I got wind of a job opening for an assistant position at Eurowindow through a member of VNMG. When I submitted my CV, I thought to myself, just getting the chance to meet and talk with someone as brilliant as N.P.C would be a stroke of luck beyond my wildest dreams. And, as the title suggests, fortune smiled on me.

A Day of Chaos

But the day of the interview? I was a complete mess, like I’d tumbled from the 90th floor of a cloud. I couldn’t remember the address, the name of the person I was supposed to meet, or even their phone number—since they’d called me from a switchboard line. I was left to the mercy of fate, with no clue what to do.

Racing from my place to Lý Nam Đế street, I was a bundle of nerves. I’d already accepted that a scatterbrained girl like me, with zero knack for finance and barely passable English, had no shot at landing the job. My real goal was just to meet someone impressive and see what they were like. The trouble was, getting from Phùng Hưng to Lý Nam Đế meant navigating three possible turns, and Lý Nam Đế is a one-way street. If Eurowindow was at the first turn, I’d be fine. If not, I was doomed.

I got lost three times. All because I forgot the address.

Scrambling to Make It

I finally arrived at 3:55 p.m., five minutes shy of my appointment. I hurriedly parked my bike, ready to sprint for the elevator, when the security guard stopped me. “Where are you headed?” he asked. I blurted out, “Eurowindow Holdings.” He gently informed me I’d need to walk another 100 meters to the actual parking area for Eurowindow. Groaning, I dragged my bike back against traffic to park. By then, it was 4:00 p.m. on the dot.

As I’d mentioned, I’d forgotten both the name of my contact and the floor I needed. So, I asked the receptionist for the HR department—logical, right? If they’re hiring, HR’s the place to start. I was too nervous to mention the bigwig’s name or title, worried they’d think I was nuts.

I reached the HR office at 4:10 p.m. When I said I was there for the assistant position interview, the staff exchanged wide-eyed glances before pointing me to the office across the hall. There, they sighed at my god-given forgetfulness. I let out a defeated, “Guess it’s not meant to be.”

Just as I stood at the elevator, ready to leave, my phone rang. Thank heavens—my chance to meet one of Vietnam’s most renowned and talented figures in finance had arrived.

The Interview: A Whirlwind of Questions

Here’s the highlight reel of our conversation, with just the key moments:

Interviewer: “Have you carefully read the job requirements?”
Me: “Uh, no, sir.”

Interviewer: “Oh, you young people, sending CVs without analyzing anything? It’s like when I gave students a test, and they’d dive into group discussions without understanding the prompt. So, how do you know G.H?”
Me: “We’re in the same New Media group.”

Interviewer: “Ever talked to G.H in person?”
Me: “No, not yet.”

Interviewer: “Did you check our website before coming here?”
Me: “No, I didn’t.” (I figured Eurowindow was so famous, everyone knew it.)

Interviewer: “So, what do you know about Eurowindow?”
Me: “It operates in finance, investments, window manufacturing…” (I swear I only remembered the windows, but somehow I pulled a few other details out of thin air.)

Then came questions about Thiên Ngân, the company where I’d interned. The interviewer, a cheerful guy who knew my old boss there, teased me about my vague recollections of that internship, which had been pretty half-hearted.

Unexpected Lessons

The interview turned into a test of my analytical and problem-solving skills through situational questions and case studies. For example, how would I handle Thiên Ngân’s unsold movie inventory? Or how would I draft a marketing plan? The scenarios were simple but grounded, making them surprisingly engaging.

In the end, I came clean about my true motive: I was there to meet someone brilliant, witty, and wise in so many facets of life. I walked away with a new contact for future questions and curiosities.

He left me with this gem: “In any interview, meeting the person across from you is a privilege. So, give it your all to reach the final round. Even if you stop there, you’ll gain a world of knowledge. Ask as many questions as you can.”