[Take note that due to COVID19 and the current political situation in Myanmar we may only be able to offer a virtual internship as international travel is still heavily restricted]
It is important to take note that we take in intern 3 times a year in January, May and August. We only accept application from students 2 months before they are available to start their internship – for example if you are available to start your internship in May you apply to us by end of February.
Introduction
We offer a 3 to 4 months internship in our Yangon (Rangoon) office for graduate and undergraduate with the right attitude. We can take up to 4 interns a year. Compensation is modest, you will have to pay for your own airfare, insurance and lodging, but you will be exposed to the full spectrum of work that our consultancy performs in Myanmar. If you are a rugged person, quick to learn, quick on your feet and do not mind getting your hands dirty, thrive in adverse environment, then read on.
Job scope includes working on client’s projects which may involve project planning, survey design, field interview, data analysis and writing recommendations. The intern will also be responsible for covering the tech start-up scene in Yangon. Interns are encouraged to publish an original research about the Myanmar market (subject to the approval of his/her supervisor) in a local Myanmar business journal under their own name.
You can see articles published by some of our international interns in leading Myanmar business journals such as
- Myanmar’s Migrant Workers: The Vanguard of Financial Inclusion published in Oxford Tea Circle by Mr. Andrew Thomson from University of Western Australia
- Wage first, productivity later? published in Frontier Myanmar by Mr. Andrew Thomson from University of Western Australia
- What Myanmar’s Facebook supremacy means for business published in Frontier Myanmar by Mr. Ben Roache from University of Adelaide
- Kargo: Technology Solving the Highway to Logistics Hell by Mr. Ben Roache from University of Adelaide.
- The road to taxi reform – can ride-hailing apps help fix the market? by Mr. Duncan Burry from Melbourne Law School at University of Melbourne published in the Oxford Tea Circle.
- Building a Better Condominium Law by Mr. Duncan Burry from Melbourne Law School at University of Melbourne published in the Frontier Myanmar Magazine.
- Education Reform to support Myanmar’s Industrialization Strategy by Mr. Ye Aung Moe from National University of Singapore in the Irrawaddy.
- Insurance in Myanmar: Spreading the Risk by Mr. Stephen Weedon (Canada) from Tsinghua University published in the Irrawaddy.
- Yangon Door2Door – Food Delivery growing from Strength to Strength by Mr. David Harrod (Australia) from University of Melbourne in the Myanmar Business Today.
- Finance Education in Myanmar: Demand Grows as Capital Market Develops by Mr. Christopher Markey (USA) from Texas A & M University in the Myanmar Business Today.
- Organic Farming vs Commercial Farming in Myanmar by Ms Ruth Nyun (Myanmar) from University of Wollongong
- Microfinance in Myanmar: A Silver Bullet to Stamp out Poverty? by Mr Tadhg Walker (NZ) from University of Otago.
- Myanmar businesses slow to adapt to improvements in Internet by Mr Jonathan Millar (NZ) from University of Otago.
- Myanmar: land of opportunity by Mr Jonathan Millar (NZ) from University of Otago. This article appeared in the Exporter Today Magazine of New Zealand.
- Food Delivery Business in Yangon – Is it Viable? by Mr Jeramie Agosta (Australia) from University of Sydney.
- The State of Service Office Business in Yangon by Mr Kevin Heng (Singapore) from University of York.
- Getting A ‘Reasonable’ Lunch: Yangon’s Western Restaurant Scene by Mr Jonathan Harvey (UK) from University of Bristol.
- Expat Experiences in Yangon: The Wild, Wild East by Mr Jonathan Harvey (UK) from University of Bristol.
- Prospects for women in changing Myanmar by Ms Tan Ren Rong (Singapore) from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
The ideal candidate should have the following qualities:
- A recent graduate from a major university. If you are an undergraduate and is looking for internship during your summer vacation we are willing to consider you as well as long as you fit our internship schedule.
- Preferably from Business, Finance, Communication, Accountancy, Law, Economics or Information Technology.
- Some working experience is helpful but not necessary as we are looking for a candidate with the right attitude.
- Must have the desire to work in an Emerging Market where conditions are never ideal, where you need to improvise and learn as you go.
- Demonstrated leadership and project management skills.
- Must be resourceful, culturally sensitive and have good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Good analytical skill is a must.
- Must be a whiz with Microsoft Office.
- Must read, write and speak excellent English
- Foreign language skill is a plus.
Remuneration
We will pay you a monthly salary in local currency of Kyat 300,000 per month. However, you will have to pay for your own round-trip air ticket to Yangon, your lodging in a guest house near our office (Kyat 200,000 a month will be deducted from your salary for accommodation) and your own travel and medical insurance for your 3 to 4 months stay in Yangon.
Myanmar Citizens take note
Myanmar citizens who are studying in overseas universities are welcome to apply as well. If you are studying in the northern or southern hemisphere where the summer vacations are of different period from Myanmar, please indicate the period that is suitable for your internship as we may be able to accommodate you.
Myanmar citizens studying in local universities or institute of higher learning in Yangon are welcome to apply for the internship as well – as long as you have a good command of English, your course of study is relevant to our business and we are able to fit you into our schedule.
How to apply
If what we describe appeal to you then write in to the HR Manager at internship(at)consult-myanmar(dot)com with the Subject: “Application for Internship”. Please submit your CV & Skype ID in Microsoft Word format together with a recent passport photo. Please include your name in the file name e.g. “johnsmith-cv.doc” as we get hundreds of CV a month.
Please also specify the 3 to 4 months period (please specify the exact month) that you are available to do the internship and tell us in your cover email why we should offer you the internship in not more than 300 words. You will receive an email auto-reply once your email submission has been successfully received by us.
You do not have to send your educational certificates, testimonials or recommendation letters with the initial email. If you have a good recommendation letter from an ex-employer please mention it in your CV – we will ask for it if we have interest to interview you. Please keep the total file size of your email attachments to less than 1 MB.
Applicants that do not adhere to the word and file size limits will automatically be disqualified.
Q. My university requires the company I am doing my internship with to fill out an Internship Proposal Form which my course supervisor needs to approve prior to the internship and an Internship Assessment Form at the end of the internship. Does your firm provide this service for your interns?
A. Yes, we do. We have worked with many overseas universities before and are familiar with their internship requirements.
Q. Due to my exam schedule I am only able to start my internship one month after your internship start – is that a problem?
A. If you are in the shortlist for the final interview you can bring it up – if we think that you are an outstanding candidate, we will make an exception for you.
Q. I am a foreigner – is my work and stay in Myanmar legal?
A. We will sponsor your business visa and arrange for stay permit registration with the local immigration office while you are working for us. Your work and stay in Myanmar will be totally legal. You will have no problem continuing to work in Myanmar after your internship as you have entered the country legally on a business visa.
Be careful when applying for internship with organizations in Myanmar who are not willing to sponsor your business visa or apply for a stay permit for you with the local immigration office – it may mean that the organization itself is not a legal entity in Myanmar and is employing you illegally! To learn why it is important to enter the country on a business visa and be registered legally with the local immigration office go to https://consult-myanmar.com/myanmar-business-visa/
Q. Is living condition very bad in Yangon?
A. Yes and No. If you are used to travelling through emerging markets like Cambodia or Laos – conditions are very similar. Our office is in the downtown area, in a middle class enclave – so quality of the shops and restaurants are good by Yangon standard.
Q. Will the bedroom in the guest house be be air-conditioned?
A. Yes, the bedroom is air-conditioned, very clean and you will have proper bed, pillow, blanket and locker. However, you may have to share with 3 other boarders. So, it will be very communal and there may not be as much privacy as you are used to.
Q. Will I get a chance to travel round Myanmar?
A. You will get 4 days of paid leave during your 4 months internship (i.e. you get 1 day leave for each month of work). The leave should be sufficient for you to go to Bagan and Inle Lake. Our working hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. So during the weekend you can always travel to nearby attractions such as Chaung Tha Beach, Mount Popa or the Golden Rock on short 2 day trips.
Q. Will you be providing insurance?
A. No you need to buy your own comprehensive travel and medical insurance prior to the trip to cover for travelling in Myanmar. Take note that the insurance industry just started in Myanmar – so it is very difficult for foreigners to buy travel or medical insurance in Myanmar.
Q. How much clothing should I bring?
A. Yangon has a tropical climate. In April temperature can hit a high of 36 degrees Celsius which is during the Water Festival. In the “winter” month of December the temperature in Yangon can drop to a low of 18 degrees Celsius. There is no need to bring winter clothing unless you are going trekking in Putao in the Kachin State that borders the Himalayan – where there is alpine weather and a snowline in winter. If you are just going sight-seeing in the highland an autumn jacket would be sufficient.
Q. At the end of the internship do I get a testimonial from your company?
A. If you successfully completed all your projects and assignments, we will give you a testimonial stating that you have completed your internship successfully. If you have been outstanding both as a person (i.e. your co-workers think highly of you) as well as in your work (i.e. your supervisor thinks highly of your ability) our MD will write you a recommendation letter that you can use to propel yourself ahead of all your peers in your next job interview.
Q. What is the prospect of finding employment in Myanmar after the internship?
A. Myanmar today is like China in the 1980s – there is a serious shortage of skilled labour in practically all industries. Our previous intern had a few job offers even before he completed his internship with us. As Myanmar is a frontier market the career opportunity tends to be bigger and more extreme than what you get as a fresh graduate in mature economies like the US, UK, Australia, HK or Singapore. For example, most foreign companies investing in Myanmar are looking for people who can start a company, start a business unit or start a department for them. The question is “Are you up to it?”. Moreover as most of our interns are able to publish interesting research articles under their own name in leading business journals in Myanmar – our interns are able to make a name for themselves in industries such as market research, PR, tech start-up, law, banking, etc. Many foreign companies would look favourably at our interns if they are recruiting new staff in Myanmar.
Q. When will I know if my application for internship is successful?
A. You will know within 1 month from the closing date for application if you have been shortlisted for an interview. The closing date for the next intake is clearly stated at the top of this web page under “Closing date for submission of application“. Click here to jump to that section.
Q. I need more information about business condition on Myanmar before I can decide. How can I find out more information?
A. You can watch the YouTube video https://youtu.be/pCvYiQYDHcE . This is a presentation given by our founder to MBA students from the National University of Singapore’s Business School about the challenges an entrepreneur face in doing business in Myanmar.
Q. Can you send me an email reminder 3 months before you next internship intake?
A. Just fill up the Internship Reminder Form below and we will send you a reminder 3 months before the next internship intake begins when we are open for application:
