On his first day at Viteccons, Nguyen Van Anh — now Deputy Site Manager of the Academic Block Project at Van Hien University — started out working on shop drawings under the guidance of experienced engineers. He then moved into site engineering, followed by equipment supervision, before making a move he had asked for himself: a transfer to QS. He has worked in almost every role on a construction site. And if he could meet himself on the day he graduated, what would he say?
On my first day at Viteccons, I was assigned to work on shop drawings for the project. Mr. Tuan Truong was the one who guided me and showed me how to do the work.
What stayed with me most about joining Viteccons wasn't the work itself — it was the way my colleagues helped me settle in and get used to a new environment.
In those first months, what worried me most was not getting the drawings approved in time for construction. Time always felt tight — if you fell one step behind, the site would feel it.
Looking back now, I realise that early pressure isn't always as frightening as it seems. What matters is knowing how to organise the work and seeing it through.
Architectural and structural drawings not matching is fairly common.
When I found a discrepancy, I'd raise an RFI to clarify it with the relevant parties, and only update the shop drawing once everyone had agreed on the solution.
Checking drawings isn't simply about redrawing them. You have to understand the design intent and anticipate what could go wrong once the drawing reaches the site.
There was a time when I had nearly finished a drawing but forgot to hit save. The power went out at that exact moment, the computer went dark, and everything was gone.
I was annoyed with myself. But because of that experience, I've kept one habit ever since: save as you go.
I eventually left the drawing board for the site.
And this is probably where I feel I fit better — working alongside the crew, with the real work right in front of me.
The well-filling works at Phu Tai were the hardest stretch for me. We were nearly done, with only one or two wells left, when water suddenly came up with such force that it was almost like a waterfall. It rose to waist height, and the work still had to continue.
It's moments like that which show you how much pressure you can handle — and where your limits are.
There was one night at the Sailun project when light rain was falling. Just before the slab-pour inspection, we found that the column starter bars were too short.
Site Manager - Mr. Hung, Deputy Site Manager - Mr. Tiep and everyone on site agreed that the pour had to be completed that night.
We carried the bars to each column location ourselves so that the crew could get straight to work.
What I remember most isn't that we did something remarkable — it's the feeling of a whole team working through a problem together and seeing it through to the end.
After that, I asked to move into QS myself. I wanted to understand how a project is managed and how its costs are controlled.
When I came back to the site, I saw things differently.
I paid far more attention to controlling waste, limiting internal variations, and especially identifying work items whose costs could not be recovered from the client.
A site engineer doesn't only need to build according to specifications. They also need to understand how each decision and each action can affect the performance of the whole project.
Shop drawings, site engineering, equipment supervision, QS — my career path has been a little more varied than most.
But having worked in different roles, I have come to understand a building from several perspectives.
Some lessons can't be learned in advance. You only truly understand them once you've experienced them yourself.
When I was new, I was afraid people would think I didn't know my job, so there were plenty of times when I didn't dare to ask questions.
I only realised later that not knowing and not asking is the dangerous part.
Now, when I guide younger engineers, I tell them: don't shy away from hard work, and ask whenever something isn't clear.
If I met myself on the day I graduated, I'd tell him: don't be afraid that you're not good enough yet, and don't be so afraid of making mistakes that you never start.
Just do the work, keep learning, and take responsibility for what you do.
Right now I'm Deputy Site Manager on the Academic Block Project at Van Hien University, working with the team here. This photo was taken on the day the building topped out.
There's still plenty I don't know. But here, when you don't know something, someone shows you — the way I was shown on my first day.
And perhaps that's what makes a career journey meaningful: not having all the answers from the beginning, but continuing to learn, take on new challenges, and grow with the people around you.
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