International sustainability advice from Ho Chi Minh City architects

One of the advantages of interning in Ho Chi Minh City is learning about the many industries that drive the economy. So…how much can youactuallylearn from other sectors?

Written by Vivian Trinh

There's a huge mistake we likely all make in the early stages of our career – beingtoofocused on our desired industry. In today's competitive job market, transferable knowledge and experience are just as important as acing our sector-specific skills. Not to mention, many services nowadays overlap – thinkfinanceand tech,NGOsandgreen technology, or evenhospitalityandmarketing. While an internship is about gaining skills in your sector, an internship abroad with a network of interns outside of your field is also a great opportunity to diversify your knowledge and expose you to different business cultures. These are all valuable skills that future employers will appreciate.

This summer, we spoke to some Ho Chi Minh City architects and leading architecture firmsTransform ArchitectureandRoyal HaskoningDHV. The topic? International standards and the challenges and benefits of sustainable growth in Vietnam. But…what about interns who aren't looking for a career inarchitecture? Here's where transferable knowledge comes into play.

One person giving a speech about architecture.

International standards apply to all global industries. Sustainability is the driving philosophy for much of today’s economic growth. Both of these concepts should not be limited to the architecture industry. Seeing how this industry successfully navigates international standards and sustainability in Vietnam can provide other industries valuable cultural,legal, andbusinessinsight.

Following the business seminar, members of theHo Chi Minh Citybusiness community came to network with the interns, exposing them to more industries, ideas, and of course, global connections. Participants included members from the NGO, finance, accounting,health, marketing, hospitality, andengineeringindustries.

In the end, interning in Ho Chi Minh City provides you with a wealth of experiences to add to your portfolio. There are opportunities to learn and grow even when you do not think it is directly related to your skills and interests. So, step back and reflect on how each event, activity, and connection can help you be more employable, culturally agile, knowledgeable, and globally connected!

We’d like to thankArcanStonefor hosting us, as well as our guests for presenting their thoughts, and we are very much looking forward to our next Vietnam Business Seminar. Make sure you don’t miss it –Apply for an Internship Programor browse ourcareer fieldsnow!

From September 2026, CRCC Asia has been rebranded into CRCC Global.

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