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Why students seek part-time jobs

Many students in Vietnam – including at universities and colleges in cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang – take on part-time jobs to help cover living costs, tuition, books or other expenses.
There are several motivations:
  • The desire for independence and to reduce financial burden on family.
  • To gain work experience and build a CV alongside study.
  • To have flexible working hours that can accommodate classes.
  • To meet peer expectation: many classmates also work, making it feel normal.
Working part-time can yield many benefits: earning money, gaining responsibility, learning time-management, building contacts, improving communication skills. But students must also be aware of the risks – especially when job offers appear too good to be true, or are outside the usual, regulated channels.
What the risks look like
Local part-time work
Even jobs that seem safe locally can carry risks. For example:
  • A female student was reported missing when working a part-time job; eventually she was found detained while working. vietnam.vn
  • Schools are warning students about unscrupulous “recruiters” who demand deposits, ask for up-front payment (for uniform, training, etc.), or lure students into illegal or exploitative labour. vietnam.vn+1
  • Students may be pressured into irregular hours, unfair conditions, or roles that interfere with study.
Overseas or irregular jobs
Some of the greater risks relate to job offers abroad (including in Cambodia) or via online arrangements. Key red-flags include:
  • Job postings promising high pay for little work, no qualifications required, no clear contract or employer details. Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus)+1
  • Recruitment via social media, Telegram, WhatsApp rather than via recognised agencies or formal job boards.
    “If you interview and accept a high paying job through WhatsApp or Telegram … there’s a high chance you’ll get kidnapped.”
    Reddit+1
  • Employers that ask you to pay up-front (for training, uniform, travel, etc.).
  • Employers or recruiters who are vague about location, or who urge you to travel quickly or in isolation.
  • Situations where once you arrive you find your documents confiscated, you cannot leave, you are forced to do work you didn’t agree to (for example scam calls, fraudulent online work) or your freedom is restricted. Tuoi tre news
  • New forms of “online kidnapping” or extortion where victims are manipulated via phone or internet, threatened with being transported abroad (often allegedly to Cambodia) unless ransom is paid. baonghean.vn+2baonghean.vn+2
Kidnapping/trafficking risks
Although many stories sound dramatic, there are verified cases of Vietnamese nationals being lured abroad under false pretences and suffering detention, torture or forced labour. For example:
  • In 2024 a gang was charged for smuggling Vietnamese people to Cambodia, kidnapping them, torturing them, and demanding ransom. VnExpress Quốc Tế
  • The Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned citizens to avoid job offers abroad that are too good to be true, after 140 Vietnamese were temporarily detained in Cambodia on suspicion of involvement in online scam operations (July 2025). Vietnam+ (VietnamPlus)
  • A case in which a student was threatened via cyberspace, told they would be sent to Cambodia unless ransom paid, is documented. baonghean.vn
Thus, students accepting jobs, especially overseas, must treat the possibility of human trafficking, kidnapping or forced labour as real—not just remote exaggerations.
Students working part-time in Vietnam: what to do
Here are some practical steps and tips for students in Vietnam who plan to work part-time, so that they balance the benefits with safety.
Before you accept a job
  • Check the employer: Look for a registered company, clear contact address, website, reliable references.
  • Get things in writing: A contract or at least written terms covering salary, working hours, job description, leave/time off.
  • Avoid paying upfront for “training”, “uniform”, “placement fee” unless you have trusted confirmation.
  • Balance with study: Ensure the job does not interfere with classes, study time, rest. As one school official warned: “Some people take advantage of recruitment to commit fraud… students can be lured into disguised multi-level activities, gambling, illegal credit, or even lured far away or kidnapped for bad purposes.” vietnam.vn
  • Tell someone: Family or friends should know where you are working, your schedule, who your employer is.
  • Trust your instincts: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. From a Reddit post: > “If something sounds too good to be true it is a scam.” Reddit
While you are working
  • Keep your documents safe: Passport, ID, bank cards should remain with you, not confiscated by employer.
  • Stay in contact: Let family/friends know your schedule and check in regularly.
  • Pay attention to red flags: E.g., being asked to work long hours under threat, not allowed to leave, being moved somewhere else, being asked to recruit others, being asked to perform tasks that seem unethical or illegal.
  • Don’t borrow or pay under pressure: If you are asked to pay money, or work without pay, or invest in something, that’s a major warning sign.
  • Avoid suspicious offers: Especially those involving travel abroad, large salary for simple tasks, vague job description, or agents requiring payment.
Special caution: Cambodia-linked risks
For students in Vietnam especially, there are specific warnings about Cambodia-linked trafficking and scam operations:
  • Vietnamese citizens have been tricked into going to Cambodia under false job offers, then forced into illegal work or held for ransom. VOV English+2Tuoi tre news+2
  • Some students in Vietnam have been targeted via online “kidnapping” scams where the threat is being taken to Cambodia unless ransom is paid. baonghean.vn+1
  • The “easy job abroad” narrative is frequently used by criminal networks. For instance: > “Job offer ads that promise well-paying work in Cambodia … victims are forced into online gambling, virtual money trading, other illegal tasks … Often their passports and possessions are taken.” Tuoi tre news
  • Even if you don’t intend to go abroad, you must be wary of agencies or employers in Vietnam that may funnel students into such operations.
What students should recognise
  • Any job requiring travel abroad, especially to a country where your language skills are weak or legal protections uncertain, requires extra caution.
  • Recruitment by a “friend” or “agent” who says “You’ll make easy money, we’ll arrange everything” – be wary.
  • Pressure tactics: “You must go now”, “You’ll lose this chance”, “Don’t tell your parents”, “No contract needed” – these are major red flags.
  • Unclear working conditions: If you won’t know precisely where you’ll work, with whom, and what you’ll do, stop and check.
  • Isolation from family/friends: If you’re asked to sever ties, or you find your communication is restricted, that is very dangerous.
What families and schools can do
  • Educate students about these risks: Schools, student‐affairs offices should hold sessions about recruitment scams, online phishing, kidnapping threats. For example, in Nghe An province the Cyber Security & High-Tech Crime Prevention Department held a conference warning students about “online kidnapping” methods. baonghean.vn
  • Encourage open communication: Students should feel they can talk to parents or student services if they feel unsure about a job offer.
  • Share verified resources: Government consular hotlines, labour agencies, local police. Students should know how to contact them.
  • Promote safe recruitment: Work with legitimate employers, student-centred job centres, verified part-time job boards.
Conclusion
Part-time work can be a healthy and productive part of student life in Vietnam – teaching responsibility, giving financial support, and adding to your resume. However, the risks are real – especially when job offers are overseas, informal, promise unrealistic pay, or isolate you from support networks. Among the more serious threats are recruitment into trafficking, kidnapping or forced work, with some cases involving being taken to or through Cambodia under false pretences.
For every student: treat each job offer with due diligence. For families and schools: keep the conversation open and educate about scams and trafficking. Better safe than sorry.
If you like, I can pull together a checklist for students in Vietnam (and overseas) of “safe vs risky job offer indicators”. Would you like that?
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