At some point in our career, there will likely be a “leap”, a moment when you step out of your comfort zone, whether by choice, chance, or necessity. It could be a deliberate decision, a sudden opportunity, or even a disruption that forces you to move. No matter the reason, these leaps often mark the times when we grow the most – learning about ourselves, our work, and how to navigate an ever-shifting world.
The four stories below are about very different kinds of leaps, but they all led to something deeper: becoming a stronger version of oneself.
No experience is ever wasted
Hoàng Bội, International Editor @ Vietcetera
I’ve never been particularly good at steering, in life or otherwise. Yet somehow, I often find myself slipping through tight corners, stumbling into opportunities that once felt far out of reach.
In high school, I joined a science research contest with a team, fully aware that we weren’t likely to win. But against all odds, our team made it to the national top 15. That one unexpected result turned into a crucial highlight in my college application, and helped secure me a scholarship to study in Minnesota, the so-called refrigerator of America.
My first job came just as serendipitously. During my first semester, I volunteered at a charity drive that barely any students attended. While sorting through piles of donated winter clothes, I reflected on the brutal cold in Minnesota and how harsh living alone abroad was, so I blurted out “Such meaningful work!”
The woman who founded that charity overheard me and struck up a conversation. That led to a chain of introductions, and eventually, I co-founded the university’s international student association. It started small, just a few of us running casual events. But over time, it caught the school board’s attention and even received funding.
That experience helped me land another scholarship, and later, my first job in the U.S. – which, as an international student, wasn’t easy to come by.
Sometimes I feel like someone “up there” is looking out for me. But I also think it’s because I’ve kept being curious. I don’t shy away from trying things, even when they seem random or trivial. I showed up to an event even if no one else did. I said yes to forming a student community even when I had no clear plan. I believe that no experience is meaningless. If I stay aware and willing to learn, eventually all those small puzzle pieces start fitting together. One day, I look back and realize: I’ve already made the leap.
Dare to take the risk once - it's tough but totally worth it!
Nguyễn Phương Cương, Sales Management Trainee @ Nestlé Vietnam
If you had asked me two years ago what I thought a sales job looked like, I would’ve pictured someone in crisp office attire, moving from one air-conditioned meeting room to another.
I never imagined I’d be out on the streets all day meeting distributors. Once, I got caught in a sudden downpour and was soaked to the bone. Just as I was feeling tired and freezing, a shop owner smiled and said, “You came at the perfect time, thank you!” That one moment gave me a mental boost. I thought to myself: This is something no textbook can teach! If I had only worked on dry data in an office, I’d never have developed the grit or the empathy needed to understand different perspectives – a core skill of a sales person.
Before this path, I tried out several other jobs. I was full of passion and ideals, but like many young people, I was unsure where I was headed. Then I came across the Nesternship program at Nestlé. It promised a clear career track, so I took a chance and applied.
That leap paid off. I got in, and not only did I get to intern at a leading FMCG company, I also gained a whole new perspective on how the industry works. I learned that every pricing decision, every shelf display, every promotion needs to be grounded in a deep understanding of both buyers and sellers.
Looking back, I’m grateful I took that risk. The future will always be uncertain. But now, I feel more grounded knowing I have the right support system and the right challenges to keep growing.
Alone in Europe, trained under pressure to accelerate growth
Trần Huỳnh Minh Nhân, Senior Brand Manager @ Nestlé Vietnam
I started out as an English major and never imagined I’d stay in Marketing for this long. My first job was a Marketing Assistant, mostly doing odd tasks like printing documents, scheduling meetings, and writing social posts for the fanpage. But in early 2016, I decided to take a leap and apply for the Nestlé Management Trainee program. I'd graduated a year earlier, and this was my last chance to be eligible. It felt like a “now or never” moment, and I listened to that inner voice urging me to go for it.
What followed was a long and winding journey. At one point, I was working with a distributor in Gia Lai, traveling dozens of kilometers a day (sometimes up to 60-70 km) to visit local shop owners, selling products while also learning how the market worked. Later, I moved back to Saigon to join the Trade Marketing team and took on a role developing the Confectionery category.
There were times I seriously thought about quitting. The constant change and pressure almost got the best of me. But after three years, a breakthrough came: I was selected for an 8-month assignment at Nestlé’s global headquarters in Switzerland.
I’ve always been open to trying new things, but this was the first time I had to completely “reset”. Living alone on a different continent, adapting to a multicultural team from 11 countries, working directly with senior leaders, and carrying the unspoken responsibility of representing Vietnam — it was a lot.
Those 8 months felt like a marathon, packed with learning that would have taken years elsewhere. The company offered almost limitless resources, which both enabled and expected me to keep learning. Each project brought new challenges, so I had to sharpen old skills, quickly pick up new ones, seek guidance from experts and teammates, and constantly broaden my thinking.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was recognizing the value of transferable skills, those I could carry and apply in any environment, and identifying the new skills I needed to invest in more seriously. But above all, what mattered most was maintaining an open, flexible, and positive mindset. You need to be ready to reinvent yourself at any moment. Because only when you dare to try, and embrace the challenges, can you discover how high you can leap, and how far you can go.
Using fear as a compass
Ngọc Bích, Content Lead @ Onboardy
As a kid, I always felt myself like a battery, quiet on the outside, buzzing with energy inside. I loved words but struggled to express emotions. I was curious about the world but often retreated from it.
By my final year of university, I was working in tech for a while with stable pay and good prospects. But the longer I stayed, the more I sensed that something essential was missing behind all the numbers and technical language.
Then came a tough post-grad phase that left me emotionally numb, I decided to quit, no backup plan, no direction. I just knew I had to jump.
In that sudden stillness, I began to seriously consider Communications, a field that would force me to confront the very thing I feared most: emotions. And yet, that was precisely what drew me in. It offered a way to bridge the inner and outer worlds. I spent a year doing related work to test the waters, while reading, writing, building a portfolio, and applying to a company that felt like the best fit.
I got in. The early months were hard, but for the first time, I felt aligned, work and inner life connected. Nearly five years on, I now find myself doing things I never imagined: writing, often meeting and speaking with new people.
Carl Jung once said: Where your fear is, there is your task. The quiet girl from back then jumped right into the thing she feared most. And I’ve learned that: fear doesn’t vanish before you leap, sometimes it’s the leap itself that helps you untangle it.
Fear and purpose don’t cancel each other out. They can pull you forward.
No leap looks the same, but they all start the same way: With courage.
The courage to try something new. The belief that you’re worthy of the best shot. The willingness to go further in order to understand yourself more deeply.
And most of all, the trust that doors do open, if you’re courageous enough to knock.
If you're standing at the edge of a leap that could change your path, consider taking it. Nesternship: NesUP 2025 might just be the launchpad you need to discover the more capable, more complete version of yourself.
Submit your application by August 8!
Nesternship: NesUP 2025 is a youth-empowering, skill-building initiative by Nestlé Needs YOUth and Onboardy with Vietcetera and VietnamWorks as Program Partners.
The program aims to equip Vietnamese young talents with hands-on skills and real-world insights into the FMCG industry - while building their confidence to navigate today’s ever-evolving professional landscape.
The Program Process:
July 4th - August 8th: Application & Online Assessment
August 28th - August 29th: NesUP Hackathon
September 16th: Onboarding
For more details and to apply to the program, visit the website or contact us at events.rsvp@vietcetera.com.