Danh's career path

(Baonghean) - Located right on Nguyen Du Street in Vinh City, near the Ben Thuy Bridge toll station, there's a motorbike repair shop that's always busy, having been open for about 8 years. Thanks to its reputation and good service quality, the Thanh Danh motorbike repair shop is not only thriving but also a trusted place for many young people to learn the trade.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Danh instructs the repair technicians.

Visiting the shop during peak hours meant that even with 4-5 employees, everyone was busy. The owner is Mr. Nguyen Viet Danh, a young man in his early 30s. Whenever a customer arrives, he quickly greets them and offers attentive advice. This enthusiastic service has created goodwill and retained customers for many years. Taking a break from work, Mr. Danh recounted his early days in business. He was the second child in a family of two siblings, and his father passed away early (when he was in middle school). At that time, his family was classified as a poor household in Trung Do ward.

A life of poverty fueled his determination to succeed. After graduating from high school, Danh sought training at the city's vocational training center. He only needed three months to learn a trade, saving money and quickly acquiring a skill to earn a living. After completing his training, he started working at large motorcycle repair shops in the city, learning as he went. During his first year, he worked as an unpaid assistant to gain experience and improve his skills. By his second and third years, his skills were more solid, and he was paid a salary. “Back then, the salary for mechanics like us was only around 300,000 dong per month. After three years of learning and working, I had accumulated some experience and confidence to open my own shop. Due to limited capital, my family had to borrow over ten million dong to rent a shop and buy machinery and tools. If I had remained a mere mechanic, I would have remained a hired laborer forever, so I decided to open my own shop and become my own boss,” Danh shared.

When he first opened his shop (10 years ago), he single-handedly handled repairs, sourced parts, paid rent, bought equipment, and repaid bank loans, so his income barely covered his expenses. Later, he moved to a new location, a very convenient spot on Nguyen Du street with a wide sidewalk, making it easy to attract customers. Prioritizing reputation and quality service, his shop attracted more and more customers. To meet customer demand, Mr. Danh hired additional apprentices. Many came to the shop without much experience, but with his dedicated guidance, their skills improved and they became loyal customers. He believes that most of those who come to learn the trade are from rural areas, facing difficult circumstances, just like he himself was in the past. Therefore, he treats his apprentices and apprentices like close friends, enthusiastically helping and teaching them. The shop owner's dedication and the good working environment have increasingly attracted young people seeking to learn the trade.

After about five years, his repair shop had more employees, and Mr. Danh boldly invested in more machinery: machines for repairing scooter and car tires, and air compressors to serve the diverse needs of customers. This also created more job opportunities for his mechanics. Since machinery and technology change over time, whenever a new type of vehicle or technology emerges, he always updates and researches the information. He also independently researches and contacts major motorcycle manufacturers to participate in short-term technical training courses to improve his knowledge and skills. He meticulously and wholeheartedly passes on all the knowledge he has gained to his mechanics and apprentices. He estimates that in the past five years, about 20 young people have come to learn the trade at his shop and have pursued it further. Many, after acquiring skills, have returned to their hometowns to open successful businesses, such as Mr. Duong in Khanh Thanh (Yen Thanh) and Mr. Tinh in Xuan Lam (Nam Dan)...

While they were talking, an apprentice came to him asking for guidance because he had encountered a "difficult case." He meticulously instructed the apprentice on how to repair it, then carefully checked and returned it to the customer. Then he introduced him: "This is Nguyen Van Son, from Hung Loi (Hung Nguyen), who has been learning the trade at our shop for two years." His family was struggling financially, so after finishing 12th grade, Son learned a trade to make a living. Through a friend's recommendation, Son came to Mr. Danh's shop to learn the trade. After two years of learning the trade and working as an apprentice, Son now has quite solid skills. Son shared: "Although I didn't have the opportunity to attend vocational schools or centers, learning at the shop is an effective way to learn. Besides self-studying theory, I also observed other apprentices to accumulate experience. I learned and practiced at the same time. Initially, when I had difficulties, Mr. Danh was the one who taught and guided me specifically. Thanks to that, my skills have improved." During this apprenticeship, apprentices like us are paid 3 million VND per month. I plan to continue learning and working for a while longer, then return to my hometown to open a motorcycle repair shop to serve the people in my village.”

For Mr. Danh, the repair business requires diligence, hard work, a willingness to learn, and a willingness to listen to customer feedback... Only then can a mechanic successfully develop their career. Besides being the main mechanic, his shop also employs three assistants and an apprentice, yet they still can't keep up with the workload. Each day, his shop repairs motorcycles and replaces car tires for about 15-20 customers; including drivers from major taxi companies. Thanks to this, his average monthly income is 15-20 million VND after deducting expenses and paying the mechanics' salaries.

Young business owner Nguyen Viet Danh aspires to expand his shop, equip it with more machinery, and develop a home repair service. He also plans to shift to car repair to meet the growing needs of society. Furthermore, he hopes to create more job opportunities for young people, providing them with vocational training to help them become self-employed in rural areas.

Dinh Nguyet