My name is Nicoleta Parvana, I am originally from Romania from a small city called Ploiesti. I am about to share with you now , one of the most exciting stories, because is mine and it changed my life, myself and all those who know me.
I joined AIESEC in my 2nd year of university (2007 ) and it was by far one of best choice I have ever made. I joined AIESEC as an EP( exchange participant) mostly,but I ended up organising and delivering conferences for people who want to go in an internship.
My first leadership position was to be OCP (organizing conference president) of our Local Planning Conference. I was new member, didn’t have so much experience,didn’t know what really means to select and lead a team to success and enjoy it with them.
I knew that I believe in striving for excellence, in humanity, in people driven by success but by the end of that experience my perspectives changed. I realised leadership is not about „ I „ is about making others to follow you without them even knowing. I had a vision about that conference and experience outside AIESEC about what a leader/team leader means, but that first experience changed me from an „I’ to an „us”.I have learned that Leadership „is like a lady, if you ask others to call you like that, it means you aren’t one”.
After this first leadership experience many more came. I was part of the National Trainers Team in Romania 2008-2009, than I joined MC in Bulgaria 2009-2010, in parallel doing a master in Romania and being part of the Global Talent Management Team , a support team for AIESEC International. I didn’t stop here and went to India, as Team leader in the organizing committee of International Congress, the biggest AIESEC Congress. Quite a vast leadership experience no? Well it was also a life experience.
All these enabled my development and enriched my experience. My values now, that guide my life are strong and present in all I do, because of AIESEC. All the international experiences I had made me be more cultural aware, more opened to new cultures and flexible; things that are important factors in a future career.
Going beyond leadership experiences, taking an internship challenge is something that will boost the core of your development, by giving you the chance to put in practice in a corporate or non-corporate environment all the experience you gathered.An internship is an added value itself, as I see it. Is a learning incubator pushing your development to a higher level. Makes you from good to great.
One of my biggest challenges in working abroad was knowing when to have the right approach towards the right person in the right moment. A future internship offers the frame to this and this made me wanna apply for an internship. Now I am matched with Tata Consulting UK and I will start soon , what I know it will be the best experience I have ever had.
If you want to pass the border of your skills, if you want a real self discovery journey, if you want constant development a network of contacts that is stronger than ever than an internship, in my opinion, is the best choice you can make for yourself.
I wish you to have the courage to challenge yourself and don’t stay average, don’t put yourself limits in just some leadership experiences, go for an amazing life changing experience and feel what AIESEC really means.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Nico
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