Uncategorized – Page 11 – UF in Vietnam Internship

Work, Work, Work

This week has been great. I am making progress on my projects and I have gotten to know my coworkers more. We are still ordering food and eating lunch together but now I have also started inviting them out to get coffee after work. The main two projects I am working on are competitor shopping and the launch of a new Colliers blog on the residential website. First, for the competitor shopping, I get to act as a customer interested in renting an apartment for 6 months in Saigon. This allows me to interact with the agents in our top 3 competitor firms and the agents at Colliers. The point of the project is to get a better understanding of how the competitors do business so that we know and can improve our own services. This week I called all 3 companies, got in contact with an agent and went to see 3 properties. Moving forward I still need to meet with two more agents and look at all the information I have gathered to perform a market analysis, price analysis, and service analysis. Once I’m done, I need to compare the results and present my findings at one of our weekly meetings. My second big project is to revive the company’s blog on ColliersHome. This week I met with the residential manager, discussed how we want the blog to look and came up with a schedule and calendar for the next month. We agreed that I would write half the blogs and she would do the other half. Since I’m writing the first blog, I need to finish writing it next week and get it approved before it is uploaded on July 2nd. Moving forward we have the blog topics planned out but don’t know who will be taking over and writing half of the blogs when I leave.

I would say that my supervisors’ strengths are delegation, confident decision- making, flexibility and analysis. As the COO, she has a lot of responsibility on her hands but by delegating and explaining to others what their tasks are, she helps run the company smoothly. She is also very analytical and everything she does has a reason and purpose behind it. She always looks at all the factors that might affect a situation and examines them carefully. Research is very important to her and in her own words “Good has no meaning on its own. It is a comparative word.” so “until you know, you just don’t know!”. Furthermore, my co-worker’s strengths are that they are great team players, multi-taskers and are all bilingual. Their superb English skills have made it a lot easier to work with them and also get to know them. Furthermore, it always makes me so happy that they are constantly willing to help and teach me more about their culture.

I have learned many things since arriving in HCMC, one that sticks out is flexibility both in the workplace and outside of it. At work, random tasks are thrown at me all the time and I have learned to go with the flow and do things in order of importance. An example of this was this week when I was asked to participate in a photo shoot for the new company posters an hour beforehand. Outside of work, I have been in many unexpected situations as well. This week taking a grab to work, the driver decided to stop by the gas station on our way there without mentioning anything. Additionally, without having the ability to speak Vietnamese, I have ordered the wrong meal many times at restaurants. What is surprising to me is that I’m actually glad that I made the mistakes at the restaurants because I got to try really delicious dishes.

This is a picture of what I usually eat for lunch at work with my coworkers

VAS taxation with a side of personal growth

During the past four weeks at Emerhub, I worked on numerous assignments, including calculating payroll, recording sales invoices and bank statements, and comparing prices of accounting services among competing firms. However, the most significant project I have worked on this summer is creating a guide to basic accounting and tax principles for owners of small business in Vietnam. I spent the last two weeks researching employment taxes and compliance requirements in Vietnam and designed a PowerPoint, which I presented to the sales team yesterday. Now, I am working on consolidating the information into a one-page template that can be sent to clients who have questions about business related expenses in Vietnam.

I especially enjoy working on this project because it allows me to make significant and valuable contributions to the company. At previous accounting internships, my roles consisted of simple yet tedious tasks, primarily data entry; and while data entry and the use of accounting software will always be a part of all accounting internships, my supervisor at Emerhub helps break up the monotony of my day by assigning me additional research projects.

My coworkers in the accounting department are amazing resources and learning tools, teaching me tons about the Vietnamese Accounting Standard (VAS) and tax system, how it differs from the United States. For instance, stockholders’ equity is not a part of balance sheet in Vietnam. Instead, a statement of equity is created separately and filed as Notes with the other annual audited financial statements. Although I am less familiar with the VAS than my coworkers, I speak better English than nearly everyone in the office, as English is a second language for all the local Vietnamese employees. For a company that works primarily with foreign, non-Vietnamese clients and conducts all business in English, my language skills are an asset. I am frequently asked to help draft emails and to help answer questions from clients.

This experience has been so amazing and so informative for me. All I really knew about Vietnamese culture when I flew to Ho Chi Minh City is that the locals are more reserved than people in the USA and that they eat lots of noodle soup. Everything that has happened to me here has been a learning experience. I could talk about how traffic laws in Vietnam exist but aren’t enforced, so it is acceptable for a scooter to drive backwards on the sidewalk to avoid going on a one-way street. I could describe how the food here isn’t really cooked with any seasonings, but everything is served with hot peppers and chili-sauce on the side. Or I could write that the business dress code in Vietnam tends to me more relaxed than it is in the States because most people cannot afford to buy a proper suit. But for me, this trip has been about becoming more independent and growing as a business professional. I learned that I am capable of organizing and booking weekend trips in foreign countries, bargaining with locals at the marketplace, creating meaningful professional relationships with my coworkers in a short period of time. I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Go with the flow

For the past few weeks my projects for the company have stayed pretty consistent with the task of searching and reaching out to prospective clients. I have reached out to a wide variety of clients and set up meetings that I will be able to attend with my supervisor.

The upcoming project I am most excited about is a market analysis. I will be doing a full market analysis of the German market for the company so that we can start targeting that sector in the upcoming months. This is something I am very eager to get started because not only will it be beneficial to me to get a hands-on approach to market analysis, but it will benefit the company to have a full analysis of a new market.

Another important part of work is the work environment. One of my favorite things about my company is the work environment and the interactions I have with my supervisor and co-workers. They make coming to work an enjoyable experience and being in this internship has given me the opportunity to see what it is like to come to work and be passionate about the work you are doing. It has made me reevaluate my goals for after this internship and to seek work worth doing.

Ho Chi Minh and this internship have taught me to go with the flow, and to just be flexible with whatever may happen. We are so used to having a set system and plan in place back home in the United States but here you come to understand that it is much more unstructured. It actually creates a very exciting work environment because you never know what task you are going to be doing that day and every day is a new day to make an impact on your company. This flexible mindset is something I hope I can bring back with me to the United States, it allows me to be more open-minded and a lot more relaxed about things I cannot control. I look forward to these next four weeks and seeing how my projects and time in Ho Chi Minh will further develop.

Here is a picture of me and my coworkers, they are teaching me the Vietnamese heart. It is a common thing locals do when taking a picture together, I struggled probably more than I should have.

Catching up during the down time

Current Status/Future Outlook

The last week was less active than what I have become accustomed to here at work. Axis is currently in between projects so things area at a little bit of a stand still. Most of the office is away as we are in negotiations and doing field work for Japanese and Indian clients, respectively. I am still quite pleased with my placement and this down time has given Amy (my fellow intern) and I the opportunity to catch up on our data entry.

As for what I hope to achieve in the coming weeks, I hope to possibly be assigned one or two more significant projects. My supervisor mentioned to be how I will be working on financial plans and such type of work so I except that to land on my desk sometime soon. I feel as though the company will be trying to tap into my prior entrepreneurial experience and by helping them budget and asses cost for a future project the company has planned. I feel as though I am very good and pointing out the minor problem or hurdles that may come about that without being properly taken care of, could lead to a heavy financial burden. I feel that by sitting down and planning the next project, I will be able to leave my mark here at Axis, as I will be saving them both time and money if I can discover that problem.

Relationships

When it come to the working relationships I have developed with my co-workers/superiors I feel like things couldn’t have gone better. Amy, my fellow intern, and I have an amazing working relationship. We work well as a team and are constantly trying to get things done and leave a good impression together. Without actually expressing it verbally she and I have decided to impress and succeed at Axis like a team instead of competing and trying to outdo each other. As for my supervisor and I, we both have great people skills and are very active people. Because of this she and I have developed an excellent relationship, we work well together we communicate well and are usually on the same level when it comes to anything and everything. Our communication is very clear and direct in order to ensure no misunderstandings and we are both adamant on constructive criticism.

What I’ve learned?

Although cheesy I have learned that I love HCMC. This city its people and everything about it is amazing I am so happy here and really hope to come back. Other things I’ve learned is that in the future I want a job that requires more people skills and plays to my strengths. I am not opposed to having an office job but what I know I can’t do is sit at a computer all day doing mindless work. If my future career requires me to sit at a computer and have little communication with other people, I know that, that job will have to require a lot of thinking and problem solving. Something that may require research and financial analysis.

Much to do

I have officially reached the halfway point in my time in Vietnam. It is quite surreal that I have already been living in this country for an entire month. For my remaining time at spiced, my coworker Garrett and I have much to do. The company officially launched today, with quite a crowd arriving. We will now be able to track the profits spiced will create over the following weeks to revise and strengthen our pitch deck, as well as make operations more financially efficient. The next few months for the company are of great significance. If profit margin is high and the company is thriving, it may attract sizeable investments from institutional investors.

The relationship between my superior and I is fantastic. Sometimes the language barrier can get in the way as he speaks mostly French, but other than that we have no issues on communication or finishing tasks. I also have a fantastic relationship with my main coworker, Garrett Ort. We are a great team and our supervisor enjoys letting us do projects together as we are efficient and creative.

One thing I’ve learned from living/working is HCMC is that the work schedule is much more fluid and even more efficient than America. The workday differs from place to place, but it often has a lunch break and even a nap break. They work hard and rest hard. They also care a lot about work/life balance. Their time with family is just as important as them putting in hours. It also is a much more capitalistic economic structure than I ever would have thought. I feel no communist economic influence when at work or when in any store in the city.

Feeling things out

My supervisor is Robert Vong, the CEO of Elefos. He is a very experienced businessman who is well respected within the startup and blockchain communities in Vietnam. He seems very knowledgeable about blockchain, and excited for the future of this technology. His day-to-day schedule varies significantly, and can change very quickly. He is constantly moving between working in the office, attending local meetups in Ho Chi Minh City, and meeting with prospective clients/partners. I feel like I still have some work to do in order to understand his personal characteristics, as he is very busy. I hope to be able to spend more time with him to ask questions about his daily tasks, and to learn his short and long-term goals for the company. The more I am able to learn from Mr. Robert, the more I feel I will be able to contribute to the company’s success.

My internship role seems to vary depending on how Mr. Robert believes me to be most useful. Elefos is very adaptable, and willing to move on to new ideas, and to explore different avenues. As a blockchain company, being able to adapt is very important. Unlike most sectors, the blockchain sector is still rather new, and there is still much to be explored. The companies that are able to identify new uses for blockchain, are poised for success. I hope that as this internship continues I will be able to help Elefos explore new markets, and potentially discover new uses for blockchain technology. It is exciting that blockchain is just in its infancy, and that I am able to watch this industry grow from the inside.

On a personal level, I have enjoyed my interaction with the Vietnamese interns at the company. There are four computer science interns that work on coding for the company, and comparing experiences with these interns has been very rewarding. It is amazing to learn about life in Vietnam from people of a similar age. I hope to be able to get to know these interns more throughout my time interning for Elefos, and also to continue these relationships after my time here.

Its the people!!!

My supervisor’s western name is Ms.Megan, so that’s what I call her. Ms.Megan is considered an associate here at PLF Law Firm, signifying she is a working attorney. Ms..Megan is about 4 feet and ten inches tall and brimming with a vibrant personality. She is someone I have begun to admire over the past week or so. She always maintains a positive attitude, even though her work day begins at 8 in the morning every morning and ends at 8 in the evening, or even later many evenings. Her work day is consumed with reaching out to clients, drafting service proposals, meeting with clients, drafting formal contracts, traveling to various public departments across the city, and numerous other tasks that she manages to take on. M.Megan is always beaming with a smile, amidst her stressful work situation. Though it has only been a week, I have already learned so much from Ms.Megan. She has graced me with the opportunity to sit in on meetings with clients, and given me projects that I would never have access to in the United States. Ms.Megan beams intelligence, poise, and grit.

My internship role is more than I was initially expecting. My preconceived notions had me thinking I would be translating documents, but I would like to believe my role is beyond a proofreader. Right now I have two large projects that I have been working on over the course of the time being. One is a presentation for a workshop that will be hosted on the 2nd of July.

Some specific tasks I’ve taken on since the start of my internship at PLF Law Firm began are drafting service proposal, drafting legal alerts, drafting legal briefs, drafting emails between the firm and clients, reviewing documents and contracts in English, creating a presentation for an upcoming workshop, researching laws, etc. I have received two larger scale projects since I’ve been here. One of the larger scale projects is the establishment of a list of possible partners across the range of three foreign sectors, the creation of an email template to propose a cooperation agreement, and a draft memorandum of understanding. The other larger scale project is a presentation that will be given at a medium-sized startup workshop, which I will be attending on July 12th. So far I have learned far more than I could have ever imagined and I am truly grateful for this niche placement I have received.

Something special that I’ve noticed about Saigon is the people. The most important part about immersing oneself in a different culture, is much deeper than the food one eats and the the traditional dress one displays. The most crucial and memorable take away from immersing oneself in a different culture is the relationships you build. It’s the jokes that we’re telling at the workplace when we all failed at cutting the birthday cake. It’s the smile that my supervisor and I share every morning, every afternoon, and every evening. It’s the gesture of my co-worker buying me lunch. It’s the taxi driver asking my name. It’s the wave from the security officer as he opens the door to me as I enter the building. It’s the people.

Research and off roading

My supervisor, Ms. Kadri Lahi, is the country manager at Emerhub – Vietnam. She meets with clients looking to open a business in Vietnam and helps to organize the relocation and expansion of their businesses. Kadri is Estonian but attended law school in England; she speaks better English than any of the other employees, so most of my verbal communications in the office are with her. Kadri was recently placed in charge of Emerhub’s plans to expand the company to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, and many of her daily responsibilities revolve around growing the company.

The accounting department here is ridiculously small; there are only 3 employees, including myself. The head of the department took maternity leave shortly before I began working at Emerhub, so the interim head is relatively new to his position. Additionally, the one other employee in the accounting department and I both began working on the same day, last week. The entire accounting department is brand new, but we are all learning the ropes of our jobs together.

Daily life at the office is interesting for me. In the United State, business culture seems to revolve around team meetings, cooperation, and communication; the environment in Vietnam is much more individualistic. Everyone is working on their own assignments, and the office is completely silent – save for the rumbling of the AC unit. Office communications are nearly exclusively done via Workhub, a social media platform owned by Facebook but designed for businesses. If I ever need help understanding an assignment or have questions about my research, I am expected to message my coworkers, rather than ask them directly. Honestly, though, this platform is quite helpful for me; my conversations with my coworkers frequently end in misunderstandings and confused smiles.

Many of my projects, so far, have been research based. I have extensively studied the system of employment taxes in Vietnam; if you ever need to calculate the personal income taxes of Vietnamese employees, I’m your girl. I have been asked to set up methods for calculating payroll in Excel and to record invoices using Vietnamese accounting software, but generally, my tasks vary from day to day. This morning, I finished creating a presentation that will be used to train salespeople about basic tax and accounting principles in Vietnam. Sometime in the next week or so, I will lead a workshop where I explain the rudiments of employment taxes, in the hopes that the sales team will be able to internalize the information and be able to explain it to clients over the phone. Overall, I am learning a lot here not only about accounting and taxes in an international market, but also about Vietnamese culture and social queues.

In more exciting news, I rode a scooter for the first time this week! Before coming to Vietnam, I was warned, extensively, about the dangers of riding scooters through the busting streets of Ho Chi Minh City. However, on Grab (the Vietnamese Uber), ordering a scooter is nearly a fifth of the price of ordering a car. Scooters are also able to weave around traffic, drastically shortening commute time. Riding a scooter in Vietnam is thrilling; the traffic is chaotic, and the streets are crowded, and you get to be right in the thick of it. Riding a scooter in Saigon was the first time I didn’t feel like a tourist. And after I was able to relax into the ride, releasing my anxieties about falling off the bike, I decided that travelling by scooter was the most exciting and efficient way to get around. So, Mom and Dad, if you’re reading this, please consider the merits of buying me a scooter to drive back in Gainesville, please and thanks!

A day in the life at Spiced

My supervisor is Martial Ganiere, the CEO and owner of Spiced. He oversees everything the company is working on, from the ordering of inventory for the bistro, to the layout and design of each room of the complex, to the pricing and advertising of our services, and everything in between. Although he has a lot to do each day and expects the work that is assigned to get finished, he is a very laid back individual, making jokes and giving us breaks to go and grab coffee as needed. His day-to-day schedule is usually relatively similar each day in terms of structure, although he will usually be working on a different aspect of the business each day. Although our day starts at 9, he will usually show up before that to oversee the construction crew that is preparing the complex for our opening in 10 days. Once we arrive at 9, we will have a team meeting for about half an hour on the day’s objectives as well as any developments that occurred after we had left work the previous day. After the meeting he will either be making phone calls to clients and investors, designing the website, or working on the layout of the complex until lunch time. After lunch, he will work with Tri, the head of the bistro, about any work that needs to be done or appliances that need to be ordered for the bistro. He will then continue doing the various tasks he was doing that morning. Before everyone leaves around 5:30, we will have another meeting to go over how the days work went and what was accomplished.

My role at Spiced is to oversee all financial aspects of the business, including pricing and the construction of revenue models. My daily life at work begins with the morning meeting, in which I am assigned my tasks for the day. After that, I am free to structure my time as I please, choosing which tasks I want to prioritize first and how much time I should spend on each assignment. The main projects I have done during my internship so far include market research, a pitch deck for investors, and a revenue model for the courses we offer.

One of the most interesting experiences I have had in HCMC so far was when Jake and I got lunch last week. We went to a restaurant down the street from where we work, where everything was on the menu was in Vietnamese without translations or pictures. We decided to be adventurous and blindly order something off the menu. Jake ordered chicken with rice, and I wound up ordering pork with rice. It was the best pork I have had since I arrived in Vietnam, and it was cheaper than any other restaurant I had seen offer the same dish for. It was a really good meal and a lunch experience I’ll never forget.

The boss

Kadri is the regional manager for Emerhub’s Vietnam branch. She supervises and oversees every task and obstacle that Emerhub is faced with. She talks to clients everyday and ensures that every employee is giving 110%. She does make time for her employees which helps lighten the mood at work. It is important to make your employees feel welcome and comfortable at work, and she makes sure that they feel that way every day. Do not let that fool you, she works around the clock and is very eager to expand Emerhub and make it bigger than as it currently stands. She is very kind and honest. Day one she greeted me and my coworker as if we were long time members of Emerhub. She’s taken us out to eat and has even had us tag along with her to important business conferences which were very enlightening. She placed me in the legal department alongside the corporate secretary and I feel right at home.

I have been tasked with helping the legal team welcome incoming foreign investors by making the transition from their country to here a breeze. Right now, we are helping a company deal with the regulations surrounding e-commerce so that they can focus on handling their business. So far, I have been reading many legal documents relating to entry requirements for companies wanting to enter Vietnam. I compile all the necessary information and put it into an easy to read document for the client to understand.

One interesting personal experience I had was during my visit to the markets. Watching the youtube videos on haggling does not do it justice. It feels like a video game where you have to figure out how the sellers think. Eventually it just becomes easier with practice. They also have their ways of making the consumers agree to their absurd prices. They make you feel good about yourself and raise your self-esteem by continuously calling you handsome or very pretty. This is so you try and feel bad for trying to lower the price, but it is just a scheme to make the consumer pay more. Overall, I am having a wonderful experience and am looking forward to what’s to come.