The girl hid her identity as valedictorian to apply for a job.

Not only did she graduate with honors, Nhu Quynh also has a MOS office computer certificate, good English and all certificates related to import and export.

"My family and I believed that wherever I submitted my CV, I would get the job, and that the starting salary would be 15-20 million VND," said Ta Nhu Quynh, 24, from Bac Giang. "But I spread my CV like sowing seeds and ended up in a series of rejection letters."

From the end of 2019, after completing her studies at school, to March 2022, Nhu Quynh submitted 61 CVs, mainly in the field of logistics and import-export, with common positions such as import staff, international purchasing, foreign affairs, customer care, document staff, customs clearance staff. About 50% of the CVs Quynh submitted were called for interviews.

But all of them refused to hire Nhu Quynh. Most did not respond, except for a few times when she was told she was "not suitable" without explaining the reason.

In the first few interviews, Quynh asked for the highest salary in the range offered by the employer. After being rejected many times, she lowered her salary to the middle range, but was still rejected. Finally, Quynh offered a salary that was only 15-20% higher than the lowest offer, thinking that if the employer offered the final offer, she would agree.

But after all, Quynh still couldn't find a job. Meanwhile, two close friends from the same university class went to work for foreign companies with starting salaries of over 18 million VND.

At one point, she interviewed with five companies in one week, believing that one of them would call her in. But she still failed them all.

"I was so devastated that I didn't dare talk about work with friends or family and doubted myself," Quynh said.

Feeling helpless in the face of reality, Quynh rationalized her job search by continuing her master's degree. The 22-year-old girl at that time had the highest entrance exam score in her class and received a scholarship. But this made her doubt herself even more.

"I thought I was only good at studying but not at working, so I wanted to become a lecturer," Quynh said. But her desire to prove herself in a business environment made her unable to give up.

In the midst of that despair, Quynh remembered her father, Mr. Ta Van Sach, 56 years old, an elementary school teacher. When she entered the Diplomatic Academy, after only two weeks she told her father her intention to drop out and retake the entrance exam to another school.

The reason is that Quynh's English listening and speaking skills are so bad that the teacher has to ask "What is your university entrance exam score?"How many points did you get in the college entrance exam?). But Quynh couldn't understand that sentence either, so she had to ask her friend to translate it for her.

At that time, Mr. Sach advised that since the exam would be retaken next year anyway, I should just spend half a year in university and not worry too much about the score.

No longer under pressure, Quynh felt more comfortable, socialized and made friends with her seniors, and thus had the right approach. Burying herself in her studies, she achieved the highest result of her graduation.

Later, when asked why his father did not encourage his son to try to pursue his goal but agreed to let him retake the exam, Mr. Sach said that if he had told his son to continue trying at that time, it would have been like "stretching a string that was about to break, causing it to break completely".

"At times like these, it's important to relax and accept that sometimes you won't be as expected," Quynh recalled her father's words and decided to apply them to reality.

She realized that, during a career, each person works for an average of 40 years. The first one or two years compared to the big picture of a career is a very short period. She should not let "not having a high income" affect her spirit, will to strive, and ability to train herself. Importantly, she needs to have a long-term plan for her career.

Thinking so, Quynh sent letters to 5 businesses that rejected her within the previous week to ask for the reason.

Luckily, some employers answered her honestly. They said that the positions Quynh applied for did not require experience, and that an ordinary employee would only need one or two weeks to master the job. Through the interview, they found that she had a wealth of knowledge and was also ambitious, so she was not suitable for a stable job with a moderate income. "You are overqualified for a young, low-level employee but lack the qualifications to take on a management position (over qualified for fresher, under qualified for senior)," said one recruiter.

Hearing the comments, Quynh decided to remove the title "valedictorian" from her CV. She felt the recruiter's attitude towards her was completely different. Before, the interviewers often exclaimed "valedictorian?". Now they commented to her "Your academic performance is quite good." Quynh felt less pressured.

In 2022, a company recruited for the position of "international purchasing staff" and asked to start working immediately. Nhu Quynh proposed a salary of 8 million VND because she was afraid that if she offered a higher salary, she would miss the opportunity. Quynh was offered a salary of 5 million VND with the condition of salary increase every two months, and she immediately agreed.

When working, Quynh sets the principle of helping the company earn more money or save money, because only then will they increase her salary and give her bonuses.

She clearly identified the skills needed for the job, so she focused on cultivating them purposefully and improving her specialized English. In mid-2023, Quynh learned Chinese because she believed it was an important language in the import-export field.

She takes online courses, joins industry knowledge sharing groups, and answers questions and issues related to her profession to hone her problem-solving skills. Quynh also builds quality relationships in her field and related industries to learn how to handle problems that arise. "Every night I spend 3-4 hours studying," she said.

During more than a year working at this company, Nhu Quynh received a salary increase 6 times.

Hoai Huong, a university friend, did not know that Quynh received a starting salary of 5 million VND. Later, after hearing her friend, she also realized that the labor market is harsh and businesses need people who know how to fight.

"I know Quynh is someone who has clear goals and plans in everything she does, so there's a reason why you're the valedictorian and still accept that salary," Huong said.

Ms. Thanh Ha, Head of the Import-Export Department of the first company Quynh worked for, said it was a long time before she learned that Quynh was the valedictorian. She commented that Quynh is a person who strives hard at work and is always proactive. "She has a very professional working style and is always optimistic. From senior leaders to colleagues, everyone appreciates and loves her," she said.

Currently, Nhu Quynh works as a financial analyst at a Taiwanese FDI company, with a salary of over 20 million VND. In addition, she also takes on the position of import-export consultant and international purchasing for the company. Quynh also occasionally works as a translator and tutor. In addition, she invests in real estate and gold.

After two years of working, Quynh's income now ranges from 2,000 - 6,000 USD, far exceeding many of her classmates whose starting salaries are many times higher.

"I have proven that speed is more important than starting. The more equipped you are with the knowledge and skills required by the job, the faster you will seize opportunities," she said.