AIESEC is the basis for a successful career. Info-Prim Neo interview with Elena Borta, member of the AIESEC representative office in Chisinau

{AIESEC is the largest international, apolitical, independent, nonprofit organization run by students and graduates fresh from higher education institutions. Elena Borta is one of the 80 members of the AIESEC representative office in Chisinau. Working for two years at the organization, she learnt to choose her path in life. You can find more about the experience gained by her and about internship abroad in the interview below.} [ - What made you become a member of AIESEC?] - It is the best management school and the ideal place for knowing and interacting with the business environment. Being a student, I realized that I gained only theoretic knowledge at the university, while AIESEC offered the possibility of learning from experience. I was impressed by the very active and enthusiastic members of AIESEC. I did not think much ... and filled out the application form. [ - Two years of work at an NGO is a rather long period for the contemporary youth. What made you remain at the NGO for so long?] - Firs of all I think that the society has a mistaken opinion about what it means to work at an NGO. It is not a waste of time! On the contrary, you invest a lot in yourself. At AIESEC, I developed myself as a personality. I became stronger through the experience I gained. I made many friends and established contacts with businesspersons from Moldova and abroad. [ - What are the most important three things that you learnt during this period?] - There are much more than three things. However, the most important thing is that I gained knowledge in project management - in Human Resources Project Management (team management) and public speaking (oratorical art). Also, AIESEC helped me choose a path in life and I decided where I want to go and what I want to achieve. [ - How does the experience at AIESEC influence the career after ‘graduation’, if a young person wants to find employment?] - You make career at AIESEC. The AIESEC members can find a job much easier because they have a richer experience and knowledge that are appreciated by companies. That’s why I can say that AIESEC is the first step in my career. [ - What are your greatest accomplishments at AIESEC?] - I am proud of my leadership experience – coordination of the National Congress 2008. As manager of the project, I learnt from A to Z what I needed for the implementation of it and what risks such activities involve. I learned a lot. The exchange experience is the second thing for which it is worth being here. I did my internship abroad – in Germany. Any student that is a member of AIESEC can do this, depending on the specialty chosen. The destination can be chosen from an extensive database – 106 countries that are members of the AIESEC. [ - What did you gain from the experience exchange?] - The exchange offers a lot of advantages. I learnt a lot of things about people with different traditions, about the culture of the country, way of working and professionalism of the Germans. Working at InternetConcept, I enriched my knowledge of marketing. Besides the professional experience, you get an extraordinary chance to make friends. [ - At the Volunteers Festival in 2008, AIESEC was awarded the Most Active NGO of the Year prize. How could this organization develop so quickly in only 5 years of activity?] - Firstly, it is the learning environment. The new members of the organization can attend a lot of training courses and have many chances to study so that they can soon become professionals in human resources, sales or financing, marketing or projects. In addition, the young members of AIESEC work with passion and dedication and the things they do are most often successful, while the projects have a powerful impact. As a concept, AIESEC uses certain international methods and working instruments that are adapted to the national reality. [ - What is the most acute problem of the modern youth and how does AIESEC help them solve it?] - The lack of information and motivation and the negligence of the young people by the state are the major problems faced by the Moldovan youth. It is hard to be young in Moldova nowadays. Many of us do not know where they go and where they want to get to. Therefore, AIESEC organizes educational projects for university students (Next Step, ICO) and high school students (Start Smart). AIESEC makes itself heard and brings about changes in the young persons that take part in the projects.