Doing business in a city on the move
Jono Boyce travelled to Vietnam in November 2011 to take up an eight-week internship at KPMG in Ho Chi Minh City. He reports back on his experiences.
From the moment I touched down in Ho Chi Minh City, it was obvious I was in a place very different from New Zealand. The motorway into the city was chaotic, with cars swerving freely between lanes, mega-traffic jams, and pedestrians and cyclists weaving in and out of the traffic. And this was at 9pm on a Sunday night!
There was a little more order to things as I made my way to KPMG’s office in the middle of the city the next morning. I was immediately struck by the hustle and bustle of the streets, the humidity (which was almost unbearable in a suit), and the glances both friendly and curious that I got as I worked my way along the sidewalk. Ho Chi Minh is very much a city on the move. I have never seen so much construction and growth all in one place.
After a quick induction, I was thrust upon the transfer pricing tax team. They all immediately made themselves known to me, and offered to take me out to lunch.
This was my first experience (among many) of their generosity and friendliness, for which I am enormously grateful. I was taken out for dinner, to the gym, to karaoke, for late-night smoothies and coffees, shopping for a cheap suit, and occasionally a Friday night drink!
I was fortunate to be in a team that applied international guidelines, which I was familiar with from my studies, and my work mainly revolved around getting reports into more formal English for international clients.
However, I also sat in on client meetings, helped do some technical analysis, and was trained up on many aspects of Vietnam’s tax system in the process. It is invaluable knowledge that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
On top of my experiences at work, I made some weekend excursions to fascinating places including Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Mui Ne Beach, Vung Tau and Phuket in Thailand.
The Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, at the end of January was a particular highlight – the entire country goes into party mode for an entire week. I’ve never seen so many fireworks in my life!
The things I’ll miss most are the mango smoothies I treated myself to every evening, as well as the streetside cafés where my colleagues and I would sit and have an orange juice before returning to the office after lunch.
The food and drinks alone are worth travelling to Vietnam for. My work colleagues aided me in this, as night after night they lined up traditional Vietnamese fare for me to sample.
I’ve made some good friends (who I’ve managed to convince to come and visit me in New Zealand), and was able to act like a local whenever someone from home passed through the city on their travels.
To be immersed so deeply in a different culture and way of life has taught me so much. I only hope I am able to return to Vietnam and Southeast Asia soon.
I can’t thank Asia:NZ and KPMG Vietnam (especially Chairman Warrick Cleine) enough for this opportunity. It has been by far the most incredible experience of my life.
Jono Boyce's internship is part of a partnership between Asia:NZ and KPMG that offers talented young New Zealanders the chance to gain business experience in Asia.
Images:
1. Weekends offered Jono Boyce the chance to travel around Vietnam.
2. Work colleagues at KPMG introduced Jono to different types of traditional Vietnamese foods.