What I learned from my first 4 working years after graduation?

The scenario was so simple: I left university with a big ambition and hunger to achieve success and wealth. That's why I refused working for a big foreign ICT firm in order to join a new securities company in Ho Chi Minh. The thought of creating values in a new business and gain more rewards instead of a normal boring job in a mature big firm always stroke in my mind, drove my decisions and actions during those years. Unluckily, the economic in both Vietnam and world became worse and worse, then I had to change my jobs 3 times, to different small and newly open companies. I did not make much money, just enough to manage living in my city. It is even worse that I am currently in my mother's debt for my master course's tuition. So, after 4 years, I have a big debt, unstable job with low salary. To sump up, my strategy is failed.   

So, I have some lessons from my failures:

- Find yourself first. To some people, it is very clear to know themselves. To others, it's still a vague picture. With me, I didn't know myself well enough when I graduated. As the results, I made some decisions, and did some actions that are not adequate to me inside, then made me more confused, worried and unhappy. 

- Draw out as many options as you can. For every matter, such as your career path development strategy, your desire or your living goal, etc, you need to know how many ways out there to reach. This step will help you have a good overview on your issue. To my case, I missed this step and chose way to join small start-ups to reach my goal which turns to be a wrong way finally.

- Vietnam is a different country from the major rest of the world. So it means that what you learned how some people got rich or successful in other countries just simply doesn't work out in Vietnam.  

- Must be patient and product-oriented rather than skill-oriented: I used to think I am available to make money and show up my abilities after university, but it turned out that I am just a newbie to real world. I really regret that I did not spending enough time on a particular product such as an e-commercial website or an educational system instead of learning new skills and technologies. All required skills and technologies will appear along with your product development. 

Above are essential lessons from my failure. They do not cover all failures of new grads, of course. But at least, you will add some check points into your to-do and not to-do list for a new period in your life.