Loving creativity and wishing to contribute nice architecture to his homeland, Nguyen Truong Phu decided to study architecture.
Nguyen Truong Phu, General Director of the company Phu Nhat Thang, graduated from DTU
After some research, Truong Phu resolved to choose DTU for his studies. Now, Truong Phu is General Director of the company Phu Nhat Thang, which possesses six showrooms and representative offices in many different provinces and cities, and which produces architectural design with its own beauty and style.
Let us talk to Phu Nhat Thang General Director Nguyen Truong Phu to learn about the company and about the current demand for human resource quality in architecture.
* You graduated seven years ago, when the number of graduates in architecture was huge and the construction market had cooled down. What was your solution at the time?
- The first months after graduation, I decided to not yet work any job. I wanted to spend time on in-depth research of the market and of the demand concerning quantity and quality of human resources, and I wanted to make plans for my future. This research helped me realize I have a thing with interior & exterior design and construction.
I felt it was an essential part of the sector and that demand came from everyone. I then founded a small workshop with five to seven workers. After six months of operations, I felt the market had potential and in the beginning of 2018 I boldly borrowed capital to set up a company and to invest in machinery and equipment.
* How hard did you have to work at that moment of relative difficulty?
- A couple of like-minded friends and me experienced a huge lot of difficulties, from capital to relationships. The initial 200 million or so was borrowed from friends and family.
And clients or market were also virtually nonexistent. I also didn’t have any experience yet - I’d just graduated.
I came up with many business ideas full of expectation, but realizing them and putting them into practice and succeeding like I wished was not easy. During economically unstable times when values fluctuate all the time, being aware of challenges to ponder investment is of foremost importance. We also faced many other issues, like petitioning for capital and lacking quality workers - and especially workers having inadequate professional skills.
At the beginning, I spent a lot of time on trips to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for market research and to learn about new and advanced materials and solutions.
* What is your company currently focused on?
- The company counts 150 employees working all over the country, and we currently focus on interior & exterior design and construction. We built many townhouse villas enjoying the interest from customers. Now the company wishes to expand its market to large projects and commercial export goods.
Many architects graduated from DTU work for Phu Nhat Thang
* Are there many DTU students working for the company? Can you give an evaluation of the human resource quality DTU currently trains in architecture?
- Most of the company’s designers graduated from DTU where I also studied. The university has been very astute to collaborate with many universities and businesses to support its students - including California State University in the US to receive their curriculums. The software skills and design ideas of DTU graduates are excellent. And they are highly perceptive to current design trends.
* What are the assets of architecture students, including job opportunities in the current economic climate?
- Architecture students currently receive good training in skills and modern thinking, compared to people who have been working many years. They also approach drawings early on and receive training in basic informatics and using computers. (That’s also and asset when job-hunting nowadays.) Graduates in architecture should therefore not be afraid they’d end up unemployed.
Beautiful design with personality…
* Human resources are currently dearly lacking in architecture, and supply does not meet demand. Does the rush of enterprises to recruit human resources make selection easier and does it affect the learning spirit of architecture students?
- That’s right. I feel human resources in Central Vietnam, including in Danang, are currently inadequate. New graduates are often overconfident and not sufficiently equipped with practical knowledge, but they want to become the boss right away. That isn’t wrong, but if you can’t yet do your job right, this will severely impact the value of your profession and your future, especially in architecture design.
Businesses in architecture have a huge recruitment demand, but due to the special nature of the field, there are very particular rules for recruitment, to ensure the best possible human resources. Therefore, even though they face high demand for recruitment, students should focus on their studies - for to keep your job and to develop your career long-term you need a really sound foundation of knowledge and skills.
* Do you currently headhunt for human resources at DTU?
- Of course I do. I’m an alumnus there, so I understand the DTU training process well. I very much want to create the conditions for DTU students to work for my company after they graduate. First and foremost, I’m looking for ten more people to start right away in the various jobs the company needs.
…inspiring all in their lives and work
* Are companies too “shy” to recruit new graduates?
- Businesses give priority to architects with work experience, but they’re willing to welcome truly gifted students even when those are still studying. For fresh university graduates, however, messing around out there is the best way to mature and gather personal experience.
Try to apply for a job that may or may not be appropriate for you and you’ll better understand the value of money, the issue of behavior and communication with many clients with different personalities and outlooks on life, and the art of living.
From this, learn valuable lessons and prepare yourself mentally to enter a stressful and strict work environment always requiring care.
* What advice do you have in the 2022 enrollment season for young people who wish to study architecture and who are still divided?
- At university, students of architecture and civil engineering experience a completely different life. That life opens tons of opportunities for those students who work hard, train, and gather knowledge and experience. Besides the good, the environment also comes with many external temptations.
It’s therefore important to be discerning when choosing how to live and study. Determine your study objectives, study specialized subjects well, train your skills, take part in extracurricular activities, try your hand at a student job, study foreign languages well, and especially remember to regularly attend classes, all you future students of architecture!!!
* Thank you for this interesting interview.
In the 2022 enrollment season, DTU offers a 30% reduction of tuition fees for the entire course for successful applicants to architecture minors.
(Media Center)