Nguyễn Gia Khánh

From a Hospitality Management Degree to a Global Financial Analyst

At 18, I was convinced that Hotel Management was my destined career. The allure of orchestrating flawless experiences for guests in luxurious settings captivated me and led me to the International Hospitality Management program at the British University Vietnam (BUV).

With the support of a scholarship and the enthusiasm of youth, I threw myself into classes and coursework, envisioning a brilliant future in the industry I believed I loved. Yet genuine passion often reveals itself only through real-world challenges.

BUV, with its practice-oriented approach, became the catalyst that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. It forced me to confront my own assumptions in search of true answers. I took part in internships and experienced firsthand the operations of leading hotels in Hanoi. My roles required me to manage the fast pace at the reception desk, coordinate complex logistics, and ensure seamless service under immense pressure.

At first, the hustle energized me. But gradually I realized I was not truly suited to the profession. Like many in my generation, choosing the wrong path was not uncommon, because sometimes we only discover who we are after colliding with reality. What mattered was not the initial misstep, but the courage to pause, to rise, and to turn toward a new direction once I knew it was the path meant for me.

Realizing that hospitality was not my calling was a moment of deep self-awareness. It felt like dismantling a carefully constructed plan. Yet thanks to BUV’s educational philosophy - encouraging students to explore, experience, and grow - I found the courage to abandon that plan and boldly pursue a new, more meaningful goal.

In 2021, when Vietnam’s stock market was booming, I stumbled into the world of finance through an internship at VPS Securities. With record highs, frenetic trading, and stories of quick profits, the energy of the market was unmistakable.

As a customer support intern, I answered investors’ questions, clarified market drivers, and watched financial instruments move in real time. That experience ignited a passion that far outshone the allure of hospitality.

After a year, I knew finance was where my future lay. But by then, I was already in my third year at BUV, tied to a degree in Hospitality Management. Switching majors risked losing my scholarship, and both financial and time constraints made restarting with a finance degree nearly impossible.

So I devised a bold strategy: to compensate for a mismatched degree by self-studying rigorously and building practical experience. That meant pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program, a globally recognized qualification notorious for its difficulty, while also building relevant expertise. The challenge was immense, requiring mastery of complex topics like quantitative analysis, ethics, and portfolio management, all while balancing the demanding coursework at BUV.

Undeterred, I applied for an internship in the research department at DSC Securities to deepen my knowledge of equity evaluation and the wider economy, producing reports that informed investment decisions. My evenings were spent preparing for the CFA Level I exam, juggling academic obligations with volumes of financial material. Friends often questioned my unusual path, but the excitement of decoding the market’s complexities kept pushing me forward.

Graduating from BUV in 2023 marked the end of a year-long research internship at DSC, following a year of customer support at VPS. I had broadened my skills, contributed to in-depth market reports, and sharpened my analytical ability. At the same time, the practice-oriented teaching at BUV had honed my adaptability, preparing me for the demands of the financial world.

Yet my hopes for a full-time role at DSC were cut short when the company froze hiring. The market crash of April 2022, a severe correction, further narrowed opportunities at securities firms and investment funds. Repeated rejections made me question whether a Hospitality Management degree could truly open doors in finance.

This was the most challenging period of my journey. With my parents retired after COVID-19, our family’s finances became unstable, forcing me to rely on credit cards to cover CFA exam fees - a risky decision that added pressure to my career pivot. Mounting financial strain and professional setbacks often pushed me to doubt myself.

But adversity became the catalyst for a personal breakthrough. Through strict financial planning, relentless study, and a refusal to give up, I learned to push past fear.

I was accepted into a research company specializing in industry reports in Vietnam. Although not directly tied to securities, the role sharpened my skills in analysis, trend forecasting, and adaptability. For nearly two years, I worked tirelessly while conquering the CFA Level II exam, proving my resilience against the toughest academic challenges.

By the end of March 2025, after countless applications, I was officially offered an analyst position at an international investment fund, without holding a Finance degree. On August 19, 2025, I sat for the CFA Level III exam, the final hurdle before completing one of the most rigorous professional journeys in finance, and I now await the results.

Looking back, it has been a long road: four years studying hospitality, two transitional years, and the grueling climb through three levels of the CFA. Along the way I endured market shocks, financial strain, and moments of self-doubt, yet each trial brought me closer to the world of professional investing.

I may lose many battles, but as long as there is hope of victory, I will never abandon the war. Every challenge is a skirmish in a larger fight that I am determined to win.

“For me, BUV was more than a degree, it was the place that forged the resilience to navigate an uncertain world. From hotel corridors to trading floors, I came to realize that an ill-fitting choice is not a failure, but a test that pushes us to grow. True strength lies in the resilience to stop, to choose again with strategy and conviction - that is the journey of a lionhearted spirit.”