Happy that you want to hear more, let's take it from the beginning:
Graduating from the VNU-HCM High School for the Gifted, ready to take on the world.
After finishing the VNU-HCM High School for the Gifted, I went on to study polymer chemistry at Vietnam National University, one of the largest research universities in Vietnam. Spending four years in the laboratory not only gave me invaluable experience in how to work methodically and have an engineering mindset but also made me realize that I did not want to spend any more time in the lab.
Instead, I applied for a position as an event coordinator at Phát Tiến, a motorbike reseller and official Honda agent in Vietnam. My main tasks were to plan and organize events for their nine shops throughout Ho Chi Minh city. It was an intense and educative period where I got the chance to work with many talented people. It was a great first job where I learned the importance of paying attention to details, communicating with both internal and external stakeholders, and not least: Teamwork.
This also sparked an interest in sales and business, so after two and half years at Phát Tiến I moved on to a position as a junior business developer (or simply: sales) at the advertising agency Tâm An. It was a big step up in terms of responsibility and where I learned a lot about teamwork, closing deals, and working hard to meet the client's marketing needs.
Me with my very first team at VietnamWorks, can you spot me?
In early 2012, it was once again time to try my wings. I applied for a junior sales associate position at VietnamWorks, the largest online recruitment portal in Vietnam with more than 500 employees. When I first stepped through the doors and joined my team, I immediately felt at home. Not only with the job but also with the whole environment. VietnamWorks is a subsidiary of the Japanese Navigos Group, which gave rise to a working culture permeated by the best of both Vietnamese and Japanese corporate cultures. In other words: We had high expectations of ourselves and our team, but also given the tools to meet the goals.
Another valuable experience from VietnamWorks was the opportunity to work with clients from all over the world. Clear communication and understanding of different cultures, both on a personal as well as on a corporate level, were two important keys here. I thrived in the fast-paced environment at VietnamWorks, the high ambitions, and targets as well as the passion me and my colleagues had for the job.
Travelling is a huge passion of mine, this photo is taken on the Cham river in the Pù Luông nature reserve.
I took a break in 2013 to stay in Thailand with my then-boyfriend who studied at Suranaree University. During this time, I also volunteered as an English tutor at the university and learned some Thai. Moving back to Vietnam in 2014, I joined a new team at VietnamWorks as a senior account manager and later was promoted to team leader. This was my first experience as a leader, and I loved it!
Becoming team leader was a brand new chapter in my career. I now had responsibility for building and growing a team, managing my members and reporting directly to the regional manager. My first team started with just two members which I grew to a total of nine members within half a year. My duties expanded to hiring, coaching, and training my team members. I also cooperated closely with other departments and took part in developing the strategic future of the company.
Graduating from the MBA programme at Western Sydney University, HCMC campus.
Some of my achievements during this time include winning the overseas contest for both 2015 (to Japan) and 2016 (to Korea). My team was awarded VietnamWorks Best Team in both 2018 and 2019, as well as having the highest yearly revenue in 2019.
This led to me getting the opportunity to study for an MBA at Western Sydney University, HCMC Campus, sponsored by Navigos Group. I studied at night and on weekends while still leading my team. It was an intensive period where we gained a broader insight into everything from finance and accounting to marketing and management structures. I graduated in October 2020 with a GPA of 8 over 10 and received the highest mark in digital marketing.
Slowly getting acclimatized in Sweden, luckily there are clothes for all weathers.
During this time, I also met a Swedish man who was studying in Asia. We started to hang out and soon fell in love. So much so that we decided to live together. You can probably see where this leads. Even if I enjoyed my life in Vietnam, I was definitely up for an adventure. A few visa papers later, I found myself on a plane to Gothenburg, Sweden. I came here two days before Christmas, and it was cold. Freezing cold. But if I learned one thing about Swedish people it's this: They might seem cold and hard on the outside, but on the inside, they are welcoming and open.
I went back to Vietnam and decided: Let's do this for real! After handing in my resignation and finishing my MBA studies, I finally moved to Sweden permanently in 2021. My first mission was to learn Swedish. I finished the SFI courses in less than a year and practice speaking as much as I can. And while not fluent, I'm getting better and better every day.
Doing archery, aiming at splitting that arrow in halves.
So what do I like to do outside of work? If you have ever been to Vietnam, you know it's a country of food and coffee. We take our devotion to food very seriously, and I'm no exception. I love both cooking and eating Vietnamese food. When I'm not making a mess in the kitchen, I enjoy exploring wildlife. The forest here in Sweden is so accessible and to large parts untouched. Travelling is also a huge passion of mine. Going to new places and discovering the local culture, tasting new foods and meeting strangers are things that make life a lot more fun.
I also love discovering new hobbies. My latest one being archery, love the feeling of just letting go of all stress and only focus on the arrow hitting the target.
