Marco Velazquez, a young man from Mexico, is one of the many international staff at NTQ Solution. During his three years with NTQ, he took on various roles and left a lasting impression on his colleagues with his positive energy and enthusiasm. He also founded the English Communication Club, contributing to making the English learning movement at NTQ more vibrant than ever. Although he left NTQ more than a year ago to return to his home country, when NTQ Rubik reached out for an interview, Marco was still as enthusiastic as when he worked at NTQ. What interesting insights will this Mexican guy bring to this conversation? Let's find out in the interview below!
Separated by half the Earth and a 13-hour time difference, it was not easy for the editorial board and Marco to schedule a meeting. Finally, after several exchanges, we managed to have a meeting at 8 p.m. (Mexico time) via Google Meet on one of Marco's busy working days. However, when we met, he still wore a bright, energetic smile. He mentioned that despite the busyness, his time at NTQ was fantastic, and he wanted to take the time to share it with everyone.
What brought you to NTQ Solution?
It was when I decided to come to Vietnam four years ago. Honestly, before coming to Vietnam, I didn't know much about this beautiful country. Just a few weeks before coming here, I started researching some information online. The more I learned, the more I realized that Vietnam is very similar to my homeland. The similarity between the two countries is the reason I chose to come to Vietnam.
At first, I was unsure about my future plans. I was torn between staying here for the long term or just for a short period. After careful consideration, I decided to find a job in Vietnam. Then, I saw NTQ's recruitment information on a website and sent my CV to apply for a Business Analyst position. That's how my journey at NTQ began in August 2019.
During working at NTQ, did you face any challenges? How did you overcome them?
What worried me the most when I first came to Vietnam was the language barrier because I couldn't speak or understand Vietnamese, even though I tried to learn it in various ways. My colleagues at NTQ could speak English, but it wasn't their first language, so sometimes we had misunderstandings in communication, especially when I switched to becoming an English teacher in the Learning and Development (LnD) department. Fortunately, I had a colleague in LnD who always accompanied me, and that person was Truc. She was my teaching assistant and translator, helping me translate everything to communicate with others. I truly appreciate the patience of everyone on the team in exchanging ideas with me to understand each other better.
In the early days when I had no friends, after a few weeks, I made many friends, and every day at NTQ was filled with joy. I met many good people, made real friends, and until now, I still keep in touch with them. They are super friendly, enthusiastic, and very kind to me. They brought me gifts like cookies, coffee, or tea, or invited me to lunch or eat pho with them. Even on my birthday, some colleagues in OS8 invited me to have a beer. In my many years working at NTQ, people have always been very friendly and warm to me. Although I miss home in Vietnam, thanks to the thoughtfulness and warm welcome of everyone, I feel very happy and warm. That's why I stayed at NTQ for so long.
It is known that when you joined NTQ, you took on the role of Business Analyst and later became an English teacher in the LnD department. Can you share more about this story?
Actually, this decision was not made by me but by my manager. When I was working as a Business Analyst in OS8, my manager thought that I would be more suitable for the LnD department and offered me a position to build an English training program. Being someone who likes to challenge myself, I accepted the offer right away. I truly felt happy with this decision and considered myself fortunate that the company trusted me to experience new things, helping me unleash my hidden potential.
In the LnD department, my colleagues and I established an English club. We opened classes at different levels, including classes for beginners, intermediate classes, and advanced classes for various groups of learners. We had many members join the club. For me, both OS8 and LnD have their good aspects. I also learned a lot from them during the work process.
What makes you happiest in your journey with NTQ Solution?
What truly makes me happy is when people come to meet me or send me a message on Skype like, "Marco, thank you so much for teaching me. Your classes are always fun, and we have a truly wonderful time. We learn a lot from you." Or "I have too much work, and I'm sorry I can't attend class. I really want to join your class." I never thought I was doing my job well. I truly appreciate that I helped some people become better, similar to realizing that you can have a certain impact on some people. And when I hear them express their gratitude like that, I am truly happy.
Also, it is thanks to my colleagues at NTQ that I feel like I belong to this place, to a community. You know, it's the people from other countries who make me feel like I'm one of them; I don't feel different. The time I worked at NTQ coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, a challenging period when many people were unemployed. But the company also helped me get the first vaccine shot, and the company helped me a lot. I am truly proud to be part of NTQ.
Thank you for this interesting conversation!
In August 2022, Marco left NTQ to return to Mexico as part of his personal plan. Currently, he is working for a company manufacturing electronic components for the automotive industry. Marco said he really misses the working style and Vietnamese coffee, saying, "I really miss Vietnamese iced coffee. In Mexico, we also have coffee, but it's very different. I miss those coffee chat sessions with friends. I miss everything. *Laughs* Please send me some Vietnamese coffee." He affirms that he will still come back to Vietnam if possible because, for him, the rich culture, warm reception, friendliness of the Vietnamese people, and especially the beautiful memories during his time at NTQ have captured his heart and made him want to be connected longer.
"I never thought I would move to Vietnam to work. I never thought I would become an English teacher. And I never thought I would work for an IT company. NTQ is a significant milestone in my career. I am very happy and proud of everything I did there. And I hope one day I can come back to Vietnam, stay there for a while longer because I had a truly enjoyable and meaningful time working at NTQ." Marco adds.
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* This article is part of the series: "NTQ Rubik - series about NTQ people across the globe."
As a Global IT Service Provider, NTQ Solution aims to create a working environment that brings together diverse technological talents with a shared passion, ambition, and unity to innovate and propagate numerous values. At NTQ Solution, we empower our employees to "shine" by providing them with a diverse, free, and flexible space to hone their skills and conquer the global market.
