ability is much more important than formal qualifications.

Dr. Nguyen Anh Minh, a psychologist (lecturer of political science, Can Tho University), commented that the gap between students from public and non-public schools is gradually narrowing. Dr. Minh said that in the context of increasingly open and flexible education, many students from non-public schools clearly show advantages in terms of initiative, adaptability and early career orientation.

According to Ms. Minh, the important thing is not whether the school you attend is public or private, but how students use their time to develop themselves. The factors that employers value most today include the ability to work in a team, critical thinking, soft skills, foreign languages ​​and practical experience in a business environment.

Dr. Anh Minh commented: "We are living in an era where practical skills are much more important than formal degrees. If students of non-public schools know how to choose a major strategically, actively learn, practice skills, improve foreign languages ​​and participate in activities related to businesses, they can completely compete equally in the global environment."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sinh-vien-truong-ngoai-cong-lap-canh-tranh-ra-sao-trong-thi-truong-lao-dong-18525101220181078.htm