The Power of AIESEC Experience

After being the alumni coordinator for the past one year, I have been greatly inspired by the passion that our AIESEC alumni have for this organization. Here I want to share with you the amazing story of Lars, ex-President of AIESEC Germany in 2001/2002.

AIESEC Experience:

Various projects / Organizing Committee President 1995-1997

Vice President Marketing in AIESEC in Hannover University 1997/1998

President , AIESEC in Hannover 1998/1999

Regional Chair “Star Region” 1999/2000

President of AIESEC in Germany 2001/2002

Member of the global “Steering Committee”, Global Leadership Award 2001/2002

Chair/Facilitator at conferences in China, Czech Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, India, Poland,

When I first joined AIESEC in Hannover, I repeatedly was confronted with the slogan AIESEC is people. – and those experienced members told me that the network they were building was one of the great advantages of being a member. Though I couldn’t really grasp the meaning of this, I found it a compelling idea: having friends and contacts all around the world. But how?

Basically, I joined AIESEC within the first weeks when I started university – and luckily I directly got involved in organizing projects like the national leadership development seminar or an international training seminar – involving not only enthusiastic AIESEC members and trainees, but also inspiring alumni and supportive external partners from some of the most renowned companies.

Frankly speaking, I was quite impressed not only by the caliber of companies supporting AIESEC’s idea, but even more how convinced those partners were of the support they were providing.

In 1997 I finally went on an AIESEC traineeship myself – for two months to Croatia, working at the Ekonomski Institut Zagreb, getting involved in labor market study and analysis. What was really impressive, was the fact that only 1,000 kilometers away from my hometown, I met people in my age, who had only recently witnessed war through their country’s fight for independency just a few years earlier. And while driving past destroyed villages in the middle of Europe, only ten hours drive away from home, I deeply understood that cultural understanding and AIESEC’s vision of peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential wasn’t just a noble slogan, but had its justification even today.

Inspired by my experiences in Croatia and the great people and friends I met during my stay there, I decided to and become president of AIESEC’s chapter (local committee) and my university – and my horizon just widened tenfold: national and international meetings, benefiting from a trainer education, involvement in strategic workshops together with some of the best firms.

Further leadership positions, mind-blowing events and fascinating personalities accompanied my further path parallel to finishing my studies.

One of the most challenging roles was the one as president of AIESEC in Germany, a full-time position, leading not only the national board and being in charge of other full-time employees, but also taking charge for the strategic planning and coordinating the national board of advisors. It also meant representing AIESEC German chapter with around 1,500 members on the international level. This included arranging bilateral agreements, making decisions in AIESEC’s international assembly and as member of the International Steering Committee I had the chance to actively work on a global organizational change management program.

Throughout my active time in AIESEC, I had the unique opportunity to attend events nearly all around the world: from Armenia to Bosnia, Czech Republic to China, Egypt to El Salvador, Finland to Guatemala, India to Ivory Coast, Malta or Switzerland. Going those place meant to become a delegate, facilitator, trainer, speaker – and most importantly a trusted friend of many great people around the world.

While I was sad to finally leave the organization as an active member, I realized that the vast experience I had gained, were actually just setting the scene for my further professional journey.

When DHL started an internal management trainee program in Asia Pacific coincidentally about the time I had finished active AIESEC time, it took not long and I found myself in Hong Kong, working for DHL’s regional Corporate Affairs office on a nine months contract. I thought this would be a kind of last journey before the ‘normal’ life would start. Luckily I was proven wrong, as in over 6 years with the company in Asia, I moved to Singapore, was involved in exciting projects like brand campaigns, crisis management, sponsorship arrangements, meeting politicians, sports idols, giving trainings in countries like Japan or Thailand or leading a 450 people delegation to DHL/Deutsche Post’s internal world cup in Germany in 2006. Having moved on to a PR consultancy and now Dow Jones, I still feel the power of the AIESEC community. E.g. as I just spent a few days for business in Tokyo, I connected with my Japanese President from 2002… The journey never ends.

But most importantly, I saw my personal network of good friends, colleagues and business acquaintances expanding even further - many of them connected through AIESEC. So a normal weekend for me could include having lunch with my wife's Singapore family, playing football with a bunch of local and international guys, coming from Australia, Morocco or the US - and finally dinner with close friends from Argentina, Hungary or Kenya.

Hello all!

Check where we are on the Global Chart and on Asia Pacific's ranking! Just want to say, this is only the beginning of the amazing work that we've put in for the past couple of months!

The more amazing part? Most of these people are coming back for a Leadership Role :) so that means so much more for us in terms of the work that we have done.

The year may have seemed long, and tough - I guess most of us have "matured" over this period, but I say hard work pays off. Even our members :) There's tons of meaning to what we have done; as I read comments and stories of AIESECers who have gone for the exchange , especially those who went for Exchange after their leadership term, I am very proud of what we are doing every single day. Maybe it gets tiring, maybe it gets frustrating at times, but we are a group of pillars there to support you in the steps that you take in your life. Definitely looking forward to the next couple of weeks, and for our successors to continue this momentum :D

The friendship does not end in 3 weeks, neither will our work stop here. Our lives may go on after AIESEC, but I hope nobody forgets the life sessions you gain from here. It's the mindset that matters the most and stays with you.

I was at JCI event yesterday and we spoke of CSR. The panel beside me spoke of what they did, like creating cornware and cups, and sponsoring scholarships to children of firemen who died in their line of duty. As I listened to the panel, I thought, the most important thing is to start with the self.

So when I was asked to speak, I said I know not of CSR, I have not stepped into the working sector yet. But the most valuable thing is that when you are in AIESEC, you start to see beyond the "I", but the "We". We work in teams, and people around us show our best side and when we are at our worst - they are our mirror. This is where we face who we are, and increase our own self-awareness and how we handle our teams. Along the way, we make that little step to make that change in ourselves. As we embark on internships, we see it as complementing our character development, to see beyond "my university", "my view" and "my country", we take it to the point where we appreciate the world, and see ourselves as a citizen of the world. Not as a Singaporean, or a student, etc - but as a human being. Just like everyone else, we are human beings. Once we come down to that, we become citizens of the world because all of us belong to this planet.

Once we truly care and have this mindset, when we join a company I am sure this habit and behaviour naturally follows us. Then CSR itself becomes not an activity to do, but somewhere in our innate nature. We don't have to transform companies to adopt CSR or to wait for the organization to change itself - but when we join a company we are concerned about the world around us.

So like they said, the going gets tough, but the tough gets going. I'm proud to be with the tough ones who stick it through this journey, and this job isn't paid - so the perks may be less, but I am sure the rewards you reap will be immeasurable.. just like I did. I am very very very appreciative of my experience in AIESEC, and this experience has been a ride (yes - many ups and many downs, but I learnt so many good things from every one).

Keep the awesome work coming, I know you are acquiring some new thought from doing! :D

Thankful to be working alongside each one of you,

Cheryl

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From Asia Pacific Director David:

As you can see Asia Pacific grew by 74% in the month of May due to the sizeable absolute and relative contributions of a variety of countries! Especially congratulations to our Top 5 absolute contributors who were also in the top 10 globally in the same category! The key is to maintain and increase this momentum as the key realization peak for most countries approach.

To evaluate our pipeline I have also included data on Matches for the first time!



As you can see a strong pipeline is being built with over 91% growth in matches! But there is still room to improve this matching with the huge amount of available forms that are available within the region.



Te region has over 6000 forms on available, each of which represents a stakeholder with expectations of AIESEC. It is very important that we push a strong matching message to ensure delivery for a huge majority of these raised forms.

Look within the region and also to regions like CEE (over 5000 available forms) and WENA (nearly 3000 available forms) to ensure delivery!

Don't forget to empower LCs, motivate them and provide them with the tools to ensure they can match these stakeholders during this crucial month!

Good luck with the rest of the months and a huge congratulations to all the countries who appeared on these top rankings including:
Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mainland China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, The Philippines, Vietnam

David

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Your Best

Eric Moussambani swam for Equatorial Guinea at the 2000 Olympics. He didn't win.

Eric had never seen a big swimming pool before. At home he trains in a 20 metre hotel pool.

The two other entrants in his heat - from Niger and Tajikistan - were both disqualified for false starts, so Eric had to swim by himself.

Also, Eric had never swum a 100 metre race before - something the crowd soon suspected. He swam with his head out of the water and he barely kicked his legs.

In the first lap he was really struggling.
In the second lap he was nearly drowning.

But Eric gave it everything he had. Thirty metres from the finish, 17,000 spectators began to cheer him home, and with each stroke the roar got louder. Ten metres out, he was bobbing like a cork but the crowd was going bananas.

When Moussambani finally hit the wall, the cheering and stamping all but lifted the roof off the stadium.

His time of 1 minute 52 seconds was about a minute slower than all the other competitors. Who cared? Eric Moussambani had given his all.

In a Nutshell

When people know you have given your very best, they usually support you.