Opportunity Beckons in Myanmar

You've heard that Asia is the place to be. Then you heard Asia was cooling down and was not the place to be, unless you were in something like wealth management.

Here's a part of Asia you may not have considered, but may want to. Myanmar, which was closed to the world for nearly 50 years, is beginning the laborious process of opening itself up. Myanmar's perestroika, if you will. And glasnost, too, we suppose.

Reforms are being implemented and that means opportunities exist to build a financial system. The country has invited 22 local companies to list on a new securities exchange it wants to install by 2015. The managing director of Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre Co. told The Wall Street Journal that it might set up shop in both Yangon and Mandalay, two cities in the country, and will nearly double his team of 12 employees to work on creating the exchange and train brokers.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange and Daiwa Securities Group Inc. have agreed to work with the Central Bank of Myanmar to facilitate developing trading systems.

Time to learn Burmese.

Your Choices (FINS)

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney advisers will now be able to choose from pre-approved messages to post on their Twitter and LinkedIn accounts. Don't expect to see "I LOVE YOU BIEBER" tweets any time soon.

Nervous Nomura (WSJ)

Nomura's shareholder meeting will bring together investors who are anxious to hear whether the Japanese bank's top management can pull off its vision of becoming an international investment banking powerhouse.

Sales and Trading Perfection (FINS)

Here's an updated guide to the perfect sales and trading resume.

Small Bankers Needed (Bank of America)

Bank of America just hired 30 small business bankers in Washington state. The hires come as part of the bank's plan to expand small business banking across the country.

Veteran Hiring (FINS)

Bank of America will bring on 1,000 military veterans in total this year, double the amount it hired last year.

Only in Europe (NYT)

The European Union's high court just ruled that if employees get sick on their vacation, they're legally entitled to take another. This would never, ever happen in America. Ever. Ever.

Working from Home (Bloomberg Businessweek)

From the Department of Obvious Inferences comes yet another study that says people goof off when they work from home. Color us shocked. We also want to know who keeps commissioning these surveys.

Buzz Around the Office

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery (Death and Taxes)

Country music fan Nathan Blankenship may want to reconsider his wardrobe choice next time he heads to a Kenny Chesney concert.

List of the Day: Making the Most of Your Time

If you want to do less (or no) work on Friday, here's how to get your work done in just four days.

1. Find out your most productive hours and do the bulk of your work in them.

2. Cut out any time-wasting websites.

3. Draw up daily to-do lists.

(Source: MoneyWatch)