Vinh Nguyen: 10 Years of Celebrating Love and Loyalty

Vinh is one of the pioneer employees of ASW Vietnam when it opened its office doors in 2011, the same year that he got married. His career journey is an inspiration on adapting to change, rising to the challenge, and earning the respect of his peers.

1. Hi Vinh, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Hi, I am just a simple man who is a father to an 8-year-old daughter. I love to discover the countryside places of Vietnam, especially its Northern part. In my free time, I listen to old songs or watch online programs on wild life, history and science. Every Sunday, I ride my bicycle on a 33-km route to refresh my mind and body.

2. Can you tell us more about your current role here at ASW and your career growth through the years?

I joined ASWIG IT in September 2011 as a Senior Java Developer. I was one of the first 10 employees in the Vietnam office at the time. In 2013, I became a Systems Architect and led a team of Systems Engineers (SAR team) to build and manage environments for development and testing of in-house applications.

Since 2021, I have expanded my management to include the Vietnam DBA team. As a Systems Architect Manager, perhaps my most significant duty is to provide support to the two valuable teams, encouraging them to work on great opportunities while at the same time leading them to achieve higher goals for themselves as individuals and for the company as a whole.

3. What are the challenges that you encounter at work and how do you overcome them?

I was assigned to maintain an eCommerce website written in ASP.NET while my expertise is Java. I had no other choice but to quickly adapt to the world of .NET language. I was also assigned the very first SharePoint project in the company (Work Capacity Assessment). Again, I had to adapt swiftly to the world of SharePoint.

I talked to the Program Manager to apply some of Scrum’s best practices in managing and developing the project. After four months, the application went live. The success of that project became the foundation for the company’s SharePoint technology during that time, and the Scrum framework for its Nexus program development.

4. How would your colleagues describe you? How would you describe the team you’re working with?

I have received feedback that I am seen as a dedicated and resourceful person, a highly valued member of the team in Vietnam. I am currently managing two teams who take care of systems and databases. It is an honour for me to work with these friendly, skillful and amazing individuals.

5. You were recently awarded for your 10th year at ASW. Congratulations! What do you like most about working at ASW?

Like many others who joined ASW Vietnam, I love the 20-day annual leave, the 13th and 14th month bonus and the overseas company trips. Though I’ve witnessed many changes, I still like the vibrant working environment, with people of various ages and religions who are full of energy and enthusiasm.

It is very special that I joined ASW in the same year that I got married to my wife. So, ten years at ASW also marks ten years of my marriage. I think I have now developed a love for the company, a love that is made of understanding, respect and responsibility, as anyone would naturally have when they are with something long enough. I really like this amazing personal fact!

6. What moments or achievements are you most proud of in all your ten years with ASW?

I am very proud of the System Architecture (SAR) team that I have been a part of since its formation in 2013. With SAR, we have built amazing things that help our client run their software development and production system better, year by year.

7. What important lessons have you learned in your ten years with ASW?

I realised that listening truly, being kind and open to change play an important role in my 10-year journey with ASW. Upgrading yourself, working smart, never stop aiming high are also important. However, without those behaviours, you will hardly develop a strong bond with any organisation.

8. What inspires you in your work and in your life?

When I joined ASW, I was inspired by my Sydney-based colleagues who have been working for many years. As time went by, I learned that inspiration appears everywhere — even if it’s subtle but it’s enough to give me some good energy. This can happen through the practice of mindful thinking. Through deep observation of the things that are happening around me, inspiration can flow in me. I feel inspired when I simply listen to my colleagues talk about work, or even just laugh while they’re having fun. I feel a boost of inspiration whenever I see the satisfaction on people’s faces after a server is upgraded, an application is deployed, or a technical issue is resolved.

In life, I am especially inspired by the stories of amazing people who strive to overcome their circumstances to make life better for themselves or for the wider community.

10. Thanks for your time! Is there any special message or advice you’d like to share with your fellow ASW colleagues?

I would like to quote a saying from venerable Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh: