Top 10 Things Students Should Do After Graduating from University

If you have a compassionate heart, social activities are an essential part of your life. During your university years, your schedule was often packed with lectures, textbooks, and exams, but now is the perfect time to engage in social causes!

There are many non-governmental organizations that you should consider joining, such as AIESEC, SJ Vietnam, Operation Smile, Free Hugs Vietnam, Vietnam Youth Forum... or even local volunteer clubs, visiting orphanages, supporting victims of Agent Orange, or helping those less fortunate. These causes are waiting for your support!

Don’t sit at home complaining about how dull life is or how unlucky you are. Join a charitable organization to realize how lucky you are and learn to appreciate life more. Participating in social activities will inspire your faith in life, and this is the perfect time for you to make a difference. If you have free time, try joining one right now.

For a long time, you've been focused on studying at school and may have neglected building your social knowledge. Don’t let this affect your career later, as employers highly value your social knowledge!

Did you know that the best place to accelerate your growth and learn quickly is life itself? Once you realize what you need to do to embrace new challenges, luck will follow. Don't just be a grain of sand; strive to be a rock in the vast ocean of knowledge.

Start investing in your knowledge now that you’re no longer in school. Consider enrolling in courses on communication, public speaking, or even business management. There’s no such thing as a useless course. You’ll gain respect for your social skills, and enhancing your knowledge will boost your confidence and help you progress in your career.

Upon graduation, the biggest concern for most students is how to land a job. Holding your diploma brings joy, but also a sense of uncertainty. However, to secure a good job, having a well-crafted CV (a job application document) is essential. This is the key that will help you avoid unemployment.

Your resume, or CV, is your most important tool for making a positive impression on potential employers. Rather than worrying about how to find a job or what to do after graduation, focus on perfecting your CV—both in content and presentation. Employers aren’t just interested in your academic achievements; they’re also keen to know about your life experiences.

To create a compelling CV that grabs employers’ attention, take the time to learn how to write an effective CV. Highlight your academic accomplishments from your university years and emphasize your strengths. Also, assess the skills required for the job you want and update your CV accordingly to ensure it’s complete and impactful.

If you already have a part-time job, keep it up. But if you're just graduated and unsure of your next step, finding a part-time job is a great option. A temporary job helps you gain valuable experience, meet new people, and get familiar with the real-world work environment. It also provides an opportunity to explore your own abilities.

Furthermore, a part-time job will give you a steady income to cover your expenses. However, it’s important to choose part-time jobs that align with your field of study and personal interests, as this can give you a competitive edge in the job market. For example, if you studied journalism, consider a part-time role as a reporter or freelance content writer. If your background is in hospitality, a part-time position as a server or receptionist could be invaluable. A part-time job that complements your specialty is a great place to gain experience, learn, and grow professionally. Think carefully and choose a job that fits you well.

It’s that idea you’ve been thinking about for a while but haven’t had the time or opportunity to act on. So, do you want to make it happen? After graduation is actually when you have the most free time, so why not keep yourself busy by starting now?

You could also gather a team, come up with an idea, and bring it to life. Entrepreneurship requires a lot of skills and factors to succeed, and you're young with dreams and ambition, so don’t fear failure. This is the time to ‘fail,’ to allow yourself to make mistakes, learn, and grow.

Your startup idea doesn’t need to be complex or grand. Start with what you like and want to do. For example, if you're interested in business, why not start by selling products online? Or if you have more capital, perhaps you could open a small shop. Who knows, during this time, you might discover your true passion and perhaps even build a company worth millions.

In reality, the workplace is vastly different from what you learn in university – where we study general, broad knowledge, without diving deep into any particular subject. However, a job requires deep expertise in a specific field. Once you understand which career suits you, don’t hesitate to start researching it. This will not only help you gain more expertise but also give you a competitive edge in the job market. For example, if you’re interested in HR, start by learning about labor laws and how human resources are managed in companies.

There are many ways to deepen your understanding of your future profession, such as talking to people in the industry, searching the internet, reading books and articles, joining professional forums, or taking specialized courses. If you feel lacking in a particular skill, this is the perfect time to improve. You could even consider signing up for English communication classes… There’s no such thing as too much knowledge!

If you’ve spent the previous phase of your life buried in classes and heading straight from lecture halls to your dorm, then you have more free time now. This is the golden time for you to focus more on taking care of yourself.

Set aside time to engage in regular physical activities. You can start by jogging, walking, or even taking online fitness classes if you’re shy. But if you want to make your life more interesting and expand your social circle, consider joining a gym or picking up sports like boxing, karate, or dancesport. Physical exercise not only improves your health and boosts your spirits, but a physically fit candidate will also be an attractive option for potential employers.

From the moment you chose a university, you probably found yourself questioning which field to study, which school to attend, and what the best choice for your future would be. Or perhaps you ended up pursuing a field you didn’t love because you didn’t pass the entrance exam for your desired major, or you chose what your parents thought was best for you. Now, after four years, it’s time to reflect—was this truly the path you wanted? What is your real passion?

Don't worry—many successful people have thrived by pursuing careers in fields unrelated to what they studied. Take this time to slow down and truly evaluate what you want, what you need, and what you’re capable of. It’s never too late to follow your passion. Think carefully, listen to your heart, and ask yourself: what is it that excites me? What would make me happy to do every day? No one knows you better than you know yourself, but it takes time. Remember, true success is always rooted in passion and love for what you do.

Getting accepted into university is a moment of pride for both you and your parents, but it also brings a wave of worries, especially if you're moving far from home. Being away means you're no longer there to see the daily struggles or health challenges of your loved ones. As you leave home, you tell yourself that you'll work hard and secure a good job to make your parents proud, right?

However, graduation can be one of the most uncertain times in your life. With your parents asking about your job prospects and future plans, it's hard to provide reassuring answers. Despite the uncertainty, your parents care deeply about you and understand that everyone needs time to rest and reflect on their future. So, don't hesitate—return home, spend time with your family, and have those meaningful conversations. Sometimes, even you might not fully understand what you want or need, and your parents, too, long for those heartfelt talks with their child. As time goes on, you'll realize that their advice is always wise. Returning home gives you a clearer perspective on life, helps you understand your loved ones more deeply, and gives you a slower, more thoughtful pace before the next chapter begins. Remember, as you grow older, you might find yourself in a big city chasing a career, caught up in the busy routine of work and life. So, take this time after graduation to cherish those moments with your family while you can.

Can you truly say that during your university years, you've explored all the exciting and unique things around your environment?

It's often said that life is a journey, and only by traveling do you realize how vast the world is. Only by venturing out do you understand that you're just a tiny grain of sand in an infinite ocean. So, turn off your computer, put down your phone, and pack your bag to explore places you've never been. Life has so much more to offer than being like a frog in a well, commenting on the world through a keyboard.

You can go on a road trip or grab some affordable travel vouchers online. During your years of studying, have you ever ridden your bike through winding mountain roads or crossed a tropical forest filled with leeches, waking up in a remote place far from the city? Vietnam is blessed with stunning landscapes that you can only truly appreciate by experiencing them. Try visiting places like Mu Cang Chai, Y Ty, Pha Luong, or Ha Giang in the late months of the year to feel the wonderful rhythms of the mountains, the scent of rice flowers on the golden terraced fields, and the simple yet intimate atmosphere of ethnic minority villages.

Find a travel companion who shares the same ideas. Travel to refresh your mind and make the most of your youthful years before work sets in. Who knows, through exploration, you might even discover new opportunities for yourself. Traveling is also a way to rejuvenate, to change how you view life. If you're feeling stressed while waiting for a job, just pack your bag and go, and you'll find a world of new experiences awaiting you.