ep manual v1.0
DESCRIPTION
The EP Manual is to be distributed to all the raised EPs. It covers all the basic information that EPs must know, from raise through to reintegration. The purpose of this manual is to provide a standardised information manual for all EPs in Australia and lighten the load of OGX members in educating EPs.TRANSCRIPT
Exchange Participant’s Manual
AIESEC Australia
Version 1.0
August 2013 I am an AIESECer
2
Introduction
Welcome to AIESEC! You have passed your interview, and you are now
officially an Exchange Participant (EP) of the world’s largest student-run
organisation.
This booklet is designed to help you through your journey to realise your
AIESEC exchange experience. It contains instructions on how to approach
each stage of the process from this point.
If you become confused or doubtful at any time, make sure you consult your
assigned EP Manager/Buddy.
Contents
This booklet has been broken down into colour-coded sections that help you
through each stage of the exchange process. In AIESEC, there are four main
stages you must go through:
Raise Getting Started
Match
Searching and applying for your internship
Realise
Preparing for and realising your AIESEC exchange
Reintegration
Returning home and engaging in further AIESEC opportunities
Page 4
Page 7
Page 17
Page 20
INTRODUCTION
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Glossary of Terms
We love acronyms in AIESEC, but it can take a bit of getting used to! Before we get into the details, here
are some useful acronyms and terms you should know to make your exchange process easier.
EP – Exchange Participant (that’s you!)
TN – Traineeship Nominee (technical term referring to a position in a project or internship)
LC – Local Committee, a local university or city based chapter of AIESEC
Home LC – The LC which is preparing and sending you out on exchange
Host LC – The LC which is hosting the internship and receiving you for exchange
OGX – Outgoing Exchange, the AIESEC department responsible for sending EPs on exchange
ICX – Incoming Exchange, the AIESEC department responsible for setting up internships and receiving EPs on
exchange
VP OGX – Vice-President of Outgoing Exchange, the director of the OGX department
VP ICX – Vice-President of Incoming Exchange, the director of the ICX department
TN Manager – The ICX member responsible for managing an internship (a TN)
GCDP – Global Community Development Program (includes the Go Volunteer program)
GIP – Global Internship Program (includes the Go Teach and Go Intern programs)
Myaiesec.net – The intranet/database that AIESEC relies on globally to match EPs to TNs
EP Form – Your personal profile on myaiesec.net
EP ID – The unique code which designates your EP form (e.g. EP-In-AU-ME-2013-1730)
TN Form – The profile of an internship (TN), including job descriptions and details
TN ID – The unique code which designates a TN form (e.g. TN-In-PL-GD-2013-1762)
EP AN – EP Acceptance Note, the official document stating your acceptance of an internship offer
TN AN – TN Acceptance Note, the official document stating a TN’s acceptance of an EP
OPS – Outgoing Preparation Seminar
XPP – Exchange Program Policies – the legal document which outlines all legal obligations of LCs, TNs, and EPs,
and the standards which an AIESEC experience must meet. Useful to refer to in any difficulties or complications.
INTRODUCTION
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Raising: Creating your EP Form on the Database
1. Go to www.myAIESEC.net
2. Register as member
RAISE
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3. Fill in all the necessary information
4. Wait for approval. Your LC will be notified of your application, and will approve you.
5. Once they do, you will be notified via email, and your account will be created. Login and click on ‘My Experience’ at the top.
6. Under ‘Programmes and Phases’, select ‘Take Global Internship Programme’ (Go Intern and Go Teach) or ‘Take Global Community Development Programme’ (Go Volunteer) – make sure you choose the one you applied for.
RAISE
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7. Fill in all of ‘Personal Information’, ‘Academic Information’, Backgrounds’, etc.
8. Make sure all the fields are filled in and your CV is uploaded.
9. Click ‘Generate Form’.
10. Enter your preferences in ‘Personal Preferences’ and ‘Regions’ and click ‘Show EP Details’.
11. Now your form should be raised on our database – meaning that you officially exist in the AIESEC world,
and internship managers can search for you/contact you. Your EP form should have an EP ID that looks something like EP-In-AU-ME-2013-1730 Make sure that your form exists by going ‘AIESEC Programmes’ on the top, ‘Exchange Management’, ‘My Forms’
and ‘My EP Forms’. Currently, it should be on the status ‘New’. This will change to ‘Available’ once your fees are
processed, and this is when you are officially allowed to match.
RAISE
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Matching: Searching for an Internship on myaiesec.net
1. Go to www.myaiesec.net and login with your email and password. Your login email should be the one
that you used to sign up to myaiesec.net with. 2. Go to: AIESEC Programmes/Browse Internships.
3. You will be directed to the page where you can search for programs:
MATCH
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4. Adjust the “Earliest Start Date Between” field to suit the earliest date you can start your exchange.
On the right hand side, under “Type” select “TN”. In the dropdown box under “Programme”, select “Global Community Development” if you are taking Go Volunteer, and “Global Internship” if you are taking Go Teach or Go Intern. Keep in mind that if you are looking for an internship that starts in 6 months, you will probably find few
options. Most TNs go up on the database 2-3 months prior to their start date.
5. Click on “Show”, next to “Committee” and you should see a list of countries drop down. Tick the boxes next to
the countries that you are interested in.
MATCH
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6. Scroll back up and click the green ‘Search’ button. Will look like this:
7. To see the TN form (program details), click on the blue TN ID (eg. TN-In-TW-DH-2012-88), NOT the project
name. 8. To look for a program that you had found before, type the program name in the search box (e.g. “Save Poor
Children in Asia”) and select “Organisation Name.”
MATCH
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9. Select an internship you would seriously consider participating in. You should check whether you meet the
requirements set out on the form.
Matching: Applying for an Internship
1. Once you find a TN you like, send an email to the manager of the internship (marked below) AND click the Apply button at the bottom of the TN form, if there is one. Your application email should include:
Appropriate email title (e.g. “Application for Project X, TN-In-PL-GD-2013-1730”)
A cover letter including your country, Home LC, EP ID, and TN ID of the internship you’re applying for (as the email text)
CV/Resume (attached)
Motivation Letter (attached)
Example cover and motivation letters are provided in the next section as guides.
2. If your application is approved, you should receive a response from the TN Manager within a few
days, often requesting you supply more information or to arrange a Skype interview so that they can get to know you better and ensure you are right for the position.
MATCH
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3. Make sure the Skype chat is organized with correct time zones taken into account! Although the Skype chat is an interview, it is also an opportunity for you to ask questions, set expectations with them and get a response immediately. As much as the interview is them assessing your ability and setting expectations, it is also a process for you to assess the project and set expectations for the Host LC.
4. If your interview is successful, the TN Manager will request you send them a completed EP AN
(Acceptance Note), which is a formal contract stating acceptance of the internship, detailing the job start and end dates and other important information. Request the template from your EP Manager. Type in all the details, print a copy, sign it, and then scan a copy with your signature on it and email directly to the TN manager (and cc your EP manager). This is a legally binding contract and hence you should only send it once you are 100% confident about your desire and ability to participate on that particular internship. Once you have sent your EP AN, you cannot send an EP AN to another TN for the next 10 days.
MATCH
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5. The TN manager will then return a corresponding TN AN (Acceptance Note), within 10 days. You
must pass on this TN AN to your EP Manager. If you do not receive a TN AN back within 10 days, you are able to send EP ANs to other TNs you have been in contact with.
6. Once you have exchanged ANs, you are officially 'matched' to the internship, and the status of your
EP Form on myaiesec.net should be changed within a few days to ‘Matched’.
Company/Organisation Acceptance Note
From: LC IPN, AIESEC in Mexico
Telephone: +52(55)4336-1467
Fax: +52(55)4336-1467
E-mail: [email protected]
Date: 07-10-2012
To: LC AIESEC Sidney, AIESEC in Australia
TN ID: TN-In-MX-PN-2012-1314
Complete Organisation Name
in its legal form
Net Traducciones
EP ID: EP-In-AU-SY-2012-1709
Passport Number: M485244
Date of issue: 17/01/2012
Expiry date: 16/01/2015
Place of issue: Thet Mon Soe
Attention Ms. Thet Mon Soe , ID number EP-In-AU-SY-2012-1709
You have been accepted for a traineeship with Net Traducciones, ID number TN-In-MX-PN-2012-1314. The traineeship starting date is 03-12-2012 and ending date is 25-01-2013 for a total period of 6 weeks.
This acceptance note is a formal acceptance of the intern as stated above. By signing to this acceptance note, my organisation agrees to participate in the above-mentioned internship with the accompanying roles and responsibilities. I also agree to participate in providing/provide all procedures/documentation required for the intern to legally enter and work in the host country.
If the embassy or consulate has any questions, please get in contact with the AIESEC Local Committee responsible for this Traineeship. (Contact information is included above.)
Thank you and we look forward to receiving you.
LC representative signature
Sincerely,
S I N C E R E L Y Carolina Chairez Perez Carreño ICX GCDP Matching Coordinator
AIESEC IPN
Three copies of this acceptance note are required with original signature (1 for the organisation, 1 for AIESEC local committee and 1 for AIESEC sending committee).
MATCH
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Matching: Example Cover and Motivation Letters
As mentioned in the previous section, we recommend that you include a cover letter and motivation
letter in your applications to maximise your chances of being accepted. The cover letter should go in the
text field of the email itself, while the motivation letter should be a separate attachment.
Below are an example cover letter and example motivation letter to get you started. It is recommended
that you write your cover and motivation letters before you start applying, and submit them to your EP
Manager for checking. Once approved, you can start applying for TNs using these two letters, with
necessary adjustments made for each TN.
Example Cover Letter
Dear XXX,
My name is XXX, a member of AIESEC at the University of XXX in Australia. I am emailing you in regard to your
TN-In-MY-UM-2010-1531. I believe I am an ideal candidate (EP-In-AU-UT-2010-1281) for a quick and efficient
match with this organisation. I am finishing off my degree: XXX. I am turning 20 years old, speak native English
and excellent Vietnamese (fluent verbally and good in writing and reading).
I have a solid academic background and work experience as a XXX, equipping me with the skills to be a successful
and productive intern in your organisation. I am available to start on 21st June 2010 for ideally a 6-week
internship, and am very enthusiastic about expanding on my academic and work experience in the field of
Advertising and Marketing. More than that, I am excited about being able to make an impact on society.
I would like further information on the following:
1) The type of accommodation provided? Please include information such as how far the accommodation is from
my workplace.
2) The opportunity to work with other AIESEC interns
Please find attached my CV, EP form, and motivation letter. An academic transcript can be made available on
request. Please let me know if this TN is already matched, or your feel I am not a suitable candidate.
Kind regards,
MATCH
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Example Motivation Letter
Dear XXX,
I have lived in Australia all my life. To say the least, I have been very much sheltered and protected. However,
more than anything, I have always harboured a strong desire to break away from this comfort. I am appreciative
of my life – I am educated, supported and loved, - but what I feel is most fundamental to me now is a fresh new
perspective.
I believe that it is not too ambitious to hope to change the world. The greatest developments start out from
seemingly big and impossible dreams. My career goal is to directly create an impact on society through the
creation and execution of influential advertising campaigns.
To achieve this, I not only require obvious experience and qualifications, but also a better grounding. There are a
lot of parts of myself, such as my confidence, self-awareness, leadership skills, that require working on.
Despite this, I offer you the following skills and attributes:
I am – without doubt – passionate about any tasks or roles I undertake or am given. I believe in my own work and
am motivated to make a difference. I am interested in graphic designing and am also an avid photographer. Just
as I have in the past and currently do now, I am able to offer these services to your organisation through
marketing facets such as events, documentation, marketing and promotions. My current positions in AIESEC and
VSA allow me to not only market the brand, but to also organise various aspects of the organisation.
Essentially, the requirements that you have posted up for this role are descriptions I‟ve undertaken in the past
without fail. I am a warm and approachable person – willing and ready to be of assistance at any point in time.
I hope you’ll give me the chance to show all of this to you. Thanks for the consideration and your time for reading
this.
Yours sincerely,
MATCH
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Matching: A Guide to TN Interviews
Pre-Interview Preparation Read the TN form very carefully
See your motivation letter and recap for yourself why this particular program interests you, and what you can bring to it
Google the country/city/culture, have some pertinent questions to ask and then have answered
Reflect on your MRB performance and see where you can improve
Conducting Interviews Expectations
Although your matching interviews are online, each person from overseas will have a different interview style and you will encounter varying levels of formality.
You will be interviewed by foreigners whose accents may impede your understanding, even if they’re speaking English.
Restating what should already be known: there may be some cases where your interviewer did not read your application carefully, or perhaps not at all, and subsequently a lot of the things that were already in your CV/motivation letter will have to be repeated.
Sample Questions
1. General Questions
AIESEC o Tell me a bit about AIESEC o Show your understanding of what AIESEC’s functions and goals are, its values, and also its
history o How to express to others why and how AIESEC is important to you personally o How is AIESEC particularly relevant to the program for which you’ve applied?
Strengths/ Weaknesses o Why do you think you are a suitable candidate for this program? o How these (strengths) are directly relevant to the program you’ve applied for and how
these (weaknesses) can be ameliorated through participation in the program
Locations o Why do you want to go to this country/city in particular?
Culture o How are you going to represent your country/Australia? o Describe to me an aspect of Australian culture that you find particularly notable o Give me an example of a particular aspect of our culture (the foreign culture) or a cultural
practice about which you’d like to know more.
Goals and Motivations o What do you want to get out of this internship? o What skills you think you can derive from this experience?
MATCH
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2. Situational Questions 1) General
Handling conflicts o If you need to work with a partner who has different values or work ethics, what will
you do to bridge these differences?
Adjusting to a foreign environment o How do you manage living in the same room with 6 other EPs? o How would you establish the fact that you like to have your own space?
2) Projectrelated Questions
Summer Camps/Teaching o Have you had any experience working with children/ teenagers before? o How would you communicate to a young person (child, teen etc.) who was being
unreasonable? Uncooperative? Uncommunicative? o What impact do you want to make on the children, their lives and their welfare? o What would you do if the children are fighting?
Social Projects o How would you go about overcoming and biases and prejudices? o How would deal with a person/ youth with a deadly disease? o How would you promote an issue in a society in which, historically, the issue has
been ignored or overlooked due to its controversial nature or because of social/religious norms?
Asking your own questions The TN interview is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the TN and make sure it’s one that you’re happy with. Some questions that would be wise to ask are:
Will I receive accommodation? If yes, is it provided or do I have to pay rent?
What are the conditions of my accommodation? Do you have any photos?
What is the address of my accommodation and how far is it from the workplace?
Will I be picked up at the airport? If so, by who and where exactly? What is their contact
information?
Is food provided?
What is the exact start and end date of the internship?
How many days per week am I working, and what I my work hours?
Am I paid a salary or stipend? If yes, how much? How often do I get paid and how do I get paid
(cash, cheque, etc.)?
What is the contact information of my employer?
What preparation should I make before leaving?
What type of weather can I expect?
What are some of the most important cultural differences I can expect?
MATCH
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Realising: Logistics Preparation
Passport
Ensure you have a valid passport, that will remain valid throughout the duration of your exchange.
Some countries require that the validity of your passport extends six months beyond the expected date of
departure from the host country.
Bring photocopies of your passport with you, in case you lose your passport overseas.
Visa
Check if your destination country requires a visa for your passport.
A tourist visa will normally suffice for 2-3 months. For longer term internships, an internship or work visa
may be required.
Obtaining a visa will require contacting the country’s consulate or embassy in your city.
Some countries require an invitation letter to get a visa. Contact your TN manager as soon as possible for
this. The TN AN serves as a valid invitation letter in most cases.
Visa processing can take some time. You should contact the consulate/embassy and begin the visa
application process as soon as you are accepted to an internship.
Insurance
As per the EP contract, you are legally required to have travel insurance before you leave the country.
Travel insurance is intended to cover medical expenses, financial default of travel suppliers, and other
losses incurred while travelling, either within one's own country, or internationally.
You must submit your proof of travel insurance to your EP Manager prior to departure.
Vaccinations
You may need vaccinations if your exchange destination is Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or Latin America.
Some vaccinations require you to get injected 1-2 months before entering the country and some; you
might need to several weeks for all the vaccinations.
You must consult your family doctor or local travel clinic for information on vaccinations.
Flight
Book your flights early to secure the lowest prices. You should book flights as soon as you are accepted to
an internship.
Enquire to your LC for potential discounted flight options through AIESEC partners.
REALISE
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Realising: Communication
Once you’ve sorted out all your pre-departure logistics, it’s time to fly over and realise your AIESEC
exchange! While you are overseas on your exchange, you are expected to maintain communication with
your Home LC. Stay in touch with your EP Manager and update them regularly on how you’re going. This
way, we can provide all the advice and support from home that you may need, and help you overcome
the challenges you’ll face.
Evaluation and Feedback
Before, during, and after your exchange, you will be contacted by AIESEC International to complete
feedback surveys on how your experience with AIESEC is going. You will also receive a survey at the end
of your exchange from your Home LC, to evaluate their performance in preparing and sending you on
exchange.
These surveys are compulsory to complete as per the EP Contract, as they are essential for us to keep
track of your experience and identify how to improve experiences in the future. Please ensure you
complete the short surveys that are sent to you.
REALISE
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Showcase your experience
You are encouraged to document your experiences as much as possible through photos, videos, blogs,
testimonials, and other updates. We would love to see your experiences, and this will help us showcase
your experiences to other students who may be interested in exchange, as well as utilise them for
further promotion of AIESEC exchange programs.
Emergencies or Complaints
If you are faced with circumstances that affect your ability to complete your exchange, or you have a
serious complaint about your exchange experience, there are steps to resolve this.
1. Physically communicate with your TN manager or the Host LC responsible for your internship
2. Contact your EP Manager, who will advise you throughout any difficulties
3. If you have a very serious complaint, your EP Manager can raise it to a national level case to be
resolved at a more formal level by the National EP Experience Manager of AIESEC Australia
REALISE
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Reintegration: Post-Exchange Opportunities
Have you completed your AIESEC exchange, and returned home at last? Your engagement with AIESEC
does not need to end there! As a ‘returned EP’, you have developed the skills and experiences that
exemplify what AIESEC aims to achieve, and you become part of a special community of AIESECers with
a number of further engagement opportunities available to you.
AIESEC Committee Membership
A common pathway for returned EPs is to join the LC that sent them on exchange as a committee
member in one of the various portfolios – this is considered a full reintegration of an EP into AIESEC.
Students with AIESEC exchange experience are highly suitable and valued as LC members. AIESEC
membership offers unique leadership and professional development opportunities, such as:
Work experience in a professional environment for a global organisation
Professional and personal development workshops
Access to a prestigious global network of talented youth
Conferences at state, national, and international levels
Local Committee Meetings
Even if you do not apply to join your Home LC, you may still be invited to attend a number of LC
meetings, taking advantage of the local AIESEC network as well as the workshops and sessions that take
place during these meetings. You may also be invited to present your exchange experience to the LC.
Information Sessions
Prior to applying for an AIESEC program, you would have likely attended an info session. Now, as
returned EPs, you are particularly welcomed to return to these info sessions and deliver presentations
about your exchange experience to other students interested in the opportunity.
Member Review Boards
Now that you’ve completed your exchange, you may now be invited to be a panellist on MRBs for future
applicants. This is a great opportunity to switch to the other side of the interview table and gain some
interviewing experience, and use your exchange experience to assess the suitability of aspiring EPs.
REINTEGRATION
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Outgoing Preparation Seminar
At your own OPS, you likely received helpful insights from returned EPs who preceded you with their
exchange experiences. As a returned EP, you can now be invited back to OPS to talk to EPs about your
experiences, and mentor them as they prepare to depart for their own AIESEC exchange. The most
helpful advice and insights come from those who have been through it themselves, and your help at
OPS would be greatly appreciated by all in attendance.
Social Events
Even if you do not join AIESEC in an official capacity, we encourage you to stay connected through any
casual events that returned EPs are invited to. You may be invited to EP reunion events, or social events
involved pre-realisation EPs who would value a chat with you about your experiences.
Past EP Experiences
“Regardless of where you are in the world, you will face challenges that can change you as a person so
completely, that you will never be able to see things as you once did. I thought of myself as being independent before I came to Indonesia, and regarded independence as a luxury that comes with age.
However, looking at the students of Padang University, independence is something they fight for every day of their lives. I can guarantee my time in Padang, Indonesia, will be looked upon as an unforgettable experience, and
I have met people that will remain in my life forever. I can honestly say that if every individual in the world was able to undertake a similar experience, the worldwide impact would be immense. AIESEC can make this dream a
reality”
Prue Padang, Indonesia
REINTEGRATION
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“I went on exchange to Warsaw, Poland in January. I took part in the Enter Your Future Programme, where 9
other interns from Brazil, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Egypt, Slovakia, Kenya and I were sent off to different
high schools each week where we organised and ran classes on our culture, as well as workshops on
creativity and presentation skills.
The great thing about exchange is that it offers the opportunity for everyone to experience something truly
special, to make your ordinary life extraordinary, not only for the 6 weeks that you are there, but for so long as
your impact on the people you met resonates. And this is what has kept me in AIESEC.”
Ching Yee
Warsaw, Poland
“I gained perspective. Children living for themselves, creating their own future,that's what changed me. I felt
selfish for the things you take for granted. Laughing, dancing, playing games. Then the funny moments, putting up
Christmas decorations, no running water, crazy dancing, jumping off a waterfall, petting a white lion, scuba
diving, spending a day on a catamaran, languages, moments. The ripple effect. Impact others so they can do the
same.”
Aditi
Mauritius
REINTEGRATION
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“Leaving behind the familiar comforts of home to a faraway land where no one speaks your language can be a daunting
experience. But throwing myself into the deep-end was the greatest decision I have ever made. The lessons I learnt about
myself and the lifelong connections I made were truly life-changing. Life beings outside of your comfort zone.”
David
Hungary
“I can now count to 10 in about 11 different languages. In Russian, I can count to 40. I can say "How are you?", and reply, in
about 14 different languages.
And I have my EP family, from America, Egypt, Russia, and India. My favourite AIESEC moment, was when my EP family
organised a surprise for my birthday - brought a cake to my room, and I ate a cake for the first time without any forks,
napkins, or plates. They then surprised me with organising as many of our international friends that we had met, to celebrate
my birthday. That night, I had "Happy Birthday" sang to me in 11 different languages. Nothing, can buy that experience.
Nothing will ever replace that experience.
I left for Europe alone, and I returned with a family and friends and languages and stories from all over the world. And it was
all thanks to AIESEC.”
Matthias
Bari, Italy
REINTEGRATION