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Working in Yerevan – U. Kyle Dinkjian

One of my reservations about applying to and going on the AYF-YOARF Internship was that I wasn’t sure how relevant the work I’d be doing would be to my major.  Economics is abstract enough as it is, and I didn’t know whether applying to the Internship signaled that I am taking the summer off from business studies and growth to be placed in something like working at an orphanage or not.  No matter how satisfying something like that may be, I am learning that if I want to have the kind of life I envision for myself, then every second of my time should be spent positioning myself for the future.  With that being said, I could not be happier with my placement at EV Consulting here in Yerevan.  EV is a management advisory firm that serves companies and industries aspiring to move to the next level of competitiveness and innovation within Armenia.  Since I walked into the office, I knew that these people took their work seriously and didn’t necessarily operate on Armenian time.  Since I started, I’ve been working on a number of projects with the full time consultants here.  These projects include creating and conducting interviews with Armenian banks about investment opportunities they offer small businesses outside of Yerevan, doing research on comparable countries’ pension structures in preparation for Armenia’s new pension system starting in 2014, research for business plans and investment proposals, and industry analysis for prospective new businesses in Armenia.  I believe that the hard work and long hours of the consultants here and myself will pay off for our Homeland and my own personal career in the near future.