Phuong Nguyen: Prioritize quality over quantity in finding jobs

Who are you?

My name is Phuong Nguyen, I’m currently pursuing my Master’s degree in People Management and Organizational Development at Aalto University School of Business. I’m also working as Sales & Marketing Manager at EFLA Oy, our company is specializing in Airfield Ground Lighting Connectivity. 

Where and when did you complete your internship? What in your opinion were the factors that helped you to get the internship? 

I started my internship back then in 2019 when I was at my third-year of Bachelor degree in International Business. I was looking for a place to complete my work training and thesis for the school, luckily, I found an open training position at EFLA where I did the internship for 3 months as a Marketing Trainee, and continued my journey with EFLA. 

That time, I had not got any actual work experience yet, but I had engaged in a variety of voluntary works and extra-curriculum activities since high school to enhance my skills, I also tried to explore myself more in graphic design, creating website, video editing in order to develop my competencies. 

From international students’ point of view: did your employer do something particularly well to get international student intern feel welcome?

Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally at EFLA, and I am truly grateful for this experience. As a company with products installed in major international airports, EFLA has provided me with a collaborative and supportive working environment. From the beginning, my colleagues have been incredibly helpful in guiding me through my work, and I have learned so much from working with customers from around the world.

What were your tasks and in which team? What kind of skills you needed in your internship? What did you learn? 

During my internship, I worked in the Sales & Marketing team and was primarily responsible for digital marketing activities. My tasks included designing marketing materials for our products, optimizing our website for better user experience and search engine optimization (SEO), and coordinating with the team to implement marketing campaigns.

I found that two skills were particularly important for me during my internship. The first was the ability to actively learn and adapt quickly to new tasks and challenges. Back then, EFLA’s product was completely new to me that only by actively learning about the products, I can understand more about how to present the product effectively to audiences. 

The second critical skill was effective communication with others. As I needed to collaborate with colleagues from multiple teams including sales, technology, operation to ensure our product materials and website accurate and up to date. I believe it’s a lifelong journey to improve communication and my internship has provided a great environment for me to practice my skill.

What do you expect from the future / what hopes do you have for your future career after graduation?

I hope to continue learning and growing in my field by applying the knowledge and skills I gain during my studies at Aalto University. I am excited about the possibilities that the future holds for me and look forward to using my education, skills, and experience to make a meaningful contribution to society and achieve my career aspirations.