O Sen Ngoc Mai: Many opportunities from early career counseling and guidance

Ngoc Mai sings to gain teaching experience - Photo: NVCC

Ngoc Mai said she was very happy to come to the 2024 Admissions and Career Counseling Day and also wanted to sincerely share about choosing a major and career for young people, especially those who choose their passion for singing.

Even though I sing just to gain more teaching experience, I feel happy and am not afraid of big or small stages. Wherever there is an audience and applause, there is the happiness of an artist.

O Lotus and Jade Mai

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* After "The Masked Singer", Ngoc Mai is "in demand". So what made you accept to sing at the Tuoi Tre Newspaper's Admissions and Career Counseling Day?

- Mai has known about Tuoi Tre Newspaper's Admissions and Career Counseling Day for a long time. This is a meaningful program that helps students have an overall view and choose the major that best suits their passion and ability.

So when the opportunity arose, Mai accepted immediately. Because Mai was also someone who had a career orientation from a very early age. When we understand and know clearly what our qualities, passions, and abilities are, we will be able to choose the most suitable career for ourselves.

* So did Mai get career counseling and guidance before?

- After finishing secondary school, Mai decided to pursue music to become a vocal instructor or a kindergarten teacher. Mai received advice from seniors and experts to help her realize her true potential.

Mai feels that meeting, talking, and consulting with experienced people will help her have a better chance of choosing a future path. The sooner we decide, the better, because we have more time to cultivate and learn about the career we love.

Nhu Mai, passionate about music since childhood, by grade 9 she was passionate about teaching vocal music or being a preschool teacher. Respecting her opinion and wanting her to try, her parents signed her up for music classes.

Mai was valedictorian and studied intermediate professional vocal music in 2006 at the Hue Academy of Music. After that, Mai went to Ho Chi Minh City to study vocal music at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, then went to graduate school.

* Did Mai's parents help choose a career and support her choice?

- Even if students are passionate about a certain career based on their talent and calling, they still need careful advice because at this age they are often not mature enough. Making a decision without advice is not necessarily a good thing.

However, the final decision and responsibility still lies with you, so you have to consider carefully. According to Mai, early career guidance helps students have a cushion, a more solid foundation, and more opportunities.

Happiness is helping many people

Theo em ve nha and Canh sen co doc are two songs that left many impressions in 2023 by Ngoc Mai when collaborating with a young crew - Photo: NVCC

* According to Mai, what conditions are needed to pursue music?

- Every Vietnamese person has a passion for music. But many people told Mai that their throats had been "closed" for more than 20 years, and only when they met Mai did they dare to sing.

Shows that you have the ability but are hurt by some criticism and are afraid of your own singing voice even though you are very passionate. So, besides passion and talent, learners need to understand their purpose. Learn to sing to add color to life or learn to sing to follow a professional path?

* Mai is quite active in community activities. What motivates Mai to do so?

- After winning the first season of "Masked Singer", Mai donated all her prize money to the Sunflower Center, founded by guitarist Nguyen The Vinh, to help educate orphaned and disabled students.

Mai contributes to the "Weaving Dreams Together" scholarship fund from tuition fees to open inspirational and specialized music classes. Mai's students pay their tuition fees by transferring directly to the scholarship fund. The "Weaving Dreams Together" fund supports students who are children of cancer patients.

In addition, students who join the Yen Ca community - founded by Mai, when performing will contribute a small fee to do charity work. Members of the Yen Ca community as well as Mai always feel happy, life is more meaningful when their passion helps those in difficult lives.

Ngoc Mai always wants to contribute to the community - Photo: NVCC

* Looking back on the past, is Mai satisfied with her decision?

- Mai loves being a teacher (her mother is a teacher) and singing, now Mai can do both. Becoming a music teacher is the biggest goal in Mai's life. Singing is to inspire teaching, and at the same time, to use real life examples to make the lesson plans more vivid.

Music has been in Mai's heart since she was little, but she studied music to teach or become a preschool teacher, not to become a singer. Mai becoming a singer was fate.

Singing helps Mai gain more experience and guide her students on stage techniques, situation handling skills, and song processing skills in addition to singing techniques. Singers need many factors to be successful on stage, not to mention many collaborators such as composers, arrangers, arrangers...

Life has many opportunities for everyone, the important thing is what you choose, what path you take to feel happy. Mai's biggest wish in life is to be a vocal teacher and that will not change.

Free Open Day

Students learn information at the schools' consulting booths within the framework of the 2023 Admissions and Career Counseling Fair in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

The 2024 Admissions and Career Counseling Fair will take place on March 3 at the University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University), attracting the largest number of educational institutions participating in recent years.

The festival was organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education and Training), the General Department of Vocational Education (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs), with the support of VinGroup Corporation.

At the festival, experts from the Department of Higher Education, the Department of Schools (Ministry of National Defense) and teachers with many years of experience in admissions at major universities will directly provide the latest information on regulations and admission timelines in 2024, as well as send candidates important tips when taking the high school graduation exam and university and college admissions.

In particular, 2024 is the last year that the high school graduation exam will take place according to the old general education program. From 2025, the exam will have many adjustments according to the 2018 General Education Program and university admissions are also expected to have some changes.

Therefore, many parents and students are wondering what will happen if they are not admitted to their desired university this year, what are the chances of retaking the high school graduation exam next year, and what are the differences in admission regulations between 2024 and 2025...

All these questions will be explained and thoroughly advised by experts and teachers to parents and students.

Next to the main stage area will be the excitement from the consulting booths of many educational institutions. The 2024 Admissions and Career Counseling Fair recorded a record number of consulting booths in recent years: more than 200 booths from about 100 famous educational institutions at home and abroad.

Right after the Admissions and Career Counseling Day in Ho Chi Minh City, there will be two more festivals in Can Tho and Hanoi. Specifically, in Can Tho, the festival will be held on the morning of Sunday, March 10, at Can Tho University. In Hanoi, the festival will take place on the morning of Sunday, March 17, at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

All festivals are free and open to the public. Parents and students are invited to attend.

YOUTH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/o-sen-ngoc-mai-nhieu-co-hoi-tu-tu-van-huong-nghiep-som-2024022908411569.htm