From An Nguyen’s LinkedIn profile: “I am an optimistic and ambitious professional bartender with a high level work-ethic and a passion for elevating cocktails culture in Finland”
In person An Nguyen – currently working as a bartender at Clarion Hotel, Helsinki – goes on by saying that “my career goal is a position that will allow me to develop my skills and further enhance my experience in the food & beverage field , and this is something I discovered while studying.”
Moving from Vietnam in 2011, An was first studying business and economics at HAMK in Valkeakoski, central Finland. “I didn’t really have a specific career in mind at the time, but then I switched to Hospitality studies at Haaga-Helia and everything just fell into place.”
An graduated from Haaga-Helia’s Hotel, restaurant and tourism management program in 2017. Ever since, An Nguyen has really climbed the corporate ladder by proceeding from one position to another, from shift leader to service manager, and also succeeded in bartender competitions and worked alongside such big names as for example award-winning chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur Tomi Björk.
“I’d say study-wise, Haaga-Helia is the best name in the industry. Most of the midrange managers, restaurant managers etc. you meet here in Finland, have a degree from there.”
The class of 2013
From An Nguyen’s Haaga-Helia class, about 9 students specialized in restaurant management. They still keep in contact and recently had their 10-year anniversary. Surrounded by mostly native Finnish fellow students at the time, An considered it was an excellent way to get absorbed by Finnish culture and atmosphere.
”Most of us stayed in the field of food & beverages, some of us own bars and so on. I think that’s a pretty good quality indicator of the education at Haaga-Helia.”
During studies, the class of 2013 got to for example redesign the menu for Faro restaurant in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. They were also involved in improving the Rax Pizzeria chain’s image and assortment.
“I love the hands-on-learning-by-doing ethos at Haaga-Helia”, says An Nguyen. “Plus most of the teachers are involved in restaurant business themselves, so they really speak from experience.”
Internship periods, on their part, amounted to a brilliant career path for An Nguyen. One of them internships led to a 9-year long employment relationship. Furthermore, An reasons it is much more effective to have your first internship just after a few months of studying and then come back to school to learn more, “…rather than having studied for 3 years and only then start applying your knowhow to the real work environment.”
What would you like to say to new Haaga-Helia students?
“Utilize the network, there’s always someone who knows someone. I don’t want to downplay the traditional ways of job hunting, but having your contacts and an open attitude, it can be much faster and more efficient to find your perfect job that way.
Also, learn languages. Take on some extra courses, practice with your fellow students. You don’t need to make silly grammar mistakes with your customers – been there done that – when you can learn by doing them with your co-students beforehand.”
Main photo: Mika Levälampi
