Lack of determination and confidence when doing business with partners, especially international partners, are considered as one of the weaknesses of Vietnamese businessmen. We had opportunity to meet graduates of Troy University (the US) BBA program to see changes in their perception, from thinking to action after they finished their studies.
For more confidence in contacting with partners
Working in business department of Nexans group in Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Hong Loan faces a lot of pressure due to features of an international corporation. Though being the youngest in the department, Loan is viewed to be “not inferior to the seniors at all”. Loan has made good impression and confidence in the Board of Directors by owning BBA degree conferred by Troy University (USA). However, she “admitted” the first embarrassing moments when she started work. Loan shared her secret trick to “take the shortcut”: “Although I am not leader of the corporation, work in the business department urges me to make decisions and strategies to increase turnover. Creative thinking to address difficulties has helped me quickly catch up with the pace. One of the achievements is that Nexans Vietnam has recently won Nhon Trach 2 project of Petrovietnam”.
Nexans is the world’s leading corporation of cable wires and cable solutions. Having been present in Vietnam for nearly 20 years now, working environment in Nexans Vietnam is always typically international. Not only most transactions are to do with foreign partners but also work requires negotiations with colleagues in many countries. Loan also emphasizes that English as a communication tool has been very effective in creating relationships with partners and colleagues.
One of important factors contributing to the success in business is to build good relationships. The truth is in the current global business context, no enterprise could “stand steady” without good and long term collaboration with other partners. Mr. Phan Tu Long - an alumnus who graduated 2 years ago said: “Curricula are very close to factual practice. It is not sublime preach but things I can apply right away to myself”.
…and determination in global business environment
Affirming his thinking and working way has changed and developed during studying time, Phan Tu Long thinks only being trained in working environment could grow business capabilities and management skills. This dynamic businessman at his twenties is working for Viet-Anh limited company. He shares “big” plans for future, starting with moving to work for big companies and groups to challenge him in the professional business world.
Having graduated and “struggling” in practice for more than 1 year now, Tran Bich Ngan is always silently grateful for this program’s lecturers who helped her to satisfy her thirst for knowledge and working skills. Judged as one of the best public universities in USA, Troy University provides curricula of international standard. “Not only studying foreign training program, I had the opportunity to study, research and work out solutions for situations “made in Vietnam”, what students abroad rarely have”, says Ngan.
Ngan’s present work in Thang Long securities company forces her to make “risky” decisions but she is always self-confident: “Encouraged to find solutions for situations, which will then be analyzed by teachers, I can “foresee” quite precisely market movements to make so bold as to keep safe”.
When asked about applying auditorium knowledge to reality, Bao Tuan who is now administrative accountant of Vietnam Engine Machinery Corporation says: “The curricula at university did not provide answers to questions. It simply gave me methods to work efficiently. The most important to graduates is that they keep on learning for success.”