How to Work for a Cult in Cambodia
By: Eleanor Hawksworth
Tags: Cambodia, Internships, Travel

How to Work for a Cult in Cambodia

With no marketing experience and an itch to learn about the job, I somehow landed a brief internship at a cult in Siem Reap. If you fancy doing the same, get your bot-bot in a tuk tuk and follow this guide. Eleanor Hawksworth Dec 27, 2020·3 min read

Photo by Vicky T on Unsplash

Step 1 — Get to Cambodia Somehow

I arrived in Cambodia by plane. Alternatively, you could catch a bus from Vietnam or swim from Malaysia. Siem Reap Airport looks more like a large service station than an international airport. But don’t think you can be sneaky and waltz straight into the country. You’ll need a tourist visa to enter Cambodia, and you can get one when you land, for about US$20. Don’t, for the love of God, be fooled into thinking you need to buy one ahead and pay two hundred bucks for an urgent e-Visa (cough). If you booked a hotel, they will happily send someone to come pick you up. Usually in a tuk-tuk.

You can also use an app called Grab, but you’ll need a local phone number for this. It’s like Uber, but for more groovy vehicles like buggies and scooters. There is no need for small talk about the driver’s other job outside of Grab, which is a plus.

Step 2 — Offend Buddha

Wake up at 4am. Have a tuk-tuk driver whizz you to Angkor Wat. Everyone comes here at sunrise. Resist the urge to use the bouncy connecting bridge as a trampoline, unless you feel like startling a nearby group of elderly English folk.

Head to Ta Prohm, and leave the other temples until later. It gets stinking hot in the afternoon so it’s best to see the prettier ones first. That way, you won’t be all sticky in your new Facebook profile pic.

If you like to play your holiday on hard mode, climb the steep stone staircases of Ta Keo, all the way to the top. Handy hint: don’t fall. Look upon the ant-like figures of lazier tourists. Yell, “I am a tiny God!”. Get nervous that you’ve pissed off the actual gods that live in the temple. Relax when you remember that Cambodia is a Buddhist nation.

Step 3: Follow a Cute Girl to a Party

Oh balls, your holiday is now half gone. Realise that travelling alone is boring. Jump on Tinder to start meeting locals.

Get messaged by a girl. Invite yourself to a BBQ she’s having. Or rather — they’re having. After you grab a Grab to her surprisingly large villa, discover that she lives with about five other people.

Listen to a visiting couple talk about smuggling drugs into the country. Notice their Australian accent. Learn that they are from the same town as you. Politely excuse yourself from the conversation.

Meet a charming young American man who jokes that he’s the leader of a cult. Realise that he may not be joking. Learn that he’s a CTO, a former Google employee, and now runs a digital agency that makes free campaigns for non-profits.

Ask to be his intern.

Step 4: Learn Stuff

After you get back home, write copy for his next campaign. Write scripts for his promotions. Learn how to use keywords to get the best conversions. Learn about AI and SEO and Google Analytics. Watch UX and UI designers make amazing websites.

Stop being judgemental and realise that this isn’t an actual cult. They’re just a bunch of young ‘uns, working hard in a foreign country, like you’ve done. They just so happen to live together.

Let your mind boggle at how much there is to learn. Be thankful that you’ve found a career path that you love, and might be great at someday.