AIESEC Sydney Information Pack Internship FAQs

What is AIESEC? AIESEC is the biggest, global, non-political, not-for-profit, student run and independent organization, exists in more than 100 countries that aims to develop its member to be a global leader that ultimately would give positive impact in society by giving them a lot of learning experiences. How does AIESEC differ from other providers of internships? AIESEC does not define itself as provider of internships only. Rather, AIESEC offers you many different opportunities to discover and develop your potential. Although an internship abroad is an essential part of the experience you can gain in AIESEC, it is closely linked to other experiences rather than separated from them. What does the AIESEC Exchange Program offer? The AIESEC Exchange Program offers you the possibility to have an intense cultural experience in one of its 110 member-countries. Concretely, AIESEC in your home country prepares you for the internship, while the section in the host country helps you apply for visa and work permit and organizes your accommodation. In addition, they take care of you as soon as you are there, make you familiar with their culture and organize events where you get to know other interns.

Why go on an exchange with AIESEC? Challenge yourself; discover more about yourself, what youre passionate about and what direction you want to head in the future. Gain access to AIESEC's leadership development program. Make friends around the World and travel to neighbouring countries/cities in the region you are located. Experience a new culture you will be living in a different country and working with locals, allowing you to experience a new culture and, hopefully, giving you a different perspective on the world. Personal and professional development participating in AIESECs Work Abroad program will provide you with two unique opportunities to develop a range of personal and professional skills. First, working with AIESEC at your university, and then later while on exchange, you will be working in challenging environments, working in teams and gaining valuable leadership and management experience. Differentiate yourself stand out from the crowd by doing something different, and gaining a unique set of skills in the process. Have a positive impact all of our Development internships will, in some way, allow you to have a positive impact on the community/communities in which you work. The nature of this impact is determined by the internship you take on.

Exchange is the most intense learning experience that we offer and links together our global network. Each year, we provide over 10,000 members the challenging opportunity to live and work in a foreign country in areas of management, information technology, education, and development. Types of Exchanges:

Management internships related to administration, finance, accounting, marketing, project management and HR. Development usually with NGOs, internships usually relate to wide variety of issues in community development. Technical internships related to management and development in web, software, networks, and databases, plus some engineering. Education internships related to promotion, curriculum development, teaching, and counselling in education sector.

Steps to the process: 1. Selection and Application After joining and understanding AIESEC, you can enter a review process to assess your experiences and motivation for going on an AIESEC exchange. This is a physical process consisting of selection interview, language tests and other steps depending on the country that you are applying from. The selection process aims to ensure that everyone participating in an AIESEC exchange is suitable and will have a positive experience while on exchange. It is comprised of at least 1 stages: Member Review Board: a board that will interview you to assess your suitability to become an exchange participant in several areas. You may find additional selection requirements based on the country that you are applying from. 2. Preparation This step happens before leaving for your exchange experience and actually starts before you have matched yourself to a suitable internship. It consists of areas such as:

Logistical preparation. Ensuring that you are physically and legally prepared to work in another country. Community Involvement. To help you gain an understanding of issues facing the world and your own community. Direct Country preparation. Preparation on the country you will be going to and also how to cope with the pressures of living in a foreign culture. AIESEC preparation. Providing you with knowledge about the exchange program and the roles of various entities.

The preparation step is critically important to ensure that you are ready to make the most out of your experience in a personal and professional sense. We also see it as an important part in ensuring that the people participating in the exchange program understand their responsibilities and the role that they play in fulfilling AIESEC's vision. 3. Matching By this stage you have been through the selection process and have become an official AIESEC exchange participant (EP). Now you are able to start being matched to a suitable internship. You will be trained and given access to use our on-line database of internship opportunities. The more flexible you are in terms of geographical preferences the better. 4. Integration The most fulfilling step from here is experiencing the actual internship itself. AIESEC will provide you with much more information on what to expect during your internship experience and what kind of involvement you can have with AIESEC and the local environment while you are on your exchange experience in a new country. AIESEC members in your host chapter provide support in receiving you, getting logistically setup while providing opportunities for cultural and social activities. 5. Re-Integration AIESEC supports you in making the readjustment process when you return home. We hope that your experience opens up a world of opportunities to create a better society for us all. Also, if you're interested to continue your AIESEC career, you can try the leadership opportunities available for you in your country.

Cost DTs/ETs: $600 of which $50 must be paid prior to sitting the Member Review Board (an interview process in which we assess your suitability for the program). You will have 7 days after passing the MRB to pay the remaining $550. Flights and living expenses are generally at your own cost, however, some programs offer free food and/or accommodation, the decision of which is at the complete discretion of the organisation or AIESEC committee supplying the internship. MTs/TTs: $750 of which $50 must be paid prior to sitting the MRB (member review board, in which we will assess your suitability for the program). You will have 7 days after passing the MRB to pay the remaining $700. Flights and living expenses are generally at your own cost; however, in MTs and TTs you will receive a salary which should cover all expenses. Duration Internships vary from 6 weeks to 78 weeks, but the majority of internships are flexible, and tend to last 6-14 weeks.

FAQs Do I have to be a member of AIESEC to work abroad? No. As long are you are enrolled in University or have graduated within two years, you are allowed to apply for an AIESEC Internships. Those who go on an internship are encouraged to come back and become members, but it is not compulsory. Can I go on an exchange with my friend/partner? The short answer is that it is possible, but is difficult due to the way we match our Exchange Participants with internships. AIESEC encourages those who are looking to go on exchange, to do so individually. The reason for this is that the AIESEC experience is focused around self development. How much do I need to save up to go on an AIESEC internship? That depends on the option. There is a standard administration fee for each of the internships which is available on the website. You will also need to look up how much your flights cost to go to your destination. This is usually a dynamic figure. You will have to consider the costs of visas, inoculations, insurance and any money spending for tourist items, etc. While you have to purchase these yourself, we do help with process such as obtaining visas. You are also advised to have enough money to cover costs for a month in your destination. AUD$500 should easily cover this. How much will I get paid? We would like to emphasis strongly that an AIESEC internship is primarily there to offer you an experience of a lifetime that fosters personal growth, rather than providing you with a career. The money provided will be enough to cover standard costs or you will be provided with food and accommodation. The pay varies depending on length of internship, location and living arrangements. We would recommend to have enough money for the first month of living since you might be paid monthly, you may initially have to wait for your first payment. What happens once I sign up? Once you sign up you will be contacted by AIESEC requesting an interview. This interview should be treated formally as it is intended to make sure we are sending the right people overseas as you will be representing not only AIESEC, but Australia too. Once you have confirmed your interview time, you will be sent the contract to read over. If theres anything you dont understand or you just want to talk about your options in person then we strongly encourage you to set up a time before your interview to talk about this, as you will be expected to sign the contract after the interview.

Who will help me in my host country? All the internships are based on a local committee nearby, which is there to help you during your internship. More concretely, the members of this hosting local committee organize your accommodation, pick you up from the airport / station, show you around in the city and accompany you to work on your first day. In addition, they will integrate you into their activities, organize events for you and the other interns and help you get to know the people and culture of your host country. If there should be any problems, there will always be someone to help you. We will keep in contact with you and support you in every possible way.