Aimless people in 30s are often stuck with $500 monthly income

Case in point, my 34-year-old colleague, married with two children, presently earns around VND14 million a month. I have observed that he routinely purchases two lottery tickets every morning during our coffee breaks.

He confided in me that he believes his salary at the company has hit a "ceiling" for his age, and winning the lottery seems to be his only hope for a significant breakthrough.

Fortunately, he married into a wealthy family who resides in a spacious house provided by her family. They have an entire floor to themselves, alleviating any housing concerns.

Another example is my 27-year-old cousin. His salary nearly doubled to VND13 million within his initial years of employment, but thereafter, his income growth stagnated. Worried about his inability to further increase his salary, he has taken to pursuing a language degree after work hours. His intention is to teach the language at a center during evenings to secure an additional source of income.

After reading numerous accounts of young couples struggling to manage their budgets with incomes of less than VND20 million a month, I have reached a conclusion: the trajectory of your future is largely set within the first decade of your professional life.

Assuming one begins working after university graduation at 22, by the age of 32, they will either have progressed to managerial positions with substantial incomes or find themselves stuck as employees earning below VND15 million a month. In some unfortunate cases, individuals may even face termination as they approach middle age.

Undoubtedly, there are exceptions where individuals achieve breakthroughs later in life, but such instances are rare. For the majority who are in their 30s, the choice is often to settle into a routine without the drive for advancement.

Furthermore, if one works without direction, lacking plans for personal growth, how can they compete with the influx of fresh graduates entering the job market each year?

Is a career breakthrough even possible after 32?

Reader Mr. Lee

*This opinion was translated into English by AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.