In a course organized by VietnamWorks, Mr. Hoang Nam Tien, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FPT University, shared that upon entering FPT University, students will see a statue called the “Self-made Man.” This statue is a symbol of FPT University and depicts a man chiseling himself out of a block of stone. The man works on himself a little every day, sculpting and improving himself. The final version of this statue graces the university’s campus.
The “Self-made Man” statue at FPT University. Source: FPT
Mr. Tien drew a parallel between this statue and the idea that no one is perfect, but we all have the power to improve ourselves. Just like the statue, we can educate ourselves, conduct research, and develop ourselves to become a better version of ourselves each day.
“There are those who have succeeded due to luck or connections, but today is different. Today, we all agree that knowledge is the foundation of success. This should make us, especially Gen Z, proud of our dedication to learning and gaining experience. Society values our knowledge and skills,” emphasized the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FPT University.
What are the criteria for evaluating a well-rounded employee in a company?
Mr. Hoang Nam Tien believes young people can gain experience quickly if they meet good mentors and teammates. Source: MH
FPT, with its 72,000 employees working in over 30 countries, has a set of criteria for evaluating its personnel. In fact, many other companies also use similar criteria.
The first criterion is innate qualities or aptitudes. For example, some people have a natural aptitude for logical thinking, calculations, or musical appreciation. In contrast, others may have a keen sense of color.
The second is character or personal qualities, which are developed through discipline and practice. Punctuality is a quality, as is the ability to collaborate well with others.
The third is knowledge, which is acquired through education. The fourth is ability, which can only be demonstrated through challenges.
According to Mr. Hoang Nam Tien: “I have seen people who, even at the age of 50, still do not seem to possess any particular ability because they have not faced significant challenges.”
The fifth is experience, which comes with time.
“It is not necessary to touch a hot stove to know that it is hot,” said Mr. Hoang Nam Tien, “If you are fortunate enough to meet good mentors and teammates, you can gain experience and wisdom in a short period. We all know that experience comes at a cost, and wisdom often comes at the price of pain. However, if we are lucky enough to find brilliant mentors and supportive colleagues, we can learn quickly and gain valuable insights.”
While we may readily judge others, self-assessment is a more challenging task. How would we rate ourselves on these five criteria? Aptitudes are innate and difficult to change, but we can compensate by developing our character. For example, if we rate our character as a 5 today, with discipline and a commitment to self-improvement, we can aim for an 8 or a 9 in the future.
By continuously learning and developing, we can aim for at least a 7 in knowledge and wisdom.
“Then, if we commit to our leaders and embrace challenges, our abilities will grow with each passing year, and experience will follow. You may even surprise yourself and become a completely different person in just 1 to 3 years,” emphasized Mr. Hoang Nam Tien.
“To turn your dreams into reality, the first step is to put down your phone, stop watching TikTok… “
Mr. Hoang Nam Tien believes that young people need to make changes if they want to succeed.
We all have passions and dreams. Citing the example of one of the world’s richest people, who started their entrepreneurial journey at the age of 56, Mr. Hoang Nam Tien emphasized that “it’s never too late.”
However, passion alone is not enough. We must also have dreams. And if we want to stand out or even separate ourselves from the crowd, we need to have ambition.
To others, ambition may seem like a “fantasy, a vague notion, or even arrogance.” But to you, it means committing your whole being to your goal. Passion, dreams, and ambition are crucial, but they are still not enough.
Mr. Hoang Nam Tien stressed: “I always tell young people that to turn your dreams into reality and make your passion tangible, the first step is to put down your phone, stop watching TikTok, get out of bed, and take action. Furthermore, to turn your ambition into reality, you need to work hard. Don’t think that you can take shortcuts, rely on luck, or depend on connections to succeed. You also need to be persistent, patient, determined, and tenacious in pursuing your goals. Remember, only with discipline in life, work, and task execution can you achieve success.”
