Just shy of it’s first birthday, KBTG Vietnam has already created a vibrant culture and work environment, a unique mix between Thai and Vietnamese ways. Recently, we had a chat with three local employees at our office in Ho Chi Minh City, some of the first members of team KBTG Vietnam. Curious about their career and what brought us together, we were surprised to learn about their background and journey here so far.
Meet our interviewees!
Sum — Hello, I joined KBTG Vietnam back in August 2022 as a Technical Lead. I am currently focused on mobile application projects such as K PLUS Vietnam or MAKE by KBank.
Duc — I joined KBTG Vietnam only two months ago but before that, I worked at KBTG in Bangkok as an outsource staff for about five years. Here, I am a Technical Lead on projects including payment hub, delivery management, banking-as-a-service, and others.
Qing — I also joined KBTG Vietnam in August in the Finance and Accounting team, with a background from an outsourcing company.
KBTG Vietnam was only launched in 2022, even without an office in the beginning. How did you find out about us, why did you decide to apply here?
Sum — I found out about KBTG Vietnam from LinkedIn and began learning more about the company before applying. This role is different from my previous one because we are more directly involved with the product and that seemed like a great challenge for me.
Duc — I knew about KBTG Vietnam as I was already working at the Headquarters in Bangkok as an outsource, so it was an easy decision for me to apply for a full-time role and move back home as well. The company has a great reputation in Thailand already, so I wanted to bring the same quality to Vietnam, to create great products with high performance and quality that can impact many users.
Qing — I applied to KBTG Vietnam after hearing about the role from another co-worker who was also looking for a new job. With my background as an outsourcing accountant, I was looking for a career change to an internal role and learn more about international finance in a company. As a company from Thailand, I am sure this position will give me experience working between countries, so I decided to apply.
Looking back, do you remember your first day at KBTG Vietnam? What was your first impression of us?
Sum — The first day was very interesting for me, there were only two people in the huge office so I felt like a pioneer in a new place with many opportunities. I was impressed with a very warm welcome from the Bangkok office. It hasn’t been a long journey but it is very happy and memorable.
Duc — On my first day of work, I arrived in an office under renovation so we were working in a small room. But after moving to the main office, I think it is the best one I’ve ever worked in. Having worked with KBTG before I quickly became familiar with the working style, even working with the same colleagues so it was a quick transition for me.
Qing — For my first impression of the office, I was surprised to be welcomed by all the team members and received a gift set. Everyone was friendly and supported me since the onboarding. It was interesting to find a nap room in case of incidents in the office as well.
Coming from two cultures and two languages, are there any barriers or challenges when working in a team? How is working here similar or different from your previous jobs?
Sum — It was my first time working with Thai colleagues, so at first I found it was difficult to communicate and understand. Thai colleagues sometimes speak English with different pronunciation but sometimes it is similar to us in Vietnam. Now I work with many teams easily, for example the MAKE by KBank team is very young and proactive, they are supportive and funny too! I feel that Thai culture is not too different from Vietnam’s.
Duc — Working with KBTG in Thailand and then in Vietnam was a very smooth transition for me.
Qing — This role is also my first time working with Thai people. I think that they are very friendly and supportive, willing to listen to feedback about work and the environment with the same goal. Colleagues in Bangkok always keep us updated, giving clear instructions and tasks. I am happy to work with the team and don’t feel any struggle up until now.
What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
Sum — On the technical side we are expanding and I hope to build a strong team. In addition to projects in Vietnam, I am looking forward to the opportunity to work on Thai projects and contribute to the system for our regional infrastructure.
Duc — For me, I would like to set standardized processes for KBTG Vietnam and develop a common library for knowledge sharing in KBTG and our community. I want to bring up KBTG’s branding and finish some products to launch and hope that they will be used by many people.
Qing — Personally, I hope to expand my career in finance, and increase engagement in our office with more employee activities. I enjoy our team building time outside the office to connect relationships with my colleagues and help us work together easily, exchange knowledge and share plans.
Do you have any advice for candidates who are considering applying to KBTG Vietnam?
Sum — I would like to tell everyone that KBTG Vietnam is a great place to work, with many opportunities to develop ourselves together with the business. There are opportunities to lead in everything, we will grow up fast, and being able to control many things is very awesome, very hard to find in other places
Duc — With an enterprise product, your work will at most reach a few thousand people, but with KBTG products, we are serving millions of users, for example with K PLUS. You can see that your work here is impactful and it makes you think about performance a lot, the team is very ambitious. We also work with expert partners in the banking and technology industry. The environment is not only professional meetings but also sharing knowledge, team building, and many good activities.
Qing — KBTG Vietnam is a good work place with young and innovative minds. Talents can join to improve themselves and expand their careers.
From that, we hope you have a better picture of what KBTG Vietnam is like! If you would like to become part of our team, check our list of open positions right here https://www.kbtg.tech/en/kbtg-vietnam
