Struggling to choose a career

Risk of dropping out of school

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc T. in Binh Han Ward (Hai Duong City) graduated from high school in 2023. Based on his own academic performance and following his family's guidance, Mr. T. registered to study technology at Hung Yen University of Technical Education (Hai Duong campus). However, Mr. T.'s score was not enough to pass this major but was only enough to enter business administration. At that time, Mr. T. and his family members did not reconsider whether that major was suitable or not, but simply thought that they would just go to school and then think about it. So Mr. T. applied to study business administration - a major that did not match his interests or abilities.

As a result, after a period of studying, Mr. T. feels very tired because the knowledge does not match his own ability. The more he tries, the more frustrated he feels. Mr. T.'s relatives said that he is planning to drop out of school to go to vocational school because if he keeps trying, his family will only waste more money and his academic performance will become weaker and weaker. Not to mention that with Mr. T.'s ability, he does not know if he can find a job in his field after graduating from this major.

The case of Nguyen Van Q., born in 1997 in Cam Che commune (Thanh Ha) is much more difficult. After finishing high school, Mr. Q. decided to study mechanical engineering because at that time this profession was quite popular. However, because he studied based on taste without considering his own abilities, Mr. Q.'s skills were not high. In the end, after graduating, he had to apply for a job as a garment worker because he could not apply for a job that applied the knowledge he had learned.

After several years of working as a garment worker with an income that was just enough to eat and a restrictive job, Mr. Q. got frustrated and quit his job. So now, at the age of 27, he is struggling to find a new job to start over, his previous money and study efforts are considered "down the drain".

Paradox: Many college students, few job positions

Nowadays, there are many information channels for people to choose a career. However, it also requires knowing how to consider factors, should not only rely on social needs or personal abilities but need to know how to combine these two factors.

According to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in 2023, the number of high school graduates in Hai Duong was 21,331, of which 10,873 attended university, 1,249 attended college, 1,701 attended secondary school, 2,575 studied abroad, and the remaining 4,933 participated in the labor market and other options.

According to the analysis of statistical data of the department, the forecast of labor demand of enterprises and production and business establishments in Hai Duong by 2025 is about 80,000 people/year. Of which, 2,200 people with university and post-university degrees, 2,000 people with college degrees, 2,300 people with intermediate degrees, 3,800 people with elementary degrees, the rest are 69,700 unskilled workers.

By 2025, the estimated labor demand for industrial parks and industrial clusters in Hai Duong will increase by about 29,000 people/year. Of which, about 900 people with university and post-university degrees, 850 people with college degrees, 750 people with intermediate degrees, 2,300 people with elementary degrees, and the rest are unskilled workers.

Looking at these figures, we can clearly see a paradox: the number of Hai Duong students who graduate from high school and go to university is very large, accounting for about 50%, while the recruitment demand of businesses for people with university degrees is very small compared to other education systems. The demand for recruiting unskilled workers accounts for a high percentage. This is also a figure of concern for those who need to choose a career in the future, avoiding the situation of wasting money and time studying but not being able to find a job suitable for their major.

Mr. Truong Van Hoi, a recruitment manager at a 100% foreign-invested company in Phuc Dien Industrial Park (Cam Giang), shared that nowadays, it is very easy to apply for a job in a business, especially a foreign-invested business that employs a large number of workers. However, to get a good job position with a higher income than the average, workers need to learn the professions that the business needs. For example, in addition to professional skills, it is necessary to be fluent in the language of the investor country or English. Businesses are also in need of recruiting skilled people in the fields of electricity, electronics, mechanics, and even AI... These job positions will basically have a higher income than the average of workers in the business and have more opportunities for promotion.

As a long-time vocational teacher, Ms. Mai Thi Thanh Huong, lecturer at the College of Tourism and Industry, shared that if students are oriented and advised, they will correctly identify their abilities and interests, thereby promoting their own abilities in the future. It can be said that each person's career achievements depend mainly on their real abilities and efforts to improve themselves, helping them take steady steps on their own feet.

In addition, encouragement and guidance from family members are also essential. “Parents should help their children learn about their interests, abilities, personalities, and career values. Find out about careers that they love and are suitable for. Work with your children to build a future career plan so that they have a solid foundation in choosing a career and becoming successful in their career,” Ms. Huong added.