Michael Eister (EMBA ’17) accepted an offer to join a Myanmar-based company upon graduation. With several weeks in the new position under his belt, Eister shares his first impressions about working in a Southeast Asian nation that is undergoing political reforms.
By Michael Eister
In December 2016 a group of MBA students ventured into the former hermit kingdom (no, not that one…) of Myanmar. The goal was to assess whether or not the economy offered opportunity, and if the nation was on its way to economic success overall. For the latter, the jury is still out. For the former I can personally attest that yes, yes, yes there is opportunity here. This nation is flowering like a lotus and opening its mind to what the outside world has to offer.
Burma is no walk in the park. In fact, the biggest hazard, as far as I can assess so far, is walking down the sidewalks. Survival depends on watching your step. This is true both literally and metaphorically. The government is still adjusting to the future, and at times is relying on rules and policies held over from British colonial days. As it crawls into the 21st century, Myanmar is a contradiction at every turn. On one hand, they want to be successful and wealthy. On the other hand, they are ever-focused on a balance that has its roots in Buddhist thought.
As MBAs we are taught to focus on disruption, change and growth. This nation’s heart is focused on maintaining an even keel. This makes for quite a challenge when trying to modernize at light speed, as many are seeking to do here. Much of the difficulty for outsiders comes from an ever-changing policy and regulatory structure. Government offices are, by western standards, in a cyclone of churn when it comes to change. A policy made one day can be gone in an instant, and in order to find that out, one often has to make frequent visits to government offices to see hard copies of policies, which are not available publicly.
In order to be successful here, a company needs to be closely linked with the bureaucrats who control these fluid policies and procedures. Fortunately, the company I am working for has these connections and understands the nature of the game acutely. I’m working as an investment analyst here. We are calling it an internship, but really it’s a long paid interview. My goal is to invest the time to show them what I’m worth to them before they make me an offer. This strategy should pay off because, as we all know, it’s easier to get a good job offer than a raise if the person hiring you really wants and needs your abilities on his team.
I was hired because of my background in media, but the CEO quickly discovered I can analyze and understand any business line under the sun, thanks to UCLA Anderson. On my second work day I traveled with his executive team to the capital of Nay Pyi Daw (Google this place … it’s insane) in order to negotiate energy deals. He immediately placed his trust in me, and he is exposing me to more learning than I could have dreamed for.
I have Anderson to thank for preparing me for anything, and the CEO is taking full advantage of my talents and knowledge.
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