Intellectual Development

Now that I’ve completed my third week of interning with Impact Vietnam, I am starting to reflect on my development thus far. The first couple of days can be characterized by the steep learning curve, but since then I have made significant progress. To date, I have been involved in four separate transactions, where I have worked on investment teaser presentations, corporate presentations, and financial modeling. I have also been involved in client meetings, touring facilities, and preparing questionnaires for clients. The first project I have worked on was a corporate presentation, which took the longest time to complete relative to following assignments I have worked on, but this was primarily because of my unfamiliarity with the task presented. The comprehensive presentation gives insight into the company’s operations, position within the industry, financials, and investment catalysts. The purpose of the presentation is to provide relevant information for investors to have a well-established understanding of the investment opportunity. After completing this presentation, my next task was to work on the financial modeling for the transaction.  The financial modeling includes different valuation techniques for the investor to get a better understanding of the investment and have an adequate understanding of the growth opportunity.

After this assignment I was invited to attend a meeting with a new client, where I took notes and gathered questions to ask. Although I took notes, I had a hard time understanding what was going on due to the fact the meeting was conducted solely in Vietnamese. Even though I didn’t speak the language, I took it upon myself to research available information and gather a compilation of questions that have emerged. Afterwards, I felt very grateful to be present in the meeting because I felt like I was able to make a human connection behind the assignments I work on. I felt like I was able to see the purpose of my work and how it plays a role in the facilitation of the equity capital raise. After this meeting, I have worked on the company’s investment teaser presentation, which is essentially a brief overview of key information highlights for prospective investors.

 Since this project, I have been involved in another client meeting, visited a client’s manufacturing facility, and worked on two other investment teasers and corporate presentations. In the next few weeks, I look forward to working with new clients and learning more about the different industries in Vietnam. I’m grateful to be working with Impact Vietnam, where I am responsible for facilitating transactions between clients and investors.  

I feel like the relationship between my supervisor and coworkers creates a productive work environment. I have been invited to lunch with the team several times, where we were able to have intellectual conversations about subjects other than work. I believe that one of the most important factors in a working team is the ability to recognize the uniqueness and independence of every individual. No two employees are the same, and because of it everyone has something to learn from someone else. Whether it be technical or just a different perspective, it is important for a company to create an environment where communication and the sharing of information is encouraged. I feel like the removal of hierarchical barriers at Impact Vietnam allows for the flow of information without the fear of consequences.

One thing that I have learned from working in Ho Chi Minh City is how to be flexible. From my experience thus far, the flexibility and readiness to adapt to changing environments is what I have appreciated the most. In working on different projects, I’ve had to learn to juggle multiple assignments at once and be able to prioritize certain ones at different times. For example, it is a common situation where company A is number one priority and all resources should be spent on completing the task, and then all of a sudden a breakthrough happens and company A is now being put on hold because company B is now number one priority for whatever reason. The ability to be flexible and understand that life is not a clear-cut path, but rather it is in fact messy and full of unexpected surprises is a lifelong skill that I will develop and practice for the rest of my academic, professional, and personal development.