OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES and...intermediate (31%) and upper-intermediate levels (26%), and those with working pro˛ciency in all four skills only account for 6%. With regards the

AND CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

FOR FRESH GRADUATES AT THE BEGINNINGOF THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS

FOR FRESH GRADUATES AT THE BEGINNINGOF THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS

OPPORTUNITIESAND CHALLENGES

GakuEchizenyaChief Executive O�cer,Navigos Group Vietnam

niversity students, especially highly competent fresh graduates, have always been an attractive group of candidates for employers. Nevertheless, the 4.0 era

with increasingly changing labor demands presents great challenges for these newcomers to e�ectively leverage job opportunities. What are the most critical criteria fresh graduates have for their �rst jobs? What do they value most and expect to gain from their work experience (payment, learning opportunities, professional network, …)? These are two of the key questions we hope to explore in conducting this report. For the last 16 years, Navigos Group, with a vision to “help people and companies achieve their dreams”, has continued our tireless journey to nurture the Vietnamese workforce. This report "Opportunities and Challenges for Fresh Graduate at the beginning of their professional careers" was carried out to provide an overview on this candidate segment of fresh graduates and young employees in the market.

Through this report, we hope young readers can utilise the �ndings to better understand their counterparts, know where they stand and how to improve their employability. At the same time, educators can refer to our suggestions to adjust their current and future activities in terms of training and career orientation. For employers, the report is a portrayal of young people in the workplace and delivers some insight for e�ective recruitment and retention.

DEMOGRAPHICS

PART 1:WORK EXPERIENCE & CURRENT JOBS

pART 2:CONSIDERATIONS WHILE CHANGING JOB

PART 3:JOB OPPORTUNITIES

PART 4:FUTURE CAREER ORIENTATION

PART 5:SUGGESTIONS FROM NAVIGOS GROUP

CONTENT

4

5

8

10

14

16

DEMOGRAPHICS

54%

15%

14%

7%6%

3% 1%

Working full-timeHave never worked before, looking for a jobHave quit the previous job, looking for a new jobWorking part-timeWorking as an internSelf-employed, freelancerHave never worked before, not looking for a job

EMPLOYMENT STATUS CITY

Ho Chi MinhHanoiOthersDanang

45%

30%

21%

3%

EDUCATION STATUS

Bachelor (university)Bachelor (junior college)OtherIntermediate professional education Vocational School

86%

9%

3% 1% 1%

MAJOR35%

26%

9%

6%

6%

5%

5%

2%

2%

2%

1%

Economics & Management

Engineering

Technology

Social Sciences

Languages

Natural Sciences

Pharmacy

Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing

Culture and Arts

Pedagogy

Humanities

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR FRESH GRADUATESAT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS 4

WORKING EXPERIENCE& CURRENT JOBS

PART 1

*Respondents who answer this question are candidates with work experience (currently employed or not)

WORKING FIELD

80% of the respondents claim their current jobs are highly relevant (40%) or close to their majors (40%) in school. In particular, majors such as Technology, Engineering and Economics have over 75% of respondents who are employed in the same �eld.

A further 20% of candidates are working in positions unrelated to their trained profession, mostly with Language/Pedagogy majors.

RELEVANCE BETWEEN JOB AND MAJOR

Young employees’ common salary range is between VND5-7 million

By and large, the majority of fresh graduates kickstart their careers in the same field as their majors.

From VND5-7 million is the common answer for monthly salary, selected by 34% of candidates, 70% of whom are working full time. 29% say their salaries are between 7 and 10 million. In these two groups, over 80% are working full time.

Earning between 1 to 3 million VND, most of the candidates are interns (44%) or working part-time (30%).

40%

40%

20%

Somewhat relatedYesAbsolutely unrelated

Technology

Services

Communications & Media

Manufacturing

FMCG & Retail

Financial Services

Building & Construction

Transportation

Hospitality & Tourism

Medical

17%

13%

13%

12%

12%

11%

10%

5%

4%

3%

Limited Company

Joint Stock Company

Private Enterprise

100% Foreign Business Ownership

Government Enterprise/Agency

Representative O�ce

Joint Venture

28%

25%

23%

17%

4%

3%

2%

TYPE OF BUSINESS ORGANIZATION

CURRENT MONTHLY SALARY RANGE

34%

29%

16%

9%

9%

3%

From 5 mil to less than 7 mil


From 3 mil to less than – under 5 mil



From 15 mil


More than 60% of jobs require a certain level of pro�ciency in foreign languages. For employed fresh graduates, 31% say their jobs require basic communication, over one-�fth can read and understand written material in a foreign language, and 13% need �uency in four skills to be able to work. A surprising number of over 30% employees claim that their work does not require knowing another language. Interestingly, up to 95% of respondents having jobs that "do not require foreign language skills" earn below 10 million VND. Meanwhile, 37% those who have working pro�ciency in a foreign language have a salary range above 10 million.

Among foreign languages, English is the most common, shown by 99% of respondents knowing English at di�erent levels. Other popular languages include Japanese (15%) and Chinese (12%).

The majority of English-speaking candidates are at intermediate (31%) and upper-intermediate levels (26%), and those with working pro�ciency in all four skills only account for 6%.With regards the group of candidates knowing Chinese, around 25% of respondents answer they have an advanced use or full pro�ciency. For Japanese, the numbers are relatively small, 11% at an advanced level and 11% with �uency.

Job requirements in foreign language proficiency

Candidates proficient in foreign languages have higher salaries

31% 22%

Popular Foreign Language

LANGUAGES PROFICIENCY

English

Japanese

Chinese

24%

21%

16%

31%

27%

22%

26%

27%

31%

13%

11%

15%

6%

11%

11%

Basiccommunication

Readingcomprehension

99% 15%English Japanese

12% 8%Chinese Korean

6% 4%French Spanish

3%German

13% 34%Fluency in 4 skills Not required

Young employees are not satisfied with the compensation, incentives and promotion opportunities at their current jobs

On a scale of 5, young candidates express their satisfaction with their current jobs in terms of learning opportunities (average score 3.41), followed by the company's reputation (3.35) and corporate culture (3.31).

On the other hand, the majority are dissatis�ed due to two main factors: salary (2.95) and a long-term career prospects (2.88).

CURRENT JOB’S SATISFACTION RATE

Opportunity to learnand gain experience

3.41

Company's reputation

3.35

Corporate culture

Related to respondents’interest �eld

3.31

3.28

Opportunity to expand socialrelationships

3.28

Job suits personal ability

3.27

Compensation (insurance,vacation, bonuses, allowances ...)

2.99

Salary

Long-term developmentopportunities

2.95

2.88

FluencyBeginner Intermediate AdvancedUpper-intermediate


WHILE CHANGING JOB CONSIDERATIONs

PART 2

When asked about the three most in�uential factors in the decision to change jobs, 45% of the respondents cite they "have other personal plans". The second most selected is " I do not like my daily tasks " (40%). Di�culty in �tting in with one’s corporate culture is another reason for changing jobs in young employees (24%).

PERSONAL FACTORSINFLUENCING JOBS CHANGING

I have other personal plans(education, family issues, etc.)

I do not like my daily tasks

I cannot �t in due to thecorporate culture

I lack soft skills, foreign language

I received a job o�er elsewhere

I lack professional knowledge

I cannot get along with line manager

Others

I cannot get along with colleagues

45%

40%

24%

18%

18%

16%

16%

12%

6%

54%

40% of applicants have quit their jobs because of daily tasks

Looking at external factors, newbies at work are also strongly in�uenced by attractive bene�t packages. 54% of respondents have changed jobs because of low compensation and bene�ts. Learning opportunities are prioritized as well, with a large portion of employees quitting due to "no opportunity for promotion” and "lack of professional training", accounting for 47% and 28% respectively. Reportedly, the top three reasons for quitting are the same for most respondents categorized by salary range and working �eld.

Unsatisfactory compensation and benefit packages prompt young employees to change jobs

EXTERNAL FACTORS INFLUENCINGJOBS CHANGING

Low salary and compensation

No opportunity for promotion

High-stress work

Other

Bad business situation

Lack of professional training

Real work is di�erent fromthe original job description

Di�cult working conditions(long, in�exible working hours,long commute, small o�ce, ...)

47%

28%

22%

21%

16%

14%

4%


OPPORTUNITIESJOB

PART 3

The top criteria when choosing jobs for fresh graduates are reported to be “income and welfare” (70%), followed by “compatibility with one’s strengths” (55%). More notably, young jobseekers show strong interest in their long-term career prospects and learning opportunities at work (over 50% each), which are also important factors they consider when changing jobs.

Criteria for job selection

Income and welfare

Compatibility with personal strengths

Promotion and long-term career prospects

Opportunities for training and development

Interest in the �eld of work

Corporate culture

Employer brand

Other

55%

53%

52%

41%

18%

6%

0%

70%

Income and welfare come first when choosing jobs

Difficulties in seeking jobs

38% of respondents reveal their biggest challenge in �nding employment is "unclear career orientation". External factors such as low payment (36%), job availability (33%) and internal factors including job-searching ability (35%), application strength (35%) all contribute to the low rate of employment.

Lack of career orientation is the biggest obstacle in finding jobs

In response to the lack of career orientation, fresh graduates demand that schools provide more guidance in various forms, the most popular being workshops with guest speakers (67%) and internship programs (66%). Providing support for them to take up foreign languages and have pro�ciency tests is also welcome (53%), alongside soft skills training (49%).

Students have high interest in receiving career mentoring at schools

The form of career support in schools

Unclear career orientation Most jobs for fresh graduates are low-paid, provide little welfare

I do not know how to search for jobs e�ectivelyI am underquali�ed (quali�cations, certi�cates, work experience, soft skills, language competency,..)

Few jobs are available for my major

I lack interviewing skills

Employers did not respond to my applications

My applications are not strong enough (CV, cover letters, …)

Other

Hold workshops with speakers sharing their career stories Partner with businesses for student internship Improve students’ language competency (classes, sample tests, …) Open workshops for soft-skills trainingOrganize overseas student exchange programsDevelop student networksOther

38%

67%66%

53%

49%24%12%2%

15%

3%

28%

29%

35%

33%

35%

36%


According to our survey, fresh graduates are most con�dent in their abilities to work in groups (46%), communicate (43%) and self-learn (30%). At the same time, with little experience they are aware of their limited skillsets in negotiations (51%), critical thinking (38%) and leadership (37%).

Skills I’m most confident in

Skills I’m most unconfident in

The majority of young job seekers are confident in teamwork

61% of respondents point out there is a clear gap between what they learned at school and its application in real-life work, of which 32% overcome on their own and 29% compensate by training programs at workplaces. The other 39% experience a negligible discrepancy that does not a�ect the transition from school to work.

The discrepancy between school-taught and practical knowledge

A gap is present between school-taught knowledge and practical work

It is observable that young employees tend to switch jobs frequently, which poses a retention challenge for employers. When asked about this phenomenon, termed as “jumping jobs”, 81% answer leaving early prevents them from wasting time on unsuitable or unsatisfactory positions. Over 40% claim this helps them gain a diverse working experience and expand networks. Though young candidates value high salaries and bene�t packages when choosing jobs, up to 57% disagree that the motivation to switch jobs is to earn more. It is also debatable whether “jumping jobs” is due to a lack of commitment with employers.

81% of respondents approve “changing jobs frequently” for the purpose of saving time

39%

32%

29%

0%

Why do young peoplechange jobs frequently

Disagree Agree

19%

43%

57%

44%

81%

57%

43%

56%

Prevent wasting time on an unsuitableposition Come into contact with various workplacesand expand one’s network

Higher earning potential

Lack of commitment with employers

30%43%46%

51% 38% 37%

Teamwork Communication Self-learning

Negotiation Critical thinking Leadership

There is a negligible gap

There is a clear gap, so I �lled it in on my own

There is a clear gap, so I need to receive training at work

There is no gap


At least 1 yearAt least 6 monthsAt least 2 years As long as possible Under 6 months At least 3 years 46%

20%

17%

8%

5%5%

How long young people should commit to a job

How long should young employees commit to one job before making a move? The majority go for “at least 1 year” (46%), and one-�fth answer “at least 6 months”. Only 17% claim they stay for at least 2 years to fully understand and learn from the experience.

A one-year commitment is reasonable before changing jobs

Channel to find jobs

Over 50% of respondents report using online job portals such as VietnamWorks to search for employment opportunities, followed by referrals from families and friends (19%). Being in the young demographic who are increasingly mobile and tech-savvy, it is not a surprise over 10% take advantage of job postings on social media.

Online job portals are the most effec-tive employment channel for young job seekers

58%Online job portals(VietnamWorks, LinkedIn,…)

19%Job opportunities from families, friends, acquaintances

12%Groups on social media sites

6%Job fairs

4%Job opportunities from schools

2%Other


FUTURE CAREERORIENTATION

PART 4

Half of the respondents answer their desired salary falls between 10-15 million after 2 years working. A higher range of 15-20 million is expected by almost one-fourth of all participants.

After 2 years, most young employees expect a monthly salary between 10-15 million VND

When asked about their plans in 5 years, most fresh graduates aim to develop their careers either in the form of promotion (29%) or taking on various jobs before committing with any employer (26%). The survey also highlights a lack of interest in pursuing a post-graduate degree (9%).

Less than 10% have plans for post-graduate studies in the next 5 years

Interest in starting a business is most fervent among young people, con�rmed by 75% of fresh graduates. Over half of the respondents say they have plans for a �rst start-up in the near future and more than 20% have had experience with this entrepreneurial endeavor.

Over 50% of freshers report neutrality to no interest in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, compared to 46% who are aware of and prepared for its impacts on their future career.

Most youngsters are highly interested in start-ups but are indifferent to the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Plan in 5 years

29%

26%

16%

10%

9%

8%

1%

Expected salary range after 2 years experience

I aim to be promoted to managerial positions

I will challenge myself in various jobs before settling down

I will launch my own business or start-up

I will do my best in my current position (no other plan in mind)

I will earn a post-graduate degree

I will become a global working professional

Other

The 4th Industrial Revolution &its impacts on your career trajectory

39%

34%

12%

10%

4%

I’m neutral

I have prepared myself

I have adapted accordingly

I have little interest

I have no interest

Above 10 million – 15 millionAbove 15 million – 20 millionFrom 8 million – 10 millionAbove 20 million50%

23%

18%

9%

Interest in start-ups

I have yet to attempt a start-up but I will in the future I do not have any plans for a start-upI attempted a start-up onceI attempted a start-up twice I attempted a start-up 3 or more times

52%

26%

14%

5%3%


FROM NAVIGOS GROUPSUGGESTIONS

PART 5

The transitional phase from “studying” to “working” is crucial for youngsters, marking their o�cial participation in the labor market. As most struggle with little career orientation, it is advisable that fresh graduates optimize learning rather than chasing after an ambiguous “dream job”. In an environment where they are motivated to learn, having an open mindset enables them to observe how organizations operate and how to constantly improve and deliver. Seeking support and guidance from supervisors is also encouraged as this helps those with little experience learn faster and craft a clear career path.

Prepare for employment in terms of mindset, knowledge and skills

As Vietnam remains a top FDI recipient in the area, more job opportunities are coming onto the scene and open to those who are quali�ed. The young workforce now has access to powerful learning resources from a global �ow of information both online and o�ine. As a result, it is imperative for them to strengthen not only technical knowledge but also soft skills and language abilities needed in the global age.

Soft skills and language competency are key to higher career prospects

A large portion of young participants in the labor market has little idea about "the 4.0 era". This should not be taken lightly as new technologies are bringing change at an unprecedented speed and strongly impacting the labor market. Though the requirements vary by industry, workers in the 4.0 era should strive to stay on top of change to be able to retain their positions.

Update on the fourth Industrial Revolution is crucial

SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUNG JOB SEEKERS

1

2

3


As the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds, employment demands for the participants of the labor market are changing rapidly. This means educational facilities must take into consideration the output prerequisites of employers to provide suitable training for their students. On top of technical knowledge, young graduates must have a �rm market understanding both in Vietnam and globally to successfully navigate change.

Educators benefit from catering to the employment demands of businesses

As the provider of high-quality labor, schools should work closely with �rms to e�ectively train and leverage manpower. Educators are encouraged to partner with businesses to understand their sta�ng demand, as well as holding workshops to assist students in career orientation, job fairs and careers advice to optimize sourcing services.

Partnership with businesses are highly encouraged

SUGGESTIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

1

2


Besides online job portals, young jobseekers say they utilize social media channels as well as referrals from families and friends to �nd jobs. Therefore, it is e�ective for employers to develop an omni-channel recruitment strategy to maximize reach for this segment of mobile candidates. On top of posting on job sites and social media, it is recommended that businesses encourage current employees to refer candidates alongside recruiting fresh graduates followed by a clear onboarding and training program.

Omni-channel recruitment is most effective to attract fresh graduates

The strength of an employer's brand has become increasingly important as a leading factor to successful recruitment. A strong employer brand should be built on top of a healthy, human-centric corporate culture that prioritizes the growth of its members. Based on this foundation, a strong employer brand can harness its people to inspire credibility and trust.

Leverage on corporate culture to strengthen employer brand name

The labor market has been facing a recent phenomenon termed "jumping jobs" commonly found among young jobseekers. Unlike their predecessors, Y and Z generations have di�erent expectations for their jobs such as relevancy to their passion, high payment and �nancial incentives, work-life balance,… These various demands change when they move onto a new period in life and create a barrier to commitment with employers. As a result, the winning strategy would aim at enriching employees' journey at work by optimizing separate cycles (pre-recruitment, recruitment, onboarding, parting) and leveraging three factors: corporate culture, technological and physical working environment.

Develop an employee experience strategy

Employers looking to recruit young candidates should consider designing positions suitable for fresh graduates’ levels of experience and helping them craft their career paths. These interactions enrich their work experiences and motivate young employees to engage and commit to �rms.

Curate suitable job opportunities for young candidates

SUGGESTIONS FOR EMPLOYERS

4

5

1

2

Employers should make training and development a strategic priority in order to strengthen competency, especially among employees with little work experience. This can take the form of internal courses, �nancial support for employees to receive training outside of work or mentorship programs to inspire employees to feel included and contribute responsibly at work.

Customize training programs and employee’s journey for retention

3


THE COPYRIGHT OF THIS REPORTBELONGS TO NAVIGOS GROUP VIETNAM

For more infomation, please kindly contact: c ommu n i c a t i o n @ n a v i g o s g r o u p . c om

Ho Chi Minh CityFloor 20th, e.town Central Tower, 11 Doan Van Bo Street, Ward 12, District 4

Tel: (84 28) 3925 5000Fax: (84 28) 3925 5111

HanoiV-Building, 125-127 Ba Trieu street, Hai Ba Trung Ward

Tel: 84-24 3974 3033Fax: 84-24 3974 3036

www. n a v i g o s g r o u p . c om

Documents

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES and...intermediate (31%) and upper-intermediate levels (26%), and those with working pro˛ciency in all four skills only account for 6%. With regards the