Helping students build confidence in personal and career development

Building on the success of the Enterprise Semester Program in previous years, this year, the Provincial Youth Union, the Provincial Students’ Association, and the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association continued their collaboration to organize the program. The initiative offers students the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills, gaining practical insights into the business environment.

Students engage in direct exchanges with guest speakers at the 2025 Dong Nai Enterprise Semester Program. Photo: Nga Son

This year’s Enterprise Semester Program took place from December 12 to 14, featuring a series of meaningful activities designed to help students gain confidence as they enter the workforce.

Sharing experience and providing orientation for students

The Fourth Provincial Congress of the Viet Nam National Union of Students in Dong Nai for the 2023–2028 term outlined several key priorities, including the Project to Support Dong Nai Students in Entrepreneurship and Career Development. According to Phan The Cong, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union, this is not a slogan but a commitment by the student organization to accompany students throughout their journey of personal and career development. For many years, the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union, the Dong Nai Provincial Students’ Association, and the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association have collaborated to maintain the Enterprise Semester Program, which enables students to gain real-world experience and cultivate professional skills, attitudes, and work discipline while still in school.

Experience from previous editions shows that the Enterprise Semester Program’s activities are continuously reviewed and adjusted to suit practical conditions. In addition to company visits and on-site learning, a notable highlight of this year’s program was the participation of business leaders and managers. Their sharing helped students better understand enterprises, entrepreneurship, and the opportunities and challenges they may face when entering the business environment.

Nguyen Duy Khuong, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association and Chairman of the Board of Directors of 939 Investment Trading JSC in Long Binh Ward, shared that he and many members of the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association were once young people working in corporate environments. They navigated the startup phase and successfully managed their businesses through numerous difficulties and challenges, sustaining operations to this day.

From the perspective of businesses, graduates are expected not only to possess academic knowledge but also to quickly adapt to the working environment, take responsibility for their work, stay humble, and be eager to learn. Therefore, when participating as a guest speaker at the Enterprise Semester Program, Khuong conveyed both positive energy and the real challenges of the entrepreneurial journey, along with the expectations business owners have for newly graduated candidates seeking to enter the workforce. This endeavor helps students identify the "gaps" they need to fill to better prepare themselves before entering the labor market.

Within the framework of the Enterprise Semester Program, students also received orientation from Tran Nhan Giap, Director of 1Car Garage Co., Ltd. in Trang Dai ward. He shared perspectives on the profile of a professional student in a modern enterprise environment, as well as skills on CV (Curriculum Vitae) writing and personal positioning in the labor market.

Tran Nhan Giap stated that through the session on the model of a professional student in the business environment, he aimed to help students visualize the qualities needed to succeed in the workplace. Drawing on his experience as a business owner who has reviewed many candidate CVs, he also highlighted common shortcomings in CV writing so that students can address these issues when preparing their own.

Opportunities for students to learn and develop

Although only a second-year student, Nguyen Ha Xuan Nhu from the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at Lac Hong University considered the Enterprise Semester Program an opportunity not to be missed after learning about its many practical activities. Xuan Nhu shared that she registered immediately after seeing the program information posted on the fan page of the Provincial Students’ Association. She took part in all activities throughout the three-day program without missing a single session.

According to Xuan Nhu, during the program, she and other participants spent two days visiting enterprises in Dong Nai province and Ho Chi Minh City, including Co.op Xtra Pham Van Dong, Gigamall Shopping Center, Tuong Lai Co., Ltd.,  Vedan Vietnam Enterprise Corporation, and Diep Nam Phuong Investment Joint Stock Company.

At these enterprises, Xuan Nhu listened to the sharing on the companies’ formation and development, business sectors, production and business processes, human resource needs, and corporate culture. Through visits to various areas, departments, and production lines, students gained a clearer understanding of the working styles and sense of responsibility of employees and workers. In particular, students had opportunities to learn directly about enterprises’ requirements and expectations for newly graduated candidates who expect to work at enterprises. This experience helped them recognize their own shortcomings and identify areas for improvement, thereby increasing their chances of success when applying for jobs.

In the coming period, the Youth Union and the Dong Nai Young Entrepreneurs’ Association will continue to enhance the Enterprise Semester Program by strengthening connections among universities, businesses, and Union and Association organizations. This effort aims to create more opportunities for students to engage with enterprises across various industries and fields and to participate more actively in career-oriented experiential activities.

After several years of missing the opportunity due to academic and part-time work commitments, Bui Duy Tan, a final-year veterinary student at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Mien Dong Innovative Technology University, registered for the program this year.

Tan shared that in addition to creating meaningful memories of his student years, he also hoped to learn and fill the "gaps" in knowledge and skills that cannot be found in textbooks so that he could feel more confident in his upcoming journey of personal and career development.

Clearly, accompanying and supporting students in their journey of personal and career development goes beyond equipping them with knowledge and essential skills. It also plays a role in shaping resilience, character, and a proper professional mindset. This experience provides a solid foundation for students to confidently establish themselves, build stable careers, and make a positive contribution to society.

By Nga Son – Translated by Thu Hien, Minho