Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen – a specialist in charge of selling in-flight display ads. (Cre: Thanh Huyen).

From reading in-flight magazines to working for Heritage

Seeing herself as a strong and free-spirited person, Huyen has hobbies such as traveling, mountain trekking and watching a variety of sports (basketball, football, tennis, etc.), and like to spend alone-time on photography, movies, music, and comic books. She majored in Communications in college and got some exposure to renowned publications through her assignments; however, the impression left on her from in-flight magazines that cannot be brought home nor bought at kiosks or online has remained since she first flew with Vietnam Airlines in 2008.

“My chance came in 2017 while working at a private company, I came across some info that Heritage Magazine was recruiting collaborators, so I sent my CV right away. Honestly, when I was hired, I did not expect to commit myself to the job for this long and even become an official member of the ‘Garden of Extraordinary Flowers’ that is Heritage.”Huyen is currently in charge of managing the sales of in-flight display ads and acting as the main contact point in the production of the Take-off, Landing and Safety instruction videos.

With colleagues at the 25th anniversary of Heritage Magazine (Cre: Thanh Huyen).

“At first, I was a bit unfamiliar with the technical procedures and specifics of the aviation field, but I had a mentor who was my coworker and had a love for numbers and a knack for procedures (that colleague would like to remain anonymous). So – with my immediate manager who was always teaching me and the ‘heritage’ passed down by my coworker – by the second year of being the main person in charge, I have become much more confident.”

Huyen also shares that she has now become completely obsessed with the production of new and creative video footage. It bears [TDW1] the distinct impression of VNA, which is a premise for further developing video productions that can sell ads and improve sales for the Group.

There are all sorts of difficulties in her job, but the young woman always knows how to find and tap the motivation to push herself forward. According to Huyen, she is fortunate to have her mom beside her all the time. Huyen’s mother is great at “pushing and pulling” to listen to and analyze stories that she sometimes knows nothing about – as well as firmly asking Huyen to remain calm, focused, or thinking creatively to find the best solution. Huyen also expresses her words of appreciation towards her colleagues, “Of course I would not be able to do or complete everything on my own. There are always my coworkers who join hands to support me.”

On her journey with family and colleagues. (Cre: Thanh Huyen)

Special memories and celebrating her birthday overseas…twice

Huyen’s time spent working at Heritage magazine is full of special memories and unforgettable impressions. She shared some of the most memorable moments:

“I have carefully chosen some memories, but the most memorable thing of all is probably the fact that the name that sticks to me is not Huyen but Thieu (and consequently variations such as Thiu, Theu, Theo, etc.). Due to regularly getting my haircut, on my first day of work, after thoughtfully looking for a while, the coworker sitting next to me came to the decision that I looked like a singer with the surname Thieu. Since then, everyone (including the management of the magazine) sometimes forgets that the girl at the magazine with short curly colorful hair who likes wearing blouses with trousers, has the feminine name of Huyen.”

The cake celebrating Huyen’s 25th birthday in Osaka. (Cre: Thanh Huyen).

Moreover, another special perk of working for Heritage Magazine is that during her three years of working here, she spent two of her birthdays abroad with her coworkers. With the support and care from the Group and the management of the Magazine, each year, the Magazine organizes a trip for staff members to relax, re-energize for work, and create a stronger bond. Huyen has had two wonderful birthdays in Busan and Osaka with some fun surprises. Her coworkers even prepared a birthday cake for her, which almost moved her to tears of joy.

“As I gain more knowledge in work and learn more about VNA – which has spent 25 years of ceaseless effort to “Reach further” – there has never been a moment I wasn’t proud to be a girl of the aviation industry!”

She has spent three Tet holidays with Heritage Magazine (Cre: Thanh Huyen).

Words for the present and plans for the future

Talking about measures of response as the Covid-19 outbreak undergoes complex developments, Huyen said that right after Tet holiday –  when the facts were still blurry – all staff members of the Magazine were given medical face masks as new year presents to protect themselves and the people around them. The disinfection and distribution of dry handwashing liquid were also implemented in each department. People also bought more face masks for personal and family use. For Huyen, Heritage Magazine is comparable to a quick response team.

In addition, Huyen makes sure to set plans for herself and goals for the future. As of now, she wants to improve in the work she is doing, as work-related plans depend much on the development objectives of the unit she is working for.

“As for life plans, maybe I will travel more and farther; experience life a bit more before making my next plans. As for life purposes, I have always believed in being happy, comfortable, and free without being bothersome to my beloved ones.”

“To my colleagues at Heritage Magazine. The hardships are specific to each industry, but we need to share a common mindset in action. I wish that everyone would be healthy and steadfast in protecting themselves, their families, and colleagues, as well as be creative in finding solutions to alleviate the situation!”

Always behind Heritage Magazine in VNA’ journey of development. (Cre: Thanh Huyen).

Nguyen Xuan Nghia – COMM