VNUK: Could you please introduce yourself a little bit?

I’m Võ Bảo Ngọc, a graduate from the International Business and Management program at the Vietnam-UK Institute for Research and Education (VNUK). I was honored to be named the Valedictorian of my class during the 2023 graduation, a significant milestone that marks the culmination of my hard work and efforts in my academic journey.

Currently, I’m working as a Marketing Executive at Belle Maison Parosand Danang Hotel, part of the H&K Hospitality Group.

VNUK: What challenges have you faced working in an international environment? And what does a Marketing Executive’s role at a hotel entail?

My role primarily focuses on coordinating with various departments to come up with marketing ideas for the hotel, while also analyzing and measuring the effectiveness of the campaigns. Additionally, I manage and develop the hotel’s communication channels and work closely with KOLs/KOCs and agencies for content creation and media operations.

In the beginning, I faced challenges in figuring out how to update and filter information effectively, and I wasn’t proactive enough in researching customer experiences. As a result, during brainstorming sessions with the team, I often struggled to come up with creative ideas or took a lot of time to come up with concepts that aligned with the company’s goals.

After about a year, I gradually became more accustomed to the process of updating market information, regularly researching customer experiences at the point of sale to understand their psychology, and keeping an eye on what both domestic and international companies were doing in their marketing campaigns. This allowed me to develop ideas for marketing strategies at my workplace.

Teacher Lê Đình Hiếu – CEO of G.A.P Institute, during a discussion on Global Expansion strategy with IBM students.

VNUK: It’s known that marketing is a job that requires high creativity. How did the knowledge you gained at VNUK help you in your career after graduation?

The courses at VNUK exposed me to many “business cases,” which helped me develop the skills to thoroughly research and analyze information while also requiring me to constantly think creatively to find solutions for specific problems. My time at VNUK taught me to continually seek out new information and brainstorm new ideas. When I transitioned to the professional work environment, although the job demanded a much higher level of creativity, I wasn’t unfamiliar with it. In fact, I was able to adapt quickly and apply the research and analytical skills I developed at VNUK to my work.

VNUK: With the successes you’ve achieved at VNUK and your experiences in the workplace, do you have any advice for the current students at VNUK?

We have four years of university to build our knowledge base and explore ourselves through practical experiences. After these four years, you’ll need to prove who you are and what you’re capable of. I truly believe that the preparation you make now will be the key that opens up opportunities for you to shine in the future.