Many young Vietnamese people are choosing to work freelance and are finding it a way of earning more than salary jobs.
Many young Vietnamese people are choosing to work freelance
According to Vu Thi Hang, who has been working freelance for a long time, the biggest advantage of this is that she manages her own time and does not have to follow strict company regulations.
Another attraction is high payment. Some freelancers are able to make as much as USD1,000 – 1,200 a month, two or three times higher than an equivalent full-time salaried position for a domestic company.
Hai Anh, a freelance as a translator for a film company, said she can earn between VND 10,000-15,000 per minute translating from English to Vietnamese.
“I studied English at university, but if I go to work for a company like my friends, I would only be paid around VND 5-7 million (USD 238-333) a month. With freelance work I can get as much as VND 20-30 million (USD953-1,429)," said Hai Anh.
However, even though there are many job announcements posted on recruitment sites, most are from foreign firms who require English speakers. This makes it difficult for many to qualify, as English remains a challenge for many of the nation's young people.
Another challenge, according to Hai Anh, is the high pressure. She said that she often has to work long hours in order to meet deadlines.
“I spend hours looking up new words in the dictionary. It can be quite stressful,” she said.
According to Vu Thuy Duong, a human resources worker, another problem that Vietnamese have in taking freelance jobs is a lack of self-discipline and time management skills.
