Uncategorized – Page 4 – UF in Vietnam Internship

Letting go of what we can’t control

My internship has been very beneficial to me not only in terms of professional experience but also learning how to work in a dynamic work environment. My proudest accomplishment is working on a German Market analysis for my company. I was challenged by this task at first, but through perseverance and guidance I was able to able to find the correct information and research much more efficiently then when I began the initial analysis. It was a great feeling, going from struggling to really understand what I need to do and taking the necessary steps to accomplish the task at hand. This was not only my proudest moment but one of my biggest professional accomplishments as well. This was a very big responsibility, and I did not have a lot of knowledge beforehand on how to efficiently run a market analysis. Therefore, when I finished the analysis, I felt more confident in my ability to tackle tasks I was unfamiliar with before and I know this mindset will help me continue to advance my professional career.

There are many lessons that living and working in Ho Chi Minh has taught me. If I had to narrow it down, it would be to be adaptable in everyday life. There are so many things that we stress about in the United States that as time progresses here in Ho Chi Minh, I realize I don’t need to stress about. It is pointless to worry and stress over things we can’t control, and this is notion is something that has really come to my attention as I reflect on my time in Vietnam. The idea behind this “don’t stress about things you can’t control” is that you handle things as they come to you and you try your best and if it works out, great and if it doesn’t you work to try and find a solution. This concept is not only evident in daily Vietnamese life but also in the workplace. I’d like to work to incorporate this concept of adaptability into the way I live my daily life back home. Vietnam and Saigon have taught me a lot and gave me experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

SWOT Analysis

The term “international mobility” was not a term I was familiar with and when my supervisor first used that phrase to describe our company it was daunting. The last few weeks I have developed a better understanding of the phrase “International mobility”. In a basic sense it is very clear what the term means and what my company does. We focus on recruitment and relocation of candidates. We can either recruit directly for certain companies or we can work directly with candidates to find them compatible companies, either way we are helping skilled people and companies connect with each other. We are bridging the gap for companies that may not have the resources to find candidates abroad and the necessary expatriation associated with bringing in someone from abroad. Cooptalis also gives skilled people the chance to go work abroad. The term “international mobility” when put in a basic definition means the movement and assistance of people to places around the globe.

Strengths: Cooptalis is a global company, with over 15 offices around the world. They are planning on opening 2 new offices every year around the world, including China, Madagascar, USA, Canada, Germany and many more to create an even broader reach for their clients and candidates. This allows us to reach a larger group of people, meaning we are more likely to find a good fit for our clients and candidates.

Weaknesses: Cooptalis has very strong and ambitious expansion plan, opening 2 new branches every year requires a stable business structure and a lot of cooperation around the world. It is achievable but will take a lot of work. One of the biggest obstacles is working around the time zone differences in each country, one particular instance is communication between the headquarter in France and the Vietnam branch takes longer due to the delay in time. This obstacle will only grow as the company continues to expand, but proper time management and communication will help overcome this obstacle.

Opportunities: An opportunity that Cooptalis is Currently pursuing is expanding into Germany and Canada. This is a huge market for recruitment and there is a lot of potential for our company. If executed correctly, we will be able to tap into one of the strongest markets in Europe and branch out to North America.

Threats: Threats exist in any industry and one threat that Cooptalis faces is the sheer number of competitors in the market. This means Cooptalis needs to make sure we stay true to what we offer. We stand out next to our competitors because we offer both recruitment and relocation.

Even though my experience in the company itself has been very memorable, there have been so many other memorable moments here in HCMC. One instance that stood out to me specifically was a networking event. I decided to attend an American Chamber of Commerce networking event here in Ho Chi Minh and was able to meet such a variety of people. Ho Chi Minh City is such a unique place because I was able to meet top executives and CEO’s of companies due to that it is such a growing area. I made connections with people that I would have probably never had the chance to interact with back in the United States. This moment stood out to me because it allowed me to appreciate the opportunity I was given of coming here to Vietnam and getting to experience a whole new business arena and culture. I encourage anybody who is going on this trip to take advantage of the hundreds of networking events Ho Chi Minh City has to offer.

What did I Eat??

As I settle into my position the biggest challenge for me is not having enough time to fully grasp and emerge in my industry. I wouldn’t say this is a challenge specific to my internship here in Ho Chi Minh City. I feel that this is a general issue with internships, that by the time you fully understand the company and how it runs on a more internal level your time is up within the company. This can be very frustrating because there is so much I would love to learn about the industry that just requires more time.

There is a silver lining to this, which is that this challenge really motivates me to try and learn as much as possible every day. My co-workers and supervisor are more than happy to help me and answer any questions I have pertaining to the industry and my projects. I would say this is one of the best features about my internship, my team is very open and connected with each other, allowing for an comfortable learning environment. This is different than what I was expecting because I thought I was going to come to my internship and be the “new person”, instead I was treated as a member of the team right away and have been given every opportunity to contribute to the company.

One of my favorite memories so far with my team actually has to do with food. They took me out one day on our lunch break to try a Vietnamese delicacy. It is called Balut, more specifically it is developing bird (usually duck) embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell. The way to eat it is to suck out the juices and then eat the entire embryo, head and everything. I definitely would say this was not my favorite food taste wise in Vietnam, but it was thrilling to try something new.

One thing I have learned about food here in Vietnam is that every food that you eat here has some interesting backstory and often the recipes have been passed down through generations. It means that everything you try, even if it’s the same food always tastes a little different. It keeps things interesting because every time you bite into something you get a new taste. My goal for these last few weeks is to try a new food or snack every day.

Self-Reflection

Interning at EVBN the last 2 months has allowed me identify my strengths and weakness when it comes to my performance in the work environment. Some of my strengths include professional confidence and communication as well as my flexibility and networking skills. However some of my weakness are workplace initiative, focus, and business knowledge. With this being my first internship along with the fact it was international came with its fair share of challenges. What I quickly realized is that my self-confidence I already had within myself was able to translate to the work place as well as my strong communication skills. I found out that I approach and engage with all kinds of people, whether they be young, old, a local, expat, a businessman, or even a coffee shop hostess.

As far as my weaknesses I realized that staying focus is hard if the task at hand isn’t challenging nor mentally stimulating. This also plays into my work place initiative, if I am really excited about my work I would be more willing to seek out new projects and tasks that challenge and interest me. I would also specify that business knowledge is only a weakness for me now because I am inexperienced and just getting started. I know for sure that next year I will be more business savvy and have more industry knowledge through my involvement on campus and surrounding myself with mentors and people more experienced than I.

This overall experience working abroad has helped contribute to my professional development through the different situations and environments I was exposed to. I now know that I can handle myself fairly well in a business environment as far as my social skills goes. As far as career aspirations I now know that I want to be more international and I am more open to the idea of interning for an American company in one of their locations overseas. This trip also helped with my personal growth because I was really able to see what being an adult is like. Having to take care of myself as far as eating right, exercising, and staying healthy but also other things like budgeting, laundry, work-life balance, and shopping.

Overall the key takeaways from my internship abroad is two points. One, make sure you pick a career that is interesting and makes you excited to come in work every (that also has a good work life-balance) and two, treat everyone with respect and kindness no matter what they look like and where they’re from. I just want to thank my University, family, and God for the amazing opportunity I had to intern abroad. This is something I will never forget and forever cherish.

Global Perspective

A time I felt most proud during my internship was when I held and conducted my first business meeting. For our upcoming Food and Beverage Trade Mission in September my company is looking for local venues to host our event. Usually we look at different hotels around the area looking at prices, layout, capacity, and overall ambiance to decide if that location would be a good fit for our needs. So, about a week ago I had the opportunity to go to a networking event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce. And after chatting and mingling with expats and local Vietnamese businessmen and women I was approached by a lady who recognized my company off my business card name-tag. She quickly introduced herself as Michelle and told me that she has been in contact with someone for my company (my co-worker who got hired around the same time as me). She then offered me her business card which I graciously accepted (with 2 hands a slight bow) and handed her mine. I immediately thanked her for approaching me, chatted with her for a couple more minutes, then concluded our conversation telling her I would get back to her as soon as I got back to the office. The following morning I told my supervisor what had happened (she was proud and impressed) and told me to reach out to the Michelle, to schedule a business meeting in we can discuss prices, the venue, accommodations, and services that Pullman Hotel can offer us. I sent her an email and she replied agreeing on the time and date to meet later that week. A couple day later Michelle came to our office with her colleague David and my supervisor and I went to our business meeting up stairs we talked business. I was able to negotiate, read and interpret the nonverbal cues, ask intelligent questions, and overall represent my company very well. I felt very much like a professional and an adult- I was proud of myself. We are now currently in the process of securing a deal with Pullman in the near future.

With my time in Vietnam coming to an end soon, I can confidently say that living here in Ho Chi Minh City has changed the way I look at the world. My perspective is now more globalized. I have never been outside the U.S for such a long period of time let alone this far away from home however I’m forever thankful I made the decision and had the support of my family and university to make this experience possible. I’ve learned more about myself both personally and professional during my time abroad as well as the world and how truly big it is with people from all different walks of life. I believe now more than ever how important to respect and love one another no matter the background because at the end of the day, we are all human.

God is good

Working for EVBN has taught me about what working in the consulting industry is like. The first thing I quickly learned on the job is how important it is to be informed and well-acquainted with everything that is going within the sector you are working in. As a Business developer my role requires me to provide expertise and pros and cons to European SMEs on the Vietnamese market. For example, I specifically am working in the Food & Beverage sector, so I am interacting with my clients directly and giving them consulting advice as to why it’d be a good strategic business decision to expand their product to the Vietnamese F&B industry.

After working with EVBN for over a month now I understand the strengths and weakness of my organization. A strength is the fact that we are co-founded by the European Union so our network and resources available to us is extensive. On the other hand, one of our weaknesses in our business development department. We are extremely understaffed with inexperienced individuals running the operations. This makes it hard for my supervisor to count on some of the team to complete certain tasks that are normally done in-house so she has to outsource responsibilities and tasks in order for it to be good quality. However, there are many opportunities in my company due to the nature of our industry. Right now, most industries are looking bullish because of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement that the government officials of both parties signed just last week. So, getting companies to come to Vietnam is looking very opportunistic in the years to come. However, there are undeniable threats. First is the stability of the EU. If the EU continues to go through political strife then many of its recourses and focus will shift from international to domestic.

Outside of work, an amazing moment I just recently had on my internship abroad was my weekend trip to Ha Long Bay. Deemed one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, I was able to see the natural beauties of northern Vietnam with my UF colleagues. We were able to spend the weekend on an Island and rock climb, tube, kayak, and play volleyball with young people from all across the world. It was such blessing and amazing time.

GRAB food and connections

The most challenging aspects of my internship is being proactive and staying motivated. The project I am working on currently has me reaching out to potential exhibitors and other clients on a daily basis. Specifically, mass emailing and cold calling can be one of the less attractive parts of my internship. Whether that be getting hung up on or receiving the cold shoulder through unopened emails a lot of my work can sometimes leave me feeling discouraged and often demotivated. And not to mention the language barrier between me and my potential clients makes communication all the more difficult. However what this experience is teaching me is to never give up. There are very few things we have total control over in our lives and one of those things that we do is our attitude. It’s okay to acknowledge some situations you face as not the most ideal however it’s not okay to have a constant bad attitude becoming a negative influence to others. So I just remind myself daily to keep showing up to work day in and day out and persevere because I’ll never know when I’ll hear a yes on the other side.

One of the best features of my internship is having the opportunity to go to networking events and meet different kinds of people. I was able to attend the Australian Network of Commerce networking event 2 weeks ago as well as the American Chamber of Commerce Networking event last week here in Ho Chi Minh City. What I’ve discovered is that this is one of the best way to meet a demographically diverse group of people. Previously during the exhibition my company hosted 2 weeks ago I was able to schedule one of my contacts I met at the AusCham networking night for a B2B meeting. This is something that I am proud of because it was me being proactive and putting myself in new situations that I was able to create a tangible positive out of it. I’m thankful to be in a city where opportunities like this exist especially with everything being international to the point where when someone talks to me I don’t just represent my university and/or my state but I represent America as a whole.

Being here for a little over a month now I started to discover the dishes that I like. One of my favorite food here would have to be “com ức gà xối mỡ, ốp la, cơm them, đùi gà”. This is my go to order on Grab. Basically what it is is chicken, rice, and fried egg. It’s absolutely delicious and it fills you up so quick all for just about $3.50. Vietnam I’ll for sure miss you.

Bitter sweet

As my internship with Emerhub concludes, I can reflect on this summer to highlight my accomplishments and determine the areas where I have room for improvement. My research skills have contributed to my success as an employee at Emerhub this summer. Because I entered the workplace with absolutely zero knowledge about Vietnamese taxes or accounting standards, I was required to conduct extensive background research before beginning each new project. Additionally, many of my assignments involved answering client questions; my ability to understand complicated topics and condense them in a way that is easily understood made this possible. However, I still need practice with writing complex formulas in Microsoft Excel, for example, a formula that calculates PIT based on employee income bracket, residency, and number of hours worked. Writing these formulas, for me, is a meticulous, time-consuming process based mostly on trial and error; I calculate the expected answer and then create different formulas that I think might be correct until one of them match. I’m hopeful, though, that as I continue to become more familiar with Excel and with taxes and payroll, that creating these formulas will become an easier and more regimented procedure.

Living in Ho Chi Minh City this summer has offered me a completely unique internship experience. From networking with global business owners to organizing a workshop for the sales team, Emerhub has me provided constant opportunities for personal and professional growth. The skills I have gained during this internship will benefit me, no matter which career path I choose. Familiarizing myself with various tax systems will be a useful tool in future classes and adapting to different standards of accounting has helped me improved my flexibility in the workplace. I am still unsure of what career path I will take, but I know that my summer at Emerhub will help to prepare me for anything.

I would 100% recommend this experience to anyone looking to study or work abroad; Vietnam is an amazing country with a culture that is completely different from anywhere I have ever been. Honestly, I wish I had more time here because there is so much of the country that I haven’t been able to explore. If you ever make it to Vietnam, keep an open mind; eat all the weird foods and ride on the back of a motorbike! Living in the US, we take so many basic necessities for granted, we don’t even realize how privileged we are. And while I am excited to go home and be able to drink tap water, live the AC on all day, and sleep with a top sheet, I am leaving Vietnam with a new perspective of luxury. I feel ready to go home, but I am sad to be leaving this beautiful country and the amazing people I have met on this trip. We will all have to go out for Pho when we get back to Gainesville!

From intern to employee

For me, this week at Emerhub has been crazy busy. I have had more to do in the last 5 days than I have had in probably the last 2 weeks. While my previous assignments have been heavily research based, this week, I was finally able to use my newly acquired knowledge of Vietnamese taxes and accounting. I was asked to organize itemized expenses from a client and compile and expense report for each of the company’s employees, I input all of the sales invoices from the past quarter into the database for a sports nutrition company, and I was created a formula to calculate employer tax contributions that will be added to company website. For the first time at Emerhub, I feel like I am being treated as an employee rather than an intern; I am super grateful to have earned the professional respect of my coworkers and supervisors.

For the last few weeks, most of my assignments have revolved around helping coworkers answer questions from clients about taxes: how much employers are expected to contribute, whether a company is eligible for corporate tax incentives, how to qualify for VAT exemptions, etc. I spent a considerable amount of time researching corporate taxes and incentives for the IT and software industry to help a client receive lower rates – most tech companies, and all software/hardware production companies, can apply for CIT and VAT exemptions. Apparently, my extensive research about tax incentives in the software industry led me to become the most knowledgeable employee about this specific subject. As a result, all other inquiries from the company were directed to me, including the revision of legal contracts. The ability to confidently respond to concerns and quell confusion made me like a valuable team member and an asset to the company. I was super excited and proud to feel like a necessary part of the company making actual contributions that would affect our clients.

Before coming to Ho Chi Minh City, I probably would have told you that I am the most “go with the flow” person that I know. However, now, I can tell you with 100% certainty that that is an incorrect statement. At home, where I am completely familiar with my surroundings, I am generally happy to do what makes everyone else happy, and I rarely question or object to a group consensus. However, being thrust into a completely unknown environment has taught me that I prefer to approach life’s unknowns with a clear game plan. I prefer to create an itinerary for our weekend trips before we leave and will always question the details of plans before blindly agreeing. This experience has emboldened me; I am more comfortable than ever with expressing my opinions to friends or providing feedback to coworkers without feeling like I am overstepping or disrespecting anybody. Living in HCMC has allowed me to become more independent and boosted my confidence, both which are imperative for personal and professional success. After all, only dead fish go with the flow!

Taxes and elephants

Emerhub is a unique company because it offers services in multiple industries. For example, Emerhub provides market research services, legal services, and accounting services for its clients; it is not confined to just one corner of the market. However, as an accounting intern, I have, primarily, dealt with the accounting industry. This internship has taught me a lot about personal income taxes (PIT) both in Vietnam and in the United States. In both countries, citizens are taxed on a progressive scale based on income, but while Vietnamese taxes range between 5% and 35%, American taxes are slightly higher, between 10% and 37%. However, social security taxes in Vietnam are more than double what they are in the United States. In the US, both the employer and the employee pay 7.65% (15.3% total) while in Vietnam the employer pays 21.5% and the employee pays 10.5% (32% total).

As a company, Emerhub excels at providing individualized services to its clients. In fact, most new clients at Emerhub are referred by previous clients, indicating high levels of customer satisfaction. Also, Emerhub regularly updates its blog with informational guidelines and tools, to help clients understand the requirements of relocating or opening a business in Vietnam. However, Emerhub’s lack social media of a strong social media presence is a weakness of the company. While other market entry firms use their social media outlets to connect with clients, announce new partnerships, and chare customer successes, Emerhub only posts about new business regulations and the like. This style of post, while informative and helpful for current clients, will not necessarily attract new business. As a multi-national company, all emerging markets serve as potential expansion opportunities for Emerhub (whose name means emerging market hub). In fact, Emerhub is already planning on opening branches in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. As a market entry consulting firm, Emerhub’s business model relies on foreign investments and businesses. Operating in a communist country could be pose a threat to the success of their company, because if the Vietnamese government were to ever revert to its more isolationist policies, Emerhub would be forced to close. Emerhub’s success is directly linked to the openness of the country where it is located.

The most amazing moment I have had on this trip didn’t occur in Ho Chi Minh City. Last weekend, a group of us travelled to Kuala Lumpur, and visited an elephant sanctuary there. We were able to swim in the river with a baby elephant and to help bathe it. Turns out that bathing an elephant mostly involves splashing water at your friends. It was so much fun! The locals were super encouraging, and the elephant was playful and cooperative. If you ever have the chance to visit an elephant sanctuary, I would 100% recommend it. It was an incredible experience.