About EMI Cambodia Internships
We train and disciple young design professionals so that they might become influential leaders in their future professional communities.
When you join us for an internship in Cambodia, you will be a vital piece in the design and completion of a design project for one of our ministry partners in Southeast Asia. You will work on a diverse team, learning from Khmer and International staff, licensed engineers, and experienced volunteers.
During your time in the office, not only will you develop professional skills, you will take part in daily all-staff devotions, weekly bible study, and explore other local ministry options. As an EMI intern, you’ll gain practical work experience in your technical field and Christian ministry—simultaneously!
—Vannlydeth Chen, 2018 Civil Engineering Intern
Khmer Interns
Your internship will start off with a week-long orientation where you will meet all of our staff families, learn about our office culture, and begin your professional development. Throughout the internship you will have the opportunity to be an integral part of our design project from beginning to end. You will have the opportunity to travel to the project location site and sit in on meetings with the client, assist in design and AutoCAD drafting, and completion of project reports. Throughout your internship, we will provide training in many useful job skills to prepare you for your career ahead. During your time in the office, not only will you develop professional skills, you will take part in daily all-staff devotions, weekly discipleship group, and have the opportunity to meet weekly with a spiritual mentor. We offer internship programs from 4 to 12 months long.
—Mariah Sanders, T3 2018
International Interns
Your internship will start off with a week-long orientation where you will meet all of our staff families, learn about our office culture, and begin to dive into the Cambodian culture and way of life. Depending on the project schedule for your term, after orientation, you and the team will spend about a week on the project site, learning first hand from the client about their requirements and learning about the local context. You will then take the initial designs and concepts back to our office in Phnom Penh and use the rest of the semester to develop and deliver a solution to the client that best meets their specific needs. During your time in the office, not only will you develop professional skills, you will take part in daily all-staff devotions, weekly discipleship groups, and explore other local ministry options. We offer international internship programs from 2 to 4 months following the EMI project schedule.
Q: How do I apply for an EMI internship?
A: Pre-Apply for an EMI Internship online. You will need to create or log-in to your EMI account to pre-apply for an EMI Internship.
Q: Where will I be living? And, how will I be getting around?
A: You will be living with one of our staff families. We will provide all basic necessities, and you will be responsible for food and transportation. Small open-air rickshaws, called tuk-tuks, will be your main means of transportation to and from work and around the city.
Q: What is the office routine like?
A: Office hours are from 8:30am to 5:00pm, where every day starts with an all-hands devotional time from 8:30am. As an office, we eat lunch together 2-3 times a week, provided by the office.
Q: What about after office hours?
A: Phnom Penh is a vibrant and diverse city with many opportunities for exploration. Day-to-day, you can buy your groceries at a local market or modern supermarket, spend time with your fellow interns and staff, or hang-out at a plethora of neighborhood coffee shops. On the weekends, you can eat fried grasshoppers on the lively river-front, spend a day relaxing at a hotel poolside, or delve into the ancient past at the national museum.
Q: Do I need to speak Khmer?
A: No, our office functions primarily in English and all of our work is done in English. We will teach you the basics of Khmer during orientation and provide opportunities for further learning. Phnom Penh is a very English-friendly city. Most youth learn at least some English in school, almost all signage is bilingual Khmer/English, and the people are friendly and used to communication with foreigners in a mixture of gestures and pictures.