by María, 21, Pompeu Fabra – Barcelona

The 5 myths about AIESEC practices?

  • I’m only going to improve my English in an English-speaking country

FALSE . If you do an internship in Poland, Romania or Brazil, you will most likely not speak Polish, Romanian or Portuguese, so not only at work but also in your day to day you will have to speak in English, you will also have the possibility to learn a new language. If your internship is in a Spanish-speaking country, remember that all AIESEC programs are international and multicultural, which means that it does not matter where you will be in contact with more than another culture and people from other countries who speak languages ​​other than yours, so you will speak English with them.

  • Only Global Talent can provide me with the professional experience I need

FALSE . Global Talent is a great opportunity to develop your professional career, but it is not the only program. The Global Entrepreneur program can also help you, it differs from Global Talent by being internships in start-ups, working in a newly created company you can learn a lot in a short time, you will not only surround yourself with an entrepreneurial, innovative and young environment. In addition, the Global Entrepreneur program is ideal for all those who want to start their professional career, because you will discover that you are good at it and what you are really passionate about.

  • I need to be a graduate in order to participate

IT DEPENDS . It depends on the opportunity and the country, but in general it is not necessary to be a graduate to be able to live an internship experience, but to be or have studied at the university. For Global Entrepreneur internships it is not necessary to be a graduate, the case of Global Talent is different, it will always depend on the offer and what the company is looking for.

  • I can go on internships in 128 countries

FALSE . AIESEC is present in 128 countries and territories, but the internship program is not implemented in all of them. In others, the supply is very scarce compared to its demand, so the requirements are very high like the competition and have long selection processes, which makes it very difficult if not impossible to be selected. On the contrary, there are countries with a much greater offer and with which AIESEC Spain has a very good relationship, applying to these countries not only are you more likely to be selected but the process will be much faster, and in a few weeks you will have your chance.

  • I need to have 2 years of experience to be able to do an internship with AIESEC

FALSE . There is no minimum experience to be able to live an internship experience with AIESEC, either from the Global Talent or Global Entrepreneur program. For the Global Talent program it is advisable to have previous experience in the field in which it is being applied, sometimes it is a requirement but it always depends on the requirements of each opportunity. Global Entrepreneur is designed to give you that first professional experience, so if you want to start your professional career, it may be your program, as it will help you learn about your passions.

  • I can only participate in one AIESEC program

FAKE. You can live as many experiences with AIESEC as you want, whether it is Global Volunteer, Global Entrepreneur or Global Talent while you are between 18 and 30 years old and with a maximum of 36 months in total . You can only do one program at a time, but this does not prevent you from repeating once your experience is over! 😉

María is a UPF student and current AIESEC Alumni in Spain – IG @mariacarrera

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