Improve your skills

July 15th is World Youth Skills Day. Many people are unaware of this day; I myself only recently learned about it by chance while browsing Facebook posters advertising vocational skills training courses for young people. I don't know what those courses teach, but I'm sure whatever it is, it will be useful, as skills are considered the weakest link for a significant portion of Vietnamese youth today.

Skills (commonly referred to as "skill" in English on social media) are the sum total of abilities, knowledge, and competence that a person possesses and uses proficiently to solve a specific task or problem. We are certainly familiar with terms such as: soft skills – skills not directly related to professional expertise but crucial in thinking, communication, and behavior; professional skills; self-management skills; social skills – the ability to listen, understand, negotiate, resolve conflicts, interact, and cooperate with others in work and life; technological skills… Having worked in an environment with many young people for many years, I have noticed that many of them are very good, even exceptionally excellent, in professional and technological skills – skills that the previous generation took many years to gradually improve. However, many of them are somewhat limited in soft skills, self-management skills, and social skills.

Talking about listening skills is a big deal, but in reality, the real skill lies in the attitude and behavior of young people in their work, life, daily interactions, and with themselves and those around them. In the workplace, it's not uncommon to see older employees cleaning up after a party, while a few younger employees, after finishing their meal, get up and go back to their seats, clearly assuming it's not their job, that the company doesn't pay them to do it. Around the desks of many young people, dust and dry crumbs are scattered under the table legs, under water glasses, on computer mousepads, etc., while their owners are dressed nicely and wearing perfume. Walking down the company hallway, if you see a piece of paper, a candy wrapper, etc., lying around, many young people react by stepping aside and continuing on their way; few bother to bend down to pick up the trash and put it in the bin. All of these are soft skills: demonstrating a civilized lifestyle from the smallest things.

Many young people don't understand that civility doesn't come from how much the clothes they wear cost, or which limited edition shoes they own, but rather from the fact that their living and working spaces, their eating and drinking areas, and their seating and sleeping spaces must always be neat, tidy, clean, and fragrant. This cleanliness and tidiness shouldn't be merely to please others or to gain favor with colleagues and partners; even when no one is looking, it should still be maintained. From cleanliness in terms of hygiene to cleanliness in work and life in general—keeping things tidy, completing tasks, tackling difficulties, and living happily—these are essential skills that many young people haven't fully grasped or lacked.

Many small and medium-sized business owners lament that recruiting young people these days is incredibly difficult! It's not because of a shortage – there's a high unemployment rate, and many students are on summer break – but few are patient enough to handle manual labor or work under pressure. They apply for marketing jobs, coffee shop jobs, or fashion boutiques, only to be immediately rejected upon hearing about lunch or evening shifts, saying, "I need to rest during lunchtime, and I'm busy going out with my boyfriend in the evening!" They quit after working at a supermarket for less than a month, hearing a couple of customer complaints about incorrect billing, feeling discouraged because it's "too stressful." Even working as a kitchen assistant in a bakery, dealing with flour, sugar, butter, and milk for eight hours a day, is unbearable because "there's too much cleaning, my hands are all wrinkled"... There are countless ridiculous and frustrating reasons young people give for refusing jobs, leaving business owners frustrated! It's also very difficult to guide them, because many young people today have very high egos; they quit their jobs immediately at the slightest pressure, discomfort, dissatisfaction, or sadness, without bothering to reflect on and improve their life skills.

Developing skills in young people is a long story, and the first chapter is written by parents, who ultimately determine its conclusion. Today's youth largely enjoy a comfortable material and spiritual life, rarely experiencing hunger or poverty. Their needs are often quickly met by their parents, leading to a lack of patience, perseverance, motivation, and effort. They often exhibit excessive self-confidence, maintain a selfish lifestyle, prioritize appearances, and crave grandiose achievements while rarely learning to build from small beginnings. Therefore, from a young age, parents must play the role of guides, role models, and instructors, teaching their children fundamental skills for learning, work, and life.

Ultimately, as you grow up, if you lack those skills, you will eventually learn them; it's just that life will teach you at a very high price!