A picture is worth a thousand jobs, say graduates

VietNamNet Bridge – Obeying Circular No. 22 by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), since 2010 universities have provided diplomas in a new form without a photo of the degree-holders. As a result, graduates complain that they are being rejected because of these documents.

Nguyen Van Thanh from Thanh Hoa province has been looking high and low for many months for a job after he graduated from Hanoi Open University in accounting. No employer has recruited him, because his diploma has no photo.

Pham Thi Tinh, Thanh’s mother sadly explained to Tien phong reporters that, four years ago, when Thanh passed the university entrance exams, she was so happy, because she thought that after finishing the university, Thanh will be able to find a good job to feed his family. She paid for school with money borrowed from relatives and it is now the time for her to pay these debts. However, to date, Thanh still has not found any job.

Pham Anh Phuong also has graduated with an accounting degree from Hanoi Open University and is facing the same situation. She graduated in September and has been applying for jobs in Hanoi and HCM City, but no one has accepted her. When Phuong called to check on her applications, she was told that personnel officers need to verify her information, because her diploma lacks her picture.

This helped Phuong understand why another student, who finished the same school last year, found a job, while Phuong has not.

Dinh Viet Tuan, Deputy Director of ASIMCO Company, noted: “The candidates, who applied for jobs in the last few years could all show university degrees with their photos. I cannot understand why students who finished schools this year do not have any photos. We need to clarify the matter before we decide to recruit the candidates.”

Tuan added that university diplomas with photos help employers in personnel recruitment and management.

Bui Viet Bao, Personnel Director of Thanh Cong Automobile Group, noted that, in theory, the group carefully considers curriculum vitas of candidates before organizing competitions and interviews. At present, all workers at Thanh Cong have degrees and certificates with the necessary photos.

“We must verify information carefully, even when degrees have photos, let alone those without photos. Therefore, we will refuse the candidates who cannot present diplomas with photos,” he added.

When Bao heard that the education ministry released a new decision stipulating that bachelors’ photos are not needed on their degrees, he said that, if so, it will take employers much more time to verify information.

Tran Quang Quy, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, has confirmed that from 2010, university degrees will not have photos. He stressed that if universities grant degrees with photos, they violate current regulations.

Chu Ngoc Thanh, Director of the Legal Department under MOET, explained that degrees and certificates are documents that will be valid for an entire lifetime, so they cannot be managed by photos. Degrees and certificates are not similar to identity cards or passports, which are only valid for a limited time.

He said that many modern countries have shifted management to the Internet. Employers just need to search online to find out if a degree is real or counterfeit.

Source: Tien phong