The approach of Tet brings with it many students in search of part-time jobs who want to earn extra cash before returning to their hometowns, but these jobs sometimes come with a price.
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| Job ads |
There are many advertisements to be seen on the internet, university's gates and on bus lines frequented by students. There are plenty of attractive advertisements for part-time job offers. Most of them offer promise priority to university students and immediate payment.
One such student, Thu Nguyet, said she wanted to earn some money to buy presents for her family before returning home. "I had to pay VND50,000 (USD2.4) to create a CV, and then VND200,000 on commission fee. They promised I'd have the job the next day but they then asked for VND200,000 more. Then I knew I had been tricked," she said.
Many of the ads are disingenuous or false. Duy, a student at Thai Binh College of Education, said he was told about a job at a jam processing facility paying VND100,000 per day. He was asked to give VND200,000 and his student card as deposit.
He said, "My job is not making jam. I was a porter and sometimes I had to work until morning. When I said something they threatened to keep my student card. I stayed because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find another job."
A student from Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology said she was hired to work at a cafe and also had to give her ID card as deposit. But she realised later that this cafe exploited students. Once the customers started to touch her inappropriately she decided to leave, even without her ID card.
Several students from disadvantaged backgrounds also try to find jobs, even just for money for train tickets to go home.
