Long Nguyen and Anh Le (Ben), Network Planner

Sending our congratulations to our two newest graduates of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Long and Ben, who are also Network Planners in our Graduate Program - the partnership program between Sharesource and our Tech partner Biarri Networks.

Long made two big hits this year, receiving her Control and Automation Engineering Bachelor Degree and passing her probation after two months of training in our Graduate Program. With her studies completed, Long is looking forward to putting her energy into accomplishing all of her tasks at the highest level as a Network Planner before moving to the next step in her career.

Ben commenced working in the Graduate Program when in his final year of university studies. Despite the pressure of working and studying at the same time, Ben was able to receive his Electronics and Telecommunication Bachelor Degree and learn on the job. This achievement marks an important milestone for him and he is excited to be starting a new chapter as an "official" employee.

How it felt working in a global company immediately after, or in Ben’s case while still completing his studies

Ben explains that in 2021, he discovered LinkedIn and started to use this to search for job opportunities. He came across Sharesource and the Graduate Program which seemed a perfect fit for the type of work and the learning environment he was looking for: international, flexible and challenging. He was thrilled soon after applying to receive a call from Sharesource for an interview.

"It was a bit overwhelming when I first started in the program as a Network Planner at Biarri as there was a lot to learn beyond the theory that I was learning in my studies. I realised very quickly that I couldn’t succeed without the help of the other team members from Biarri Network and Sharesource who were there to support me. There was work-related coding experience to be learnt as well as the day-to-day aspects that comes with being a part of a team working on a project.”

The great learning opportunity he has experienced being part of the Graduate Program has encouraged him to recommend this to his friend, Long.

For Long, she felt having a friend recommending and working with her was ideal, so after checking out the program she was excited to apply.

“With Ben having already started in the program, it was great to have someone that I could talk to who was having similar experiences to me,” added Long.

“I applied after finishing all the subjects at university and was super excited with this being my first job. Like Ben, I felt that working for a global company like Biarri Networks was an awesome opportunity for me as a new graduate. Ben had told me that there was a great - learning environment, experienced team leaders, and a good salary. In addition, I could apply the basic telecommunications skills needed for the position, which I had learnt at university.

Communication and Culture - the biggest challenges for both of them

Long and Ben had the same concern when they first started in the program: English communication and cultural differences. While Long was not confident when communicating as English is not her first language, Ben felt pressure communicating with people in Australia and the Philippines as he was worried they would not be friendly.

After two months of training, with the full support, friendliness, and strong connection from the Australian and Philippines team mates, they both feel communication and cultural differences did not create problems anymore. They both agree that a global connection has been very good for them as it has helped with their English, and also to have a better appreciation of different cultures.

Lifelong Learning is a key part of their journey

Despite the difference between theory learnt at school and the practical skills applied in a real life project, Ben keeps working hard to be the best he can be at all of his tasks with the aim of becoming one of the QA Lead in his career progression.

“I was a little shy at first; however, with the support I received from the team at Biarri and Sharesource, my confidence grew,” added Ben.

“I learnt how a project works and my role within the team. I also learnt that it was OK to ask questions and to open up more within the team. I feel that by being a part of the graduate program I have become a better version of me.”

Working for an international company the size of Biarri Networks with a clear career progression while being supported by Sharesource has meant both Ben and Long can be upskilled at a very young age, and enjoy their cool work with disruptive technologies.

Ms. Van Phan, Country Manager of Sharesource, explains that each time someone completes the Graduate Program there is a wonderful sense of achievement throughout Biarri Networks and Sharesource.

“Watching Long and Ben grow in confidence and to truly become a part of the project team is very rewarding for the managers, coaches and support team. We are now looking forward to being there for them as they enter their next chapter in life, and to see their goals for the future achieved,” said Van.

With this new chapter starting, they are excited to keep learning and improving, and our mission is to keep nurturing them and other smart people so with our help they can unleash their full potential. This is just one example of the work we are doing at Sharesource to make a more positive impact on thousands of talented people in developing countries.