Today, I found myself thinking about the winter of 2017 — the first and only time I stayed in Japan during the holidays, instead of going home to celebrate Tet with my family.
I had only been there for one semester. My Japanese was still very basic, so not just me, but many of my friends also struggled to find part-time jobs. At the time, I reached out to Vietnamese seniors who had been living in the area for a long time, asking for support and introductions.
Over those three winter months, thanks to those connections, many of my friends from the Philippines, Malaysia, and Nepal were able to find stable part-time jobs at sushi restaurants, convenience stores, and more. One person would refer another, and gradually, everyone found their way to a steady income.
As for me, despite my limited Japanese, I was fortunate enough to work at a traditional Japanese restaurant and hotel complex that had been around for over 130 years. At the end of the winter break, while sitting in a karate class, I received an offer to write website content for a Japanese company. The rate was high - even now, I still think it was high, especially for a first-year student with no prior writing experience.
After some time, my team lead even secured an additional bonus scheme for me, along with a special rate for articles that required deeper research.
A winter morning in Japan, back in 2017
At that time, my income was enough to cover all my flights between Vietnam and Japan. Enough to spend entire summer and winter breaks back in Vietnam while still maintaining my apartment in Japan. Enough that after the social distancing period, the first thing I did was ride my bicycle to buy… gold, and then my first motobike.
Even after I returned to Vietnam, the company kept my original rate, although it would normally be adjusted based on the cost of living in each country. That was one of the reasons why, during my four years of studying abroad, I only asked my parents for financial support once - the first time, and also the only time.
---
Later on, at another company (not the one mentioned above), I was assigned to develop a training program for content writing for teams across different subsidiaries.
I invested a significant amount of time, effort, and even personal money to learn and build that material. When I decided to leave the company, for various reasons, the training materials had not yet been officially approved. After sending my farewell message in the group chat, I shared the materials privately with nearly 40 colleagues as a final gift.
At the time, I only thought this: I might leave, but what I created should continue to live on, doing what it was meant to do - helping others write better, become better. Regardless of who received the credit. Whether I was still there or not.
Not long after, I heard that the materials were finally put into use.
Perhaps that is why, later in my career, I was fortunate to work with managers who strongly encouraged learning and personal growth. Many times, my manager would say things like,
“I want you to learn this,”
“I want you to be exposed to that,”
“Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to learn,”
or even, “Very good event, I will be a panelist. Kindly mark your calendar, let’s go there together 😊”
I was given opportunities to try many things for the first time - projects that were mentally demanding and challenging, but each time I got through one, I felt myself becoming a better version of who I was. I had the chance to attend events with inspiring speakers - people whose names alone could make others pause in admiration. Hoang Tri Mai, CEO of Airbus Vietnam — the first Vietnamese to hold that position — is one example.
Across many of my writings, I often say this: If you want something, help others achieve it first. No matter how capable or intelligent you are, without a bit of luck, without the support of others, without the right timing and conditions, it is difficult to accomplish anything truly meaningful.
People may say I’ve been lucky. And it’s true, beyond my own efforts, I’ve had my share of luck.
But luck does not simply fall into someone’s lap.
Luck can be created.
And the secret to it has always been the same:
to give sincerely, and without expecting anything in return.