In an increasingly competitive labour market, specialist knowledge is a necessary condition, but it is professional skills that give young people an advantage when they enter a real working environment.

To help students prepare fully for their future careers, the HUFLIT Faculty of Foreign Languages held its 5th student professional skills seminar of the 2025–2026 academic year, under the theme “From lecture hall to career: 5 skills not in the syllabus that will define your future”.

The programme was joined by Mr Dang Dong Phong – Founder of WSharing Academy, Director of The Wing Communications (communications and event management), and Communications Director of Technoheart G9 Group. With many years of experience in skills training and working with businesses, the speaker offered practical perspectives on the capabilities students need in order to adapt and thrive in a modern workplace.

Closing the gap between lecture-hall theory and business reality

Drawing on extensive experience in communications and training, speaker Dang Dong Phong guided students through a journey of self-discovery and identified 5 pivotal skills – the “missing pieces” often absent from traditional syllabuses yet decisive for the success or failure of a new-era professional:

1. Building lasting relationships: how to connect and network effectively in both academic and business environments.
2. Presenting ideas in public: mastering the stage, delivering a persuasive message and confidently asserting your own value.
3. Empathy and working with people: emotional intelligence (EQ) in listening, understanding and collaborating effectively in a team.
4. Managing emotions: staying composed, releasing pressure and maintaining positive energy amid the ups and downs of work.
5. Directing and leading yourself: independent thinking, planning your life and staying committed to the career goals you have chosen.

A lively space for interaction and practice

The seminar went well beyond theory, coming alive through a genuinely energetic two-way exchange. Guided by the speaker, students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages had the chance to work directly through situational exercises on communication, emotional management and short idea presentations right there in the hall.

Many practical questions from students – concerns about peer pressure, or how to overcome the fear of public speaking – were answered by the speaker in a thorough, practical and inspiring way.

The programme is one of the regular strategic activities of the HUFLIT Faculty of Foreign Languages, aimed at continuously innovating and rounding out training quality so that students are not only “strong in their specialism” but also “solid in their skills”, ready to adapt and integrate internationally

In the period ahead, HUFLIT will continue to run similar professional development programmes, working towards a high-quality teaching faculty and helping to affirm HUFLIT’s position as a leading foreign languages and information technology institution in Vietnam in the era of Industry 4.0.