Graduating with honors but can't find a job: Has the red diploma lost its magic?

Many students with bachelor's degrees run around everywhere but can't find jobs or have to work in fields unrelated to their studies with low income or choose manual labor, thinking "find a job to support myself first, then worry about my specialty later..."

After studying business administration at a university in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, Do Hue Man (24 years old) tried hard to find a job related to her major after graduating with honors. However, for over a year, Man has felt helpless because she can't find work. Although introduced to some companies by acquaintances, Man was always rejected for not meeting job requirements, lacking practical experience, and having weak foreign language skills.

Man said her university class had 70 students who have all graduated, but less than 10% have decent jobs. Some friends registered for master's programs while most have to do all kinds of unrelated work or are still job hunting.

Nguyen Dang Khoa (23 years old), who graduated with honors in accounting from a university in Ho Chi Minh City, is also struggling to find a job. Since he was a student, Khoa was determined to study hard and graduate with honors, thinking it would be favored and an important factor for employers to consider when applying for jobs. However, after job hunting, Khoa thinks the university honors degree is not important and not very valuable.

"I've submitted job applications to many companies but the interview rate is extremely low. In interviews, recruiters say I have good expertise but lack experience, have poor soft skills, no foreign language ability... Currently, I'm working as a sales employee for a food company. Although I know this choice is very difficult and disappoints my family, I have no other option," Khoa shared.

Khoa said it took 4 years of university to get an honors degree, spending hundreds of millions of dong on living and study costs, but when applying for jobs it's not as expected and very difficult. The young man thinks that if he had focused on learning and interning at companies during his studies, things might be different now.

Despite graduating from university with distinction, T.T.N.H (23 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) still hasn't found a job. After many job applications were rejected, H. is currently working as a sales employee to earn money for living expenses.

H. said most of her classmates in the same major chose to return to their hometowns to open shops or manage family stores after graduating. But H. doesn't have that option so she stays in the city waiting for better opportunities. H. said she is studying for a master's degree hoping to change her struggling job search situation. But H. also has to ask her family for financial support for graduate school because she can't afford it herself yet.

Human resources forecasting expert Tran Anh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Vocational Education Association, said a major limitation of students after graduation is that most have not been able to specifically orient themselves to choose a suitable major for their abilities. At the same time, the labor market information system and job counseling activities have not been updated in a timely manner to effectively connect students with businesses.

According to Tran Anh Tuan, synthesizing information from many surveys shows that out of the total number of students who find jobs, only 50% have jobs suitable for their abilities and develop well, 50% still have to work in unrelated fields with low income; jobs are not really stable and may have to change...

Many young people with university degrees still can't find jobs because they lack skills. This leads to an imbalance in the job market, with many university graduates but not enough skilled workers for companies. "Therefore, a high degree is not the key to success. The key is for students to have skills and experience after graduation," Mr. Tran Anh Tuan emphasized.

Education expert Bui Khanh Nguyen, a member of TESL Canada, says it's wasteful when students get university degrees but don't use them. While it's a personal choice, it also hurts society. If many graduates can't find jobs after a year while companies need workers, it shows a mismatch between what schools teach and what companies need.

According to expert Bui Khanh Nguyen, there are 2 types of universities: research universities for students who want to do research, teach, make things, analyze, or plan policies after graduating. And applied universities that train for specific company needs. If students choose the wrong type, they may be jobless even from good schools. So to avoid unemployment, Mr. Bui Khanh Nguyen advises students to choose schools that fit their goals and have a good reputation in specific fields.

From another view, Mr. Tran Bang Viet, CEO of Dong A Solutions, says: "Many of the over 500,000 new students each year enroll just to avoid shame from family or neighbors, to get a degree instead of a suitable job. Those who study 'just because' expect high salaries after graduating? Barely passing basic tests at school but hoping for high pay when facing much harder real-world problems - is that realistic?"

"Students should use their university time well to prepare for the future. Out of 100 classmates, why do only 5-10 succeed later in that career? It's because they chose right and worked hard enough," Mr. Tran Bang Viet shared.

(to be continued)

CREDIT: thanhnien.vn