When I first walked into my AIESEC interview, I had no idea what to expect. My first interview was through the phone while I was on a packed train in Italy, so I didn’t hear half of the questions or information that was being said. So, I am sure you can imagine my stress when I came to the office and saw a lot of people who, although seemed really kind and nice, were all busy and looked super smart and intimidating. Despite my nervousness and fumbling all marketing-related questions, somehow I still did well, otherwise I wouldn’t be here writing this blog.
My very first AIESEC touch-point was NIS (National Introduction Seminar). We gathered at Tilburg Central station at 9 AM, so not only was I extremely tired, I also felt scared because I only knew one person from our LC (Local Committee). Luckily, from the moment I had arrived, the same girl that had interviewed me recognized me, hugged me, and introduced me to the other members. Although it was quite early for all of us to be chatty, everyone immediately welcomed me. From that moment on, I knew I would have an amazing year with these people. Throughout the whole ride someone constantly talked to me which I am so grateful for because I usually shy away to approach people first. This went on during all the breaks and the ride back as well. I felt an instant click together and I absolutely love it.
After NIS, the next touch-point was takeover weekend. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the whole weekend. Because of that, I felt like I did not really fit in since I couldn’t talk and bond as much with the other members as I would’ve liked. My anxiety kicked in, but luckily one person noticed how I was feeling and started talking to me. They helped me to write down my goals and showed me that being absent does not influence our group bonding.
During the summer I only talked to a few people from our LC and I was afraid that all the previous connection was lost. All my fears about not fitting in and losing the connection left as soon as we arrived at FallCo. Although FallCo wasn’t quite what I expected from its programme, however, the people I met and friendships I made were one of the best experiences I ever had. I want to appreciate our kind and caring president who spent every second of the day making sure we were ok. I could tell him anything, and with him there I felt safe. I also felt confident that this year will go amazing for our whole LC. Although our president is great, he can’t get all the credits for FallCo being amazing. Everyone from our LC was so nice to everyone and nobody was never alone, we all took care of each other.
If I learned anything from my first couple of months in AIESEC, it would be that in AIESEC you can never feel alone and you are always surrounded by beautiful people.
