Failure #1: Marius vs. Talent Manager - 0:1

For a week now, I've started hunting for an opportunity to evolve both professionally and culturally. After my Leadership stage, now I want to go in eXchange! ...just that today I got an email saying:

Hello, thank you for the applications.

I take it that this person can work for only 20-24 weeks (april-october). As we discussed before we need people who can commit for longer periods than that, a few years preferably. I know that AIESEC has a maximum amount of months for the internship, so people having this maximum as their preferred maximum duration are the people we are looking for. Job requisites for under one year can be discarded in the future.

With best regards,
Christian XXXX, Talent Manager

OK mr. Talent Manager, than why is it written in the Job Description (JD) that the duration is preferably between 24 and 78 weeks?!?

Mr. Talent Manager, do you know that to discard means to throw something away: to get rid of something that is not wanted or needed? Is that the way to manage talents?

Too bad, you lost a guy (probably not a talent) that really is interested in:

• Web 2.0 development;
• Extreme programming and Agile development;
• Test driven development;
• PHP, MySql and AJAX programming.

Funny thing, until now I was only worried about not matching a JD on professional matters...

New Members!

Yesterday we had the Fist Meeting with the new members. Yet again I'm the buddy of 4 almost-ready-for-exchange new members! It was fun, even though I missed my First Meeting back in my days. I especially feel sorry for not attending the Party for the new members back then... I bet the October 2006 guys remember what I'm talking about! :D

Yesterday we also had plenty of roll calls, among them one very close to my heart: "If I Were Not Upon the Stage"...

Today I saw that it has quite of a history:

Earth Hour 2008

It started with a question: How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?

Beyond turning off your lights for one hour at 8pm March 29, 2008, there are lots of things you can do to make Earth Hour 2008 an even greater success. Here are just a few to get you started.

As AIESEC-ers, we should be the change we want to see in the world!

Beginning Leadership

Today I will pass on my Leadership position in AIESEC Iași. It might be seen as the ending of a leadership stage, but I'd rather see it as a beginning...

During this period of time I fount out more about what I don't know about leadership than what I do know... Funny feeling though... :)

Bebot!

Yeah... Good old times: LTS/LMS OC, in April 2007!

I remember Kyle teaching us the Bebot dance about a year ago...

Observatii demne de luat in calcul!

Suna gen: "u can't fire me... I QUIT!".

Stiu multa lume care s-a detasat de val si a ales sa faca (doar) ceva ce ii place in AIESEC... La fel cum multe controverse au ajuns la urechile mele...

Aseara am auzit ca pe subdepartamentul pe care il conduceam abia acum se vad rezultate, cand eu practic nu mai sunt... Nu spun nu, spun doar ca nimanui nu i-a pasat...

Dar sa las alta voce sa exprime:

hello @,

In primul rand doresc sa va informez ca sunt cat se poate de sincer (desi, nu prea ma caracterizeaza acest aspect in relatiile cu persoane relativ necunoscute) si in general in @ si cu @ am fost cat s-a putut de sincer pana acum! As fi vrut ca @ sa fie la fel de sincer cu mine ! Adrian Randasu (singurul care merita ascultat din @ - din pacate nu e DIN @)spunea la un moment dat intr-unul din training-urile sale ca tot efortul pe care il depui in mediul @ si toate energiile pe care le canalizezi inspre aceasta organizatie vor fi rasplatite... suna foarte bine atunci, pacat ca nu mai suna la fel de bine si acum... as fi vrut ca macar sinceritatea sa-mi fie intoarsa inapoi! De asta o sa va rog ca dupa ce terminati de citit acest mail sa mi dati un reply sau, daca doriti, puteti sa-i dati un forward sa pot fi sincer cu tot @!
La inceput eram foarte entuziasmat de acest ONG (desi am fost atras aici de prietena mea, eu crezand ca @ nu merita nici macar efortul de a ma prezenta la interviu dar... am zis ca merita sa incerc... si a meritat... mi-a oferit o experienta nemaintalnita pana acum... din pacate... negativa). Ideea centrala de la care am pornit a fost cea vehiculata de majoritatea dintre voi, cum ca @ te invata ceva mai mult decat facultatea, sau daca nu, macar iti da posibilitatea de a pune in practica. Mai tarziu, am observat ca ideea asta era impartasita de oameni care nu prea aveau tangenta cu facultatea... si din moment ce nu te duci la facultate, e foarte firesc sa ti se para ca in @ inveti mai mult decat la facultate! Faceti un exercitiu si voi si veti vedea ca am dreptate : invatati cat de mult puteti intr-un semestru la facultate, eventual sa luati note peste 8 macar, si veti vedea ca facultatea va ofera informatiile de care aveti nevoie, depinde de voi daca stiti sa faceti ceva cu ele.

Apoi... cred ca ar fi mai bine pentru @... si in general pentru orice ONG... sa fie o organizatie elitista... bazata pe CALITATE si nu pe cantitate... iata ca la LTS in toamna s-au prezentat 80 persoane aprox. din care vreo 70 au realizat atunci ca pana in acel moment ei nu se gandisera macar o clipa la persoana lor... la ceea ce inseamna ei... pentru ei. Ideea de unitate prezentata de voi la inceput a mers... si merge bine... dar merge doar la inceput daca nu e fondata pe ceva real... am ramas... scarbit chiar... sa vad ca intr-o organizatie in care... TEORETIC... se lucreaza pentru un set de VALORI... defapt se lucreaza pentru persoane, pentru interese, pentru petreceri, pentru "agatzat" ( sincer nu merge faza cu prezervativele de la LTS- sa NU o mai faceti... dati de la inceput o impresie... nu vreau sa jignesc pe nimeni... dar de la un om care iti ofera flori o sa te astepti ca acel om are macar o calitate din cele pe care le are o floare... dar de la o persoana care iti ofera prezervative...? )

Sa nu mai vorbim de TIME MANAGEMENT... de la primul training de acest fel am realizat ca @ nu are nicio tangenta cu asa ceva (doar persoana care tinea trainingul era reprezentant @ in acel moment , nu?). Din moment ce se prezinta in fata a aprox 80 persoane si recunoaste ca "nu are nicio legatura cu TIME MANAGZEMENT dar poate sa ne spuna cate ceva"...si mai afirma si ca e la filosofie in anul 4...si trateaza un argument de tipul : "timpul nu exista" cu atitudinea cu care trateaza biserica opera lui Nietzsche (pentru "connaisseuri"), in loc sa mi prezinte un contraargument logic.

Apropo de managementul timpului si de prioritizarea activitatilor... nu pot sa cred ca, o persoana care slujeste valori ca LIVING DIVERSITY sau ca STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE isi petrece 2-3 sau chiar 7 ore (nu pot sa inteleg asta, cum sa stai atata timp in sediu, eventual degeaba) participand la: sedinte care nu te incurajeaza si nici nu te ajuta la nimic, petreceri la care "bisericutzele" is evidente dinainte sa intri, LC-meetinguri la care se aplica geniala zicala" daca nu ne aplauda nimeni, macar sa ne aplaudam singuri". Nu pot sa cred ca in tot acel timp, acesti oameni "speciali" renunta la: a citi o carte, a face o ora de sport, a se plimba pur si simplu, A SE GANDI LA EI, sau mai grav la cateva cursuri/seminarii/sesiuni.

Sunt foarte multe lucruri pe care ar trebui sa le schimbati... reusita voastra nu ar trebui sa o masurati doar in cati oameni am trimis in exchange, cati bani am primit de la o companie pentru un proiect... ci si in lucruri care va vor ajuta pe o perioada mai indelungata decat aceste bucurii de moment, cum ar fi: o cultura mai bogata, maniere mai elevate, oameni care intr-adevar se specializeaza pe un anumit domeniu (ca nu inteleg pe ce domeniu te specializezi daca nu te duci 8 ore la facultate sau la sala de lectura sau sport si stai 8 ore in @ - cine iti mai garanteaza ce?).

Unul dintre lucrurile pe care am vrut sa vi le amintesc de la inceput este acela ca NU EXISTA NIMIC OBLIGATORIU IN VIATA ASTA! Activitatea @ este strict bazata pe voluntariat (sistemele de rewards&recognition nu pot fi aplicate in cazul in care pentru un proiect tu oferi maxim 3-4 premii in valoare de maxim 5 lei...). Stresul pe care l-ati creat dand mail-uri peste mail-uri considerand ca asa este mai profesional sau anuntand de zeci de ori un LC-Meeting care nu intereseaza pe toti in aceeasi masura sau subliniind cat de importanta este participarea noastra la un anumit eveniment nu a facut decat sa scada implicarea unora din membri (cel putin a mea). Sunt persoane in @ (majoritatea) care nu viseaza decat sa plece in afara (sa fim seriosi, cati demonstreaza kiar k ei fac totul k s fie cei mai buni pe domeniul lor sau ca ei pot schimba pe cei de langa ei - sau macar pe ei insisi). Sunt multe persoane in @ care nu au ce cauta intr-o organizatie bazata pe VALOARE. Construiti-va un ONG capitalist... bazat pe profit... eventual politic... bazat pe interes... acolo poate veti fi buni... dar in ceea ce priveste valorile... slabe sanse.

Tin sa mai precizez ca nu am avut nicio secunda intentia sa jignesc in mod vadit pe cineva... sunt observatii (repet OBSERVATII, si nu pareri) pe care le-am facut in mod general! Oricine are ceva de adaugat la aceste randuri rog sa o faca trimitandu-mi un mail si nu bazandu-se pe sistemul de "recomandare" din @, care am vazut si eu ca merge foarte bine (inspre rau, dar e si asta un mod de a merge).

Ce pot sa mai zic?... sau poate ca ar fi indicat sa ma opresc aici... pentru linistea mea!
Astept... sincer... mail-urile voastre!

Have a nice evening!
BUDDHA BLESS U
bbye

Exchange Stage

At this stage, you leave your country to work in a different country in an area of your background and/or you are passionate about. Working in a different country outside the AIESEC working environment can be very challenging and is an entire learning process on its own. This stage provides you the opportunity to be exposed to local issues but also to global issues through the interaction with other internationals.

This stage really will challenge you as you will be exposed to a totally different environment from what you are familiar with; you have the challenge of customising parts of your own learning process.

Why this stage is important for you:

• The experience of a successful fulfillment of the exchange process is a very unique experience.
• You gain an international experience that fits into your learning goals and also the organizational goals.
• You will have a close personal interaction with a new culture, broadening your horizon. The aim here is to provide you with relevant working and professional development, and to allow you to get integrated into the local culture as deeply as possible.
• You have cultural and socio-economic interaction which will provide you with the practical opportunity to create a holistic worldview.
• You will gain motivation about the possibility of change by driving change even in a small scale through a community involvement program.

This is my stage now; in every end there is a new beginning, so it is time to evolve now!

Spring Recruitment AIESEC Iasi 2008

Start ME

Smart Trainings for Achieveing the Right Talent for My Education

START ME, realized by AIESEC Iași during 15th of February and 15th of April 2007, is a training program for about 150 students in 10 high-schools, on themes of personal development and career orientation.

This had been thought as a non-formal educational platform which actions together with the traditional learning system and will be held in English by 4 trainees from AIESEC’s network. The program is structured in two modules. The first one contains themes of personal development like: creativity, public speaking, pro-activity, emotional intelligence, team work etc. The second one includes sessions of personal skills discovery, personality tests, and visits at various universities in order to observe the specific of each of them, the way of teaching, the courses, and also sessions of discussions with well prepared people from many domains in order to get a real image of the various professions.

The career orientation module had come to an end and about 120 students had meetings and discussions with students from various universities and with professionals from various domains.