Hanoi (VNA) 💟– Having given up many job opportunities in the US, Nguyen Thuy Duong, a 23-year-old graduate of Minnesota University, decided to return to Vietnam to develop her career as a FPT Smart Cloud’s Sales Executive, pursuing her dream to become a professional marketer in the field of AI and Cloud technologies.

On the occasion of the Youth Month 2023, Duong had a conversation about her story with VietnamPlus.

Reporter: Could you tell me the reason why you decided to leave the US with many job opportunities to return to work in Vietnam?

Nguyen Thuy Duong💎: Studying abroad was a good experience for me to see the world, getting to know many different cultures, thereby gaining more objective perspectives on life.

Returning to Vietnam and giving up poetntial opportunities in the US was an audacious decision for me. GenZ youngsters like me are living in an open environment and willing to become global citizens. FPT Smart Cloud made a great contribution to this decision.

Reporter: Did you have many job opportunities after your graduation?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:ﷺ The time when I graduated from the university coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, so it was hard for us to find a job. But I received some offers from small companies, while larger groups told me that they had enough staff.

Reporter: Was it one of the reasons why you returned to Vietnam to develop your career?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:ಞ Actually, it was not right because since entering the university, I told my parents that I would return to Vietnam. Although I had lived in the US for more than five years, I still prefer the environment in the home country.

Reporter: Why did you choose FPT?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:♛ Actually, I and FPT have a predestined relationship. Before the establishment of FPT Smart Cloud (a subordinate company of FPT Corporation), my company was originally a technology department of the corporation. Back then (in 2019), after my first year of university, I did an internship here. Returning to the company for my second internship, I boldly applied to the company. Fortunately, I can still do the same job that I used to be in charge of.

At the beginning, I was impressed at all employees at FPT in general and FPT Smart Cloud in particular. Everyone, including those who were born in the 1970s and 1980s, are young. Everyone was very dedicated to guiding me even when I didn’t know what I had to do. Another relatively important reason is the corporate culture of FPT. I always feel I’m welcomed and well integrated. After the hard working hours, we can entertain, dance and sing together.

Reporter: Did you meet any difficulties in a new environment?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:꧑ At the beginning when I went to work officially, I had some difficulties. For example, as I was abroad for a while to study, when I came back to work, it seemed that I “missed” a period of time to understand better about the current culture and life in Vietnam. There were many new ideas and innovations about technology that I only knew a little bit when I first started working, then my co-workers had to re-train me, or when I organised an event, I was also guided by my senior co-workers who shared their experience with me.

Reporter: As a GenZ girl, what is your greatest strength?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:🦩 I think I have a lot of youthful energy and I’m ready for anything and to try many different things and fields.

In addition, one of the advantages of GenZ persons like me is dynamism. We dare to try, dare to do. And we are not hindered by too many other things.

Reporter: AI and cloud computing is a new industry. What have you done to get into it and develop this industry?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:🐻 First of all, I have to understand the products and technologies which I’m marketing. Along with internal training sessions for staff, I often get more in-depth knowledge shared by technology experts here.

Thanks to the knowledge, when I meet customers and partners, I can find the best way to get them understand and imagine the products easily. Besides, customer survey is also an important step to be able to understand exactly what customers need, what problems they are having and how they want the technology solutions and features to be.

Reporter: In your opinion, is the technology industry in general and the AI and cloud computing a boring industry with dynamic and young people like you?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:🐽 I have met a lot of young people working in this industry who also think that this industry is boring, while related knowledge is complicated, difficult to understand and very technical. Personally, I think technology, if you only look at numbers, diagrams and models, can be a bit boring for creators or marketers.

However, technology has its own beauty. When I think about what technology can do instead of serving as an infrastructure, we can see the benefits and values that technology brings. As for myself, I saw that and I found that oh, my technology is supporting businesses and people in doing something, and I feel much motivated and become passionate with this industry.

Reporter: Who inspires you in this work?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:🥂 I think it’s my family, as my aunt works as a teacher in the information technology industry. Since I was a child, I have communicated and approached the work she does. My aunt herself is also engaged in artificial intelligence, so I learnt a lot from her.

Reporter: There are many youngsters who are on the important threshold of life, but they are still unsure about what to do. What do you want to tell them?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:ꦐ I will tell them my own story. Actually, it's not eventual that I know about and like the technology industry.

I did a lot of researches and participated in activities such as "finding the path you want to follow in the future," or future career orientation activities. Moreover, when I have a question about a certain profession, I will not hesitate to ask experts in that industry so that I can understand their jobs and decide that it is suitable for me or not. And the most important is to make a try to find out what is your own interest and passion. (smile)

Reporter: Can you share with me your plan for the future?

Nguyen Thuy Duong:ꦛ In my self-development roadmap, I plan to get a master decree in business management, and learn more about technology-related matters. In the immediate future, FPT Smart Cloud will still be a stop for me to continue to learn and develop.

This is a promising environment for development for me. FPT Smart Cloud is currently still operating as a startup, so there is still a lot of work to do. Here, I can be helpful and learn more.

Reporter: Thank you for this conversation!