Going on an exchange with Aiesec. AIESEC provides its members with an integrated development experience comprised of leadership opportunities, international internships, and participation in a global learning environment. We realize that a series of different experiences, when put together (AIESEC Experience), can lead to powerful change within an individual. The greatest of all the experiences we offer is the international exchange opportunity that we give to over 4000 young people every year, placing leading students into a position lasting up to eighteen months in progressive organizations, ngo's, in projects in every sector business, public or civil society. The International Exchange Program is the core program of AIESEC; it offers Belgian students and recent graduates the opportunity to go an internship abroad for a period of 8 weeks to 78 weeks, and foreign students to work in Belgium. Just like the other 4000 students from all over the world, you can be one of the people taking the opportunity to develop yourself personally through the Exchange Program. By exchanging high potential interns, our Work Abroad Program contributes towards international understanding and goodwill. As you see above, the Work Abroad phase is only one part of the AIESEC Experience that our organisation is offering to students. The features of our Exchange Program Possibility of going to over 90 countries within the AIESEC network Paid, full time positions that are arranged and secured before you leave the country Year round business positions that last from 6 weeks to 78 weeks Cultural preparation before leaving and re-integration upon your return A comprehensive reception program providing logistical support, as well as cultural and social integration Students can also go on a summer internship and do a 'vacation job abroad'! AIESEC provides 4 different types of exchange experiences Development internship The intern has a direct interaction or working on the development of an unprivileged group of persons or community. The intern spends the majority of his/her time working in areas related to community development issues. Students or graduates participating in this type of internship should gain skills and experience in development related issues, community issues, management and cultural adaptability. (Volonteering work, you have to pay your flight to and back, accomodation and meals will be provided for you). Education internship The intern's job description involves either teaching a language or teaching a subject i.e. all aspects of education including curriculum development, character education, career counseling, cultural interaction and perspective promotion in academic fields and sectors. The intern must have the academic and working backgrounds in the field of education or training. (Everything is paid+ intern receives a salary).
Management internship The intern has the opportunity to work in a company, NGO, government, university or other organization and will spend the majority of his/her time working in areas related to management. These areas may include business, administration, finance, accounting, marketing, project management, organizational management or human resources. (Everything is paid+ intern receives a salary). Technical internship A technical internship is one in which the intern spends the majority of his/her time working in areas related to information technology or engineering. These areas may include web development and management, software development and programming, system analysis and design, network management, database management and engineering. (Everything is paid+ intern receives a salary).
Exchange Process Overview STEP 1: Presentation and Application Information Sessions and promotion are done in the universities where an AIESEC local committee is present. Applications usually open throughout the months October, November, January, February and March. The applications will be closed latest 2 weeks before the Review Board (part of the next step in the Exchange Process Overview). When a potential intern applies, we suppose that the candidate has knowledge of all the conditions of the parties involved. Deadline for submitting CV (1 page) and motivation letter (500 words on 'why you want to go abroad on an internship with Aiesec') is the 28 October to anat.beberashvili@gmail.com. Everyone should register as well on www.myaiesec.net, subscribe as member for LC ULB. Then on the right side you should go to option 'take responsability' phase/, next you have to fill in a questionnaire. When you're approved you should go through the same progress for the option go to 'exchange phase'. Once your in the exchange phase, you should go to option 'exchange' (on the left-side), and then you'll find some options on the right. You will have to 'add EP-form' and submit the form on www.myaiesec.net. There's an myaiesec.net training the 11 th of March. STEP 2: Selection Applications are screened for suitability for AIESEC's Exchange Program. This part is divided into two, a preselection, and a Review Board. In the preselection, the online application form, the curriculum vitae (CV) and the motivation letter will be reviewed. The preselection will take place the 8 th and 9 th of April. If you passed the preselection, you will be invited to the Review Board. The Review Board consists of a Case Study and of a panel of interview of approximately 20 minutes or more which lasts one afternoon and an evening. The Review Board will be held the 9 th and the 10 th of April. An AIESEC review board is an integral part of the exchange process. The purpose of the Review Board Interview is to provide an unbiased opinion on the candidate. The selection criteria for AIESEC's International Exchange Program are among other things: Understanding the Purpose of Exchange Knowledge of AIESEC Personality, adaptability, awareness and maturity Matchability Academic qualifications pertaining to their course of study. Interest and Motivation STEP 3: Outgoing Preperation Seminar A preparation seminar is organized by AIESEC in Belgium where the selected students are trained on how to deal with culture shocks, dimensions of culture, and so on. We also provide the
participant with advice for the practical preparations abroad, such as travel and living arrangements. AIESEC in Belgium provides you, the intern, with a preparation seminar. It will take place at least two times per year. At the moment we organize an Outgoing Preparation Seminar from the 8 th till the 10 th of November. STEP 4: Matching and acceptance The student will be provided the necessary information and trainings to be able to look for his/her own internship in the online database on www.myaiesec.net and to match his self/her self with a suitable company/ngo/project/etcetera. Of course the student will be assigned to a personal consultant who will help him/her in the process. AIESEC in Belgium has sent students / young graduates to: Switzerland, Togo, Bulgaria, Sweden, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Egypt, India, the Philippines, China, Mexico, Brasil, Denmark, Poland, Botswana, Spain, Romania, Italy, the UK, Canada, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, and more. The following criteria must be met before the student will be able to 'match' him/herself with the internship abroad he/she will attend: The Exchange Participant (EP) must have passed the Review Board. The internship fee must be paid (DT: 150 euro's, ET, MT, and TT: 220 euro) The EP must have attended an Outgoing Preperation Seminar. An contract must be signed between the student and Aiesec. The EP must have an account on myaiesec.net, submitted his EP-form online, so he/she can start to match. The matching progress is commonly done online with the tools that myaiesec.net offers. The goal is to find the perfect internship for you. The matching progress consists of the following logic: The Trainee Nominee (the joboffer to an intern) has a TN-form online in a huge database of TN's, and the EP has his EP-form online with CV and motivation letter. The EP can search according to different criteria in the four internship pouls (DT, ET, TT, MT) for an adequate TN. When the EP finds something he likes he can 'apply' online for the TN. Then your EP-form will be offline for 10 days, while the TN-manager contacts the one responsible for the joboffer, and they have 10 days to contact the EP back to let the EP know if he/she is eldigable for the joboffer. Then the matching can start... Contact your VP exchange if you need help with the matching process. STEP 5: Arrival in host-country AIESEC also offers reception in the country you're going to fulfill your internship. The AIESEC members in the hosting country are responsible for pick up at the airport, getting accommodation and making sure the intern is comfortable in their country. Apart from this they will take care of organizing activities to integrate the intern in their culture and way of living. Via this way the intern discovers the country as no one else. STEP 6: Arrival Back Home The intern will get the opportunity of sharing his/her experiences with the Belgian consultant, of giving feedback on the exchange process based on his/her own experience, of giving improvement
points in order to prepare the next generation of interns for such a life-changing experience.