I make just $220 a month as ride-hailing driver 5 years after graduating with business degree

I graduated from university in Ho Chi Minh City five years ago with a degree in Business Administration. With a good GPA, I was full of hope for a stable job that would pay VND10–12 million (US$380-455) a month.

But life did not turn out as I imagined. I sent over 30 job applications and attended interviews at more than ten firms, but most required one to two years of experience. The positions open to fresh graduates offered starting salaries of only VND5-6 million and came with high pressure, ten-hour work days and unpaid overtime. At the time, rent alone cost me VND3 million a month, not to mention food, gas and other expenses.

Feeling frustrated, a friend from my hometown suggested I try working as a ride-hailing driver.

"If you work hard and complete 25 to 30 orders a day, you can earn VND400,000-500,000 after fuel," he said. "That’s VND12-15 million a month."

Hearing those numbers, I was hooked. Without hesitation, I decided to try it full-time for a few months, planning to continue looking for a traditional job once I had saved some money.

I registered with two delivery apps and started driving. At first, the income was excellent, just as my friend said. On sunny days, I worked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., earning VND500,000-600,000 a day. In the first month, I brought home over VND13 million, twice what I would have earned as a fresh graduate. On top of that, not being stuck in an office felt incredibly freeing.

All went well for the first two years. Then, the apps became crowded with drivers and the number of orders dropped, delivery rates fell, fees rose and gas prices increased. I had to complete nearly 40 orders a day to make half as much as before after fuel and vehicle depreciation. Monthly income dropped to VND7-8 million and even lower during rainy or stormy months.

My health also began to suffer. Months of sun and rain left my body aching, my back sore, and my knees worn out. Some days, I had to work in the rain to avoid potential penalties. Once, while delivering at night in District 12, my phone was snatched. Sitting at the police station to file a report, I then asked myself: "What was the point of my four years in university?"

I tried to return to the corporate world, but it was not easy. I have had no relevant work experience in the last five years and no technical skills. Companies rejected me, with some even saying they were not hiring "someone returning from years of break."

Now, at 29, I am still delivering orders, earning only half of what I did when I first started and having no real future. If I fall ill for a week, I will go hungry. I once thought I did not like being tied down in one place, but now I long for stability, a clear career path, social insurance and proper holidays.

I do not deny that being a delivery driver or ride-hailing worker is honest work that helps many people make a living and serves the public. But if I could go back, I would probably accept an office job paying just VND5–6 million a month, where I could learn and later pursue better opportunities.

At least after five years, I might have been a skilled, valued employee instead of just a driver with a bleak future, struggling to survive.

*This opinion was submitted by a reader. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.