Meet the Sales Supervisor at Muong Thanh Luxury Hotel in Nha Trang.

Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, a graduate of Viet My College with a major in hotel management in 2011, Ngo Luong Hoang Phuc rejected several lucrative offers from top hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and decided to settle in the coastal city of Nha Trang. While this decision may have drawn some admiration and praise, this former student is now very satisfied with his unconventional choice. Meet Ngo Luong Hoang Phuc, a former student of Viet My College, and listen to his heartfelt reflections and experiences gained after four years in the hospitality industry.

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Reporter: Hi Phuc, could you tell us a little about yourself?

HP (Hoang Phuc): First, I would like to extend my greetings to the Board of Directors, the teachers, and all the students currently studying at the school. My full name is Ngo Luong Hoang Phuc, a former student of the 2011 cohort majoring in Hotel Management at APC. Currently, I am working as a Business Supervisor in the Business Department of Muong Thanh Luxury Nha Trang Hotel.

PV: Phuc, could you share more about your current position and whether you are satisfied with your job?

HP: Phuc's main responsibilities are finding clients, providing customer service, and offering restaurant and conference services. To contribute to the overall goal, Phuc's department must collaborate with colleagues and other departments within the hotel to provide the best possible service to clients, thereby successfully achieving the objectives and tasks set by the Hotel Management Board.

Phuc feels fortunate to have found an excellent working environment at Muong Thanh Luxury. The management team provides him with every opportunity to develop his personal abilities and allows him to continue learning and expanding his industry knowledge. Furthermore, with 43 hotels now in operation, being a member of the group brings both pride and pressure. That pressure is to contribute to building the Muong Thanh brand into a strong Vietnamese brand for the hotel and tourism industry.

Student Ngo Luong Hoang Phuc "reunites" with Teacher Nguyen Van Khanh - Head of the APC Management Department.

PV: Phuc, could you share a little about your career path and the difficulties you faced in the beginning?

HP: While still in school, Phuc interned at the Intercontinental Asiana Saigon Hotel (for 2 months) in the F&B position. After that, Phuc worked at Saycheese Company as an Event Organizer for one year. In 2015, Phuc decided to move to Nha Trang to live and start a career. Initially, Phuc worked in the F&B department for about a year at the Muong Thanh Hotel and then transferred to the sales department, where he has worked until now.

The biggest challenge for Phuc, like many recent graduates, was feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to navigate his career path independently. He could no longer meet his professors and friends daily to ask for help or support whenever he encountered difficulties; he had to learn to swim to his destination on his own. Phuc worried about the future, wondering if his chosen field would offer good job prospects and stable income. Honestly, he had many worries at that time. While still in school, he worried about whether he could apply his internship experiences to his studies, and after graduation, he worried about how to use what he had learned to support himself. It's funny, isn't it?

PV: To date, Phuc has achieved considerable success in his career. So, going back to the beginning, why did Phuc choose Viet My School as his place of study? Does Phuc feel that decision was the right one?

HP: In the early days when I decided to choose APC, I simply thought of studying a field I personally enjoyed, without really having a clear career path or a specific knowledge base. However, studying at APC has given me a much deeper understanding of the hospitality industry and equipped me with the necessary knowledge and experience for my future career. That's invaluable preparation that I will always carry with me. The small successes I've achieved today also stem from the foundation that APC has built for its students. APC doesn't just focus on theoretical training; here, I have the opportunity to get closer to reality through hands-on practical classes. Therefore, when I graduated and started working, I was able to quickly integrate into the work environment.

Hoang Phuc poses for a commemorative photo with the Board of Directors and colleagues at Muong Thanh Group.

Having worked there for four years, Phuc is always satisfied with his choice of APC for preparing for his future. Here, besides providing students with a curriculum closely aligned with practical applications, the school administration always creates many opportunities for students to interact, learn, and exchange ideas. When working on his graduation thesis, the professors at the school provided Phuc with dedicated support. The fact that APC's academic performance is heavily reliant on practical training scores is also one of the reasons that encourages students to be more involved.

Thanks to the encouragement of his teachers while still in school, Phuc participated in an internship at the Intercontinental Saigon Hotel. Those internship months helped him apply what he had learned at APC and hone essential work skills that have enabled him to pursue his long-term career as he has today.

PV: As someone who has gone through this before, what is your assessment of the current Vietnamese-American students?

HP: In today's environment, instead of focusing on academic qualifications, companies often prioritize experience and skills as the primary criteria before making hiring decisions. Therefore, students at Viet My University, who study a program closely aligned with real-world practices, combined with the dynamism and enthusiasm of Viet My, will have a significant advantage in their career paths.

PV: Finally, do you have any advice for students majoring in Hotel Management in particular, and for Vietnamese-American students in general?

Not just in the hospitality industry, but Phúc believes that in any field, to succeed, you must truly love what you do, only then can you give your best effort. For Phúc, the hospitality industry is not just a profession but also a passion. For him, Muong Thanh is not just a hotel where he works every day, but also his "second home." Every day at work is a joy for him. He believes in treating customers well, like family. He believes in being sincere with colleagues, like brothers and sisters. He believes in elevating that "home" to even greater heights within the company. In this way, no matter where you work or what job you do, you will encounter many kind colleagues and have a smoother career path. 

Thank you, Phuc, for your sincere and enthusiastic sharing. On behalf of the teachers and students of APC, we wish Hoang Phuc good health, happiness, and that he will soon reap the rewards on the path he has chosen. 

Author: Viet My College - Date written: June 19, 2018

Category: Alumni, Student life, Hotel and restaurant management

Tags: Viet My College, caodangvietmy, former APC students, Hospitality, Hotel Management