From the Classroom to the Banking Environment: Class 24NH111 Students Explore Career Opportunities at Techcombank Dong Nai

A morning spent in a real banking environment can offer insights that students may find difficult to gain fully from textbooks alone. Observing workplace practices, listening to professional experiences, and engaging directly with banking practitioners provided students of Class 24NH111 in the Banking and Finance program at Lac Hong University (LHU) with valuable practical perspectives on the profession they are preparing to pursue.

On September 12, 2026, students of Class 24NH111 from the Banking and Finance program, Faculty of Finance and Accounting, Lac Hong University, participated in a field-based learning experience at the Dong Nai Branch of Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank). Rather than serving merely as a company visit, the program was designed to bring students closer to the professional banking environment and enable them to view their classroom knowledge through a practical lens.

Upon entering the workplace of a commercial bank, students had the opportunity to observe the professional environment, learn more about Techcombank’s operations, and hear first-hand insights from the bank’s representatives. For many students, the visit provided an opportunity to connect concepts and specialized knowledge previously encountered in lectures with an actual professional setting. Through observation and direct interaction, their understanding of the Banking and Finance profession became more concrete and accessible.

A particularly valuable aspect of the program was the direct interaction between students and industry practitioners. Rather than simply receiving information, students actively raised questions about banking careers, the working environment, internship and recruitment opportunities, as well as the expectations placed on graduates seeking to pursue careers in the sector. Insights from practitioners encouraged students to reflect on their own learning journey and identify the competencies they need to further develop.

Through these professional exchanges, students also recognized that preparing for a career in banking requires more than specialized knowledge alone. Effective communication, a service-oriented mindset, professional conduct, initiative, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning are all essential qualities that should be cultivated from an early stage. By gaining a clearer understanding of what employers expect from future employees, students are better positioned to develop appropriate personal and professional development pathways during their university years.

The visit also encouraged students of Class 24NH111 to reflect on important questions about their own career aspirations: Which positions best align with their strengths and interests? What areas of knowledge need to be further strengthened? Which skills should they continue to develop? Early exposure to the corporate environment allows career orientation to become more than a concern reserved for the period immediately before graduation. Instead, it becomes an ongoing process that is shaped, refined, and strengthened through successive learning experiences.

For the Banking and Finance program, where the business environment and professional requirements continue to evolve, bringing students closer to industry plays a meaningful role in the educational process. Field-based learning activities such as the visit to Techcombank Dong Nai create an additional learning environment beyond the classroom, allowing students to relate academic knowledge to practice, observe professional roles, and gain a clearer understanding of the expectations they will encounter in their future careers.

By strengthening university–industry engagement, the Faculty of Finance and Accounting at Lac Hong University seeks to foster an educational environment in which academic knowledge and professional experience complement one another. Students are prepared not only to successfully complete their academic programs but also to progressively develop the competencies, professional attitudes, and confidence required to enter the labor market.

At the conclusion of the field-based learning experience at Techcombank Dong Nai, students of Class 24NH111 returned with more than information about banking operations. More importantly, they gained a clearer picture of the career paths ahead of them. By seeing where their academic knowledge can be applied, meeting professionals working in the field they aspire to enter, and understanding what employers seek in future employees, the journey from being a Banking and Finance student to becoming a future professional becomes increasingly tangible and well-defined.