Variety Is the Spice of Life

— Justin Gao Sin Wei,  Head of Marketing & Sales Department, CTCI Vietnam 

Could you briefly tell us about yourself?

My name is Justin Gao. I grew up in New Taipei City. I am the new General Manager of Marketing & Sales Department at CTCI Vietnam. My job is to work with all CTCI Vietnam employees to develop domestic business, especially to approach potential project opportunities. 

I worked five years as design engineer, two years as field engineer/ commission engineer, and three years as marketing & sales. Therefore, I know how to negotiate with engineers and subcontractors to improve difficult project status and engage with partners to approach new developer.  

Apparently, I must understand CTCI Corporation's strategy and direction in market expansion. What I can offer are basic technical knowledge and strong application ability.

What made you join CTCI?

CTCI Corporation is my first job after I left school. In the beginning, I had my own life plans. However, my senior said, "why not join us and make more friends". As it turned out, I made friends at CTCI for over ten years.

I did not take too long to decide to join CTCI, since I know that CTCI is one of the leading companies in the field in Taiwan. CTCI offers many possibilities for young people, including the opportunity to work abroad. Also, since I care about maintaining work-life balance and wish to have more time to spend with my family, so I chose to work at CTCI.

Could you give us some examples of the foreign culture and people that impress you during your stay (when being relocated)?

The traditions of Vietnam date back thousands of years and are filled with respect for the land, sea, and people. This is something that business people find troubling all the time, as they come to Vietnam with their own ideas about how things should operate. The business culture here isn’t that simple, though. It’s based on trust and reputation; legal documents are fine, but until your new partners get to know you, there will always be suspicion. In Vietnam, trust takes years to build, and can be destroyed within a few seconds… so tread carefully.

Furthermore, Vietnamese people care deeply about how they’re perceived by their friends, family and colleagues. Avoid doing anything that will embarrass or diminish a person in public or meeting. This could include arguing, ridiculing, confronting, or even bartering too aggressively.

By the way, they don’t like outsiders criticizing their national football team. Football is the most popular sport in Vietnam and is being played by thousands of Vietnamese on a daily basis. They will be even more annoyed when the criticism comes from a foreigner, especially when they hear that Thai football team is better than Vietnamese team. It comes off as arrogant on this matter.

How do you get rid of work stress?

In my opinion, feeling overwhelmed is a major stressor. A great way to reduce your stress is to learn how to handle work stress by prioritizing and organizing your tasks through the following steps: 
1.Clarify your goals.
2.Prioritize your goals.
3.Focus on 2 to 3 things maximum.
4.Set deadlines.
5.Use your calendar.
6.Make a to-do list.
And the most important thing is “Eat Right and Sleep Well.” 

Could you share some interesting experience you had when working at CTCI Vietnam?

During my first days onboard, one day I looked up and saw that no one was resting on their seats during break time. Just when I thought no one was in the office, I found that people were lying on the floor and taking a nap. As I later learned, many foreign customers who came to our office felt very special when they saw this. Eventually, I also got used to it and enjoyed this kind of culture. I believe this is a unique culture that can only be seen at CTCI Vietnam.