LookAtVietnam – New graduates seek employment by any means necessary. Some sign up for specialized classes, others buy counterfeit degrees.

Foreign language centres have been mushrooming

Yet these so-called “beautiful degrees” do not reflect the real qualifications of applicants.

P.T. Van, a graduate of Hanoi University who applied to a joint venture company, has a lot of “beautiful” degrees and certificates. However, when asked to introduce himself in English, he could not do so.

Thao, another recent university graduate, claimed that she had office computer skills, but then met with trouble on an employer’s basic Excel test.

“Education” centers

Prospective employers point out that the weak spot of Vietnam’s new university graduates are ‘soft skills’ such as communication and teamwork. This has prompted the new crop of grads to “polish” their resumes.

Recognizing the demand for these skills, the number of new education centers has mushroomed. The centers offer courses in oral presentation methods, communication skills, and other tools necessary for managers and leaders.

N. T. Thuy, a new graduate hoping to obtain a job in marketing, explained that she joined a training course on oral presentations at Tam Viet Consultancy and Training. She hoped to gain more experience and thus improve her ability to answer interview questions by potential employers.

“They (the teachers) talked a lot about skills, but they were just formulas that could not be applied in practice,” Thuy complained.

“Besides, such skills cannot be learned within one or several lessons, they must be learned gradually,” she added.

Thuy decided to withdraw from the presentation skills class and lost the course fee of several hundred thousand dong.

Counterfeit qualifications

The high demand for skills beyond a university degree has also led to the emergence of a “certificate market.”

N.V. Anh, a student from the Finance Academy, revealed that several months before the graduation, the students in her class rushed together to purchase certificates. “High purchase volume allowed us to enjoy discount,” she explained.

Students only need to pay 100-200,000 dong to obtain an A, B or C level certificate of English. No class time is necessary.

Local newspapers have reported on the existence of counterfeit degree and certificate “rings.” The counterfeiters advertise their services on Internet forums and those who purchase them only have to wait twenty-four hours for their “credentials.”

VietNamNet/VnMedia