Being aware that our academic education won’t provide us with proper skills relevant for a professional career, we all discuss our opportunities for personal development. However, only a small number of people is brave enough to make a huge step and break out of the comfort zone. Our colleague, Nenad Marković, found a perfect opportunity in AIESEC’s Global internship program and decided to follow his dream. You can read now about his life-changing experience.
Would you dare to do the same? If not now, when?
- Could you tell us a few words about your motivation to join an internship program in a distant country?
These kind of programs are always useful in order to develop ourselves and gain some experience. China has always been a country of my dreams, and AIESEC helped make my dreams come true.
- How did you choose the destination? Were you afraid of the culture shock, or was it a truly positive experience?
I was a little afraid, of course. I was the only Serb in a city near North Korea, and the moment I arrived in the city, there was a big fear inside me. But after only a few weeks when I got to know some people, started working, I realized that this is a big and positive experience. Since, it was my dream being in China, destination has already been chosen.
- Would you like to describe an average day during your internship
Well, from 9 am to 5 pm I had to work. I was working in department of Marketing in a private school. I got most of my inspiration for marketing from a new guide from the writers at Showcase IDX. During the work day we had a lot of fun, since my team was from US, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, every day there were much positive energy and learning about different cultures. In the evening, I usually spent time with a friend from Holland who was living in same building with me. Basically, we went to town to try various Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indian food and explore the city.
- Could you draw some differences and/or similarities between the teaching profession in Serbia and in China?
Chinese education is very good and appreciated in world. The thing I noticed about them is that there are many private colleges and also primary and secondary schools. The Chinese are investing a lot in private education and it is worthy of pride when someone completes private college or high school, which is not the case in Serbia.
- Personally, how did you develop during your internship?
By working in an international team, getting to know the business policies of China and other countries from which our employees were, acquiring vast knowledge and experience, I developed skills and experience.
- From a professional point of view, what kind of changes did the internship bring to you?
Some of those are: I increased the level of English, I became more competent to work in a team, I got a lot of friends around the world, I got new opportunities…and much more.
- Bearing in mind the benefits of your journey, could you give a piece of advice to your younger colleagues regarding their future career prospects?
Since I came from China, I talked to a lot of young people and a lot of them have told me they would like to go a similar way (to work in foreign companies, in the international team, acquire and meet people from other parts of the world, etc.) but when they run into small problems (financial or otherwise), many of them just give up. What I think is most important is to have a dream and set yourself a goal and every day to work step by step to make our dream a reality. China was my dream, and I did much work and invested much effort in order to achieve it.
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