Being Young, Wild and Relevant

On our miniscule celestial sphere that we call a planet, adolescents and youth make up one quarter of the population. Knowingly or unknowingly, they are shaping global development and constantly challenging norms of all kinds. With such a powerful statistic on the table, it is particularly irksome to understand how teenage and early adulthood is perceived across the world.

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In all this vastness, at every point in time, one generation finds the fresher one unreasonably rebellious and irresponsible. Far from the psychological spin-off of age, to a large extent, this is true. The word and phase ‘youth’ are certainly overpriced. Most young boys and girls recklessly squander the most essential phase of their lives that supports both mental and physical cooperation and self-interest.

 

While stepping into high school or university, young people are unable to put up with competition, popularity and the fame game for very long. The big dreamy eyes are weakened and intimidated and shut down with no nerve for persuasion. With every flutter of the eye-lid, people live on or live out of this world. A thousand new games flood App Store, a car is made, a war can break out and white flag may be waved. Every single sweep by the seconds-hand of a clock smears our conjecture and hope that life will be good to us. The gimmick here is the assumption that opportunities are limited. Positively, the flipside of a coin reassures that somewhere a new niche has been carved, a new kismet is embarked upon and a new fortune is given birth to.

 

As a twenty-year-old, I find it difficult to be on a line with those that have already established a reputation for themselves in fields of my interest too. However, it is only when I quit doubting my abilities and lose to the qualms over the choices I make, am I at peace with myself.

 

The universe is a humbling place to be. If we could sweat at work as much as we do on the dance-floor and get our hearts to pound hard not just for a favorite rock concert but for the beauty of our dreams, we will stop merely existing in its immenseness. It is not about getting our names etched in dusty books in libraries. It is about taking chances, savoring every moment, facing our fears and being relevant.

 

Leading an obscure living is never the option. Find your passion and live on, till the end of time.

-Priyadarshini Sivakumar

13 Ways to Focus on Yourself in 2014

It’s always very easy to get caught up with the many things and responsibilities you have to cater to. We are so hard bent on getting lost in the complexities that everything seems like such a hurdle. It causes stress on you and the people around you, straining relationships and testing tempers.

It’s not too late to set a resolution, so we’d like to remind you of a few simple things to be more effective and efficient in your everyday life. A new year is a chance to start again, a chance to change and improve, a chance to be better. Let’s make the best of it!

happy new year 2019

1. You’re Responsible For You.

Everyone has bad days. Everyone has things that don’t go their way. It’s okay to be upset. But don’t let that hold you back or keep you from getting back up. We all get knocked down so that we can stand up again.  Challenges are always going to punch you in the face, so fight back! No one is going to do it for you.

2. Listen To Your Gut

Life is a maze. We reach crossroads. We may not have the answers. It is natural to seek advice and guidance. But always remember, each person has a different opinion and a different perspective. Each experience is different. That feeing in the pit of your stomach that won’t go away? Listen to it. Sometimes it’s okay to trust your instinct. You’d be surprised at how accurate it can turn out to be

3. Listening Is Just As Important

Communication is a two-way street. If you want to be heard then you need to be able to extend the same courtesy to another. Being able to hear and listen are two different things. Everyone is just as important as you are. Everyone wants to be heard and understood. Be the kind of person that lets people know their voice is valued.

4. Be An Encourager

Remember the last time you wanted to try something and felt insecure about going ahead with it? Every other person in the world feels that way. Insecurity is a part of our life but the right words go a long way in easing that insecurity. Being someone who pushes people forward goes a long way. You may have just played a part in giving someone the courage to go after their dream.

5. All Bark And No Bite!

Nobody likes a person who just talks and talks and does nothing. Actions always speak louder than words. Be known as someone who gets things done, who’s word is as good as the job being done. Always remember that ‘Well done’ is better that ‘ Well said’.

6. When In Doubt, Just Ask.

You’re not expected to know everything. Every day is a learning experience. Some may know more than you. There is no shame in asking because you don’t know. It shows your willingness to learn and better yourself.

7. Learn To Laugh At Yourself.

Okay, so you spilled a glass of water on yourself in front of a bunch of people. So what? They’re laughing at you? Laugh with them. It’d be pretty funny to see someone else with a soaked shirt right? Sure, it might be a little embarrassing, but that is where great stories come from. Besides, being laughed at can’t embarrass you if you’re laughing along with them too!

8. Politeness And Kindness Go A Long Way.

The world is moving at such a fast rate, that we forget to acknowledge the people we see. Take a moment to wish someone a good morning. Smile. Mum said don’t talk to strangers, she never said don’t smile. You could just make someone’s day. Kindness goes a long way too. No one’s asking you to go out of your way to help everyone, but if there is something you can do for someone, do it with a smile. Who knows when you might need them to give you a hand?

9. Give Something New A Try.

‘Get out of your comfort zone!’. I’m more than sure that you’ve heard this plenty of times! And that is because it’s true! This world is huge and offers more things than you could dream of! Take full advantage of that! You’re not going to gain anything by sticking to the same boring old routine day in and day out right? Talk to a stranger on the bus, try a new dish, colour your hair! Countless new things to try! Who knows, you may find something you’d like to make a part of your life!

10. Don’t Retaliate In Anger

Anger is such a powerful emotion. The urge to strike back and inflict the same hurt you feel is enormous when you’re upset. Many a times we say or do things in the heat of the moment and almost always end up regretting it. Simple tip: When you’re mad and you question whether you want to say or do something, DON’T do it. You’re guaranteed to regret it. You can be as mad as you like but keep calm and wait till you’re feeling less agitated and then take up whatever issue you may have. Give yourself that time and space. It’s okay to want that and communicate the same to the people around you.

11. Always Keep The Bigger Picture In Mind.

Life is too short to hold on to trivial matters. In a few years what seemed like a big deal today will be nothing more than a passing thought. Don’t let a petty matter affect your work, health or relationship with people. It is just.not.worth.it. Holding a grudge takes up too much effort and time. Focus that energy somewhere more productive. There is more to come, more for you, more for the people around you. Remember that.

12. You’re Your Priority Too!

The relationship you have with you is as important as the relationship you have with anyone else, maybe even more important. Because you have to live with you every single day for the rest of your life. Take time off to spend with just you. Catch up on a movie , read a book or treat yourself to a spa day. Ensuring you are happy and at peace with you is the only way you will be able to focus on growing in your other relationships.

13. Every Little Thing Counts!

Every day has something new to offer, there will always be something new to learn. You just need to look for it. It can be anything, from learning a new word to a piece of advice.  No action, no matter how small, is insignificant. So appreciate and look at what you can gain out of an everyday experience. A few years from now, when you look back, you’ll see that it was all the little things that made the biggest difference in creating your picture.

 

AIESEC provides over 100,000 young people with the chance to improve their skills each year. If you are looking to volunteer with AIESEC, check out our website at www.aiesec.org

Why to be at Y2B

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5 reasons why you should get your bags packing to attend AIESEC India’s Youth to Business Forum 2014.

 

Reason #5

 

Open your Windows & set afloat on Cloud nine |

Mr. Rajinish Menon, Director, ISV & Cloud Strategy at Microsoft India

 

To be able to directly interact with a business leader like Mr. Rajinish Menon, who has tackled several tough business and management challenges. He has donned various hats while emphasizing to systematize his enterprise. He not only believes in his own ability to inspire and lead people remarkably, through vision and confidence but also in the wonders that a good team can bring along.

 

To know more about our speaker Mr. Rajinish Menon, visit his Linked profile, here.

 

 

Reason #4

 

Lose yourself in the sinfully beautiful world of Social Media & Blogging |

Mr. Kiruba Shankar, Entrepreneur, Social Media Consultant, Author & Speaker

 

Got too many feathers on that hat? Well, Mr. Kiruba Shankar is going to give the world a run for “feathers”! A digital entrepreneur, author, teacher, podcaster and a farmer, Mr.Kiruba Shankar is the CEO of Business Blogging, a social media consultant firm. He has 18 years of work experience in the digital domain and is also a recepient of the ‘Digital Entrepreneur of the Year 2012’ award from India Innovation Forum. Having authored 4 books and written columns for Financial Express, New Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle, he has stolen the hearts of several audiences with his extremely humble approach, keeping it superb and simple at the same time.

 

To know more about him, visit his Linkedin profile, here.

 

Reason #3

 

Flip the coin and fill your Kart |

Mr. Sachin Bansal, Co-founder & CEO at Flipkart.com

 

In today’s world, having no knowledge about even the existence of Flipkart is as good as having no clue about the spelling of shopping.

Sachin Bansal is the Founder and CEO of Flipkart, leading E-Commerce Provider in India. An IIT Delhi Alumnus, Sachin left Amazon to start Flipkart along with a friend Binny Bansal with a mere investment of Rs 4 Lakh. Today Flipkart generates Rs 1.5 Crore a Day.  It has a record userbase of 1 Million in India only. They say one should live for the stories. And here’s our speaker, Mr. Bansal that has lived the story.

 

His Linkedin profile, here, will give you some more interesting information.

 

 

Reason #2

 

Pop-open the cap of happiness and effervescence |

Mr. Deepak Jolly, Vice-President, Public Affairs & Communications at Coca-Cola India.

 

Mr. Deepak Jolly was conferred the ‘Communicator of the Year Award’ in the Annual Achievers Award 2006, for his outstanding contribution in the field of Public Affairs & Communications. His experience in this field is notable and he has been in the field for over 24 years, specializing in the field of Corporate Communications, Public Policy, Corporate Social Responsibility & Consumer Response. He has also spearheaded many successful strategic stakeholder engagements for different Corporates.

 

Visit his Linkedin profile, here, for more details about him.

 

 

Reason #1

 

The world needs you |

 

It has been a while since researchers, economists, philosophers and leadership gurus across the planet realized the growing deficit of leadership on a global level. That is to say, there is a decline in the number of people who can compete in the big picture, being able to handle enterprises and businesses of the present and the future.

 

So where does the solution lie? To answer this, AIESEC India is inviting you to attend Youth to Business Forum 2014 at Hyderabad. The four aforementioned individuals will take you through a series of sessions, shedding light on their views and ideas about the theme of ‘Global Leadership Deficit’ and the relevance of the same for the youth.

 

Don’t miss it.

5 Reasons to Hire an International Intern

With a giant talent pool that transcends borders across the globe, AIESEC is one of the leading non-profits helping several other organizations, firms and workplaces hire international talent. At a glance, it might appear as if an optimized local recruitment is just enough –  but there are more than a few convincing reasons why you should hire an international student at your workplace.

1. Diversity

The science of staffing mandates the need for a multicultural work environment. Such a surrounding enables employees to understand international market trends as well as new cultures. Multiculturalism brings diversity – of sex, race, gender, nationality – but most importantly of mind.

Uwe Doerken, Former CEO, DHL Worldwide Express remarks, “I am convinced that AIESEC is our most direct link to tomorrow’s business leaders. These training opportunities will become a stepping stone for bright, ‘can-do’ people to join DHL and learn, advance and one day lead.” 124 countries and territories contribute to our enormous talent pool. AIESEC is the easiest way to access a group so vast, skilled and regarded.

2. Innovation

Global interns tend to think out of the box. This can be owed to the simple fact that they are ever ready to grab new challenges given to them, since they are already out of their comfort zones.  Apart from enhancing creativity, they widen their perspectives as well those of their coworkers, leading to new ideas and a lively work spirit.

3. Growth

With a diverse workforce, different ideas and approaches can seem in opposition. Therefore, with more ideas in the room, employees undergo co-development. This is because cultures have an ever-lasting impact on how people generally think and come to decision. An open-mind to accept how others think gets to play a great role in paving way for organizational growth.

4. Flexibility

While hiring international interns, there is an advantage in the flexibility of extending the duration of work, depending on the combined interests of the company and the intern. Eligibilities can be easily negotiable and hassle-free arrangements can hence be made. Using organisations such as AIESEC allows you to reach a global talent pool that are available outside of the graduation cycle of your domestic universities.

Alicija Taraskevic who is the Branch Manager, LTC Forwarding Company, Lithuania says, “We signed a contract on Thursday, the intern from Belgium was in the office on Monday. That was very fast.”

5. Access to Gen Y

A culturally assorted as well as young work community assures good energy at work and curiosity. This curiosity can lead to a promising pursuit of learning as well as stimulate learning through new experiences. This makes them great sources of fresh ideas!

 

AIESEC provides thousands of companies with the chance to hire international talent each year for a variety of different job descriptions and flexible time periods. If you are looking to source a smart and savvy intern for your company, please visit www.aiesec.org

The Unique Benefits of Volunteering Abroad

Lately there have been countless discussions about the benefits of volunteering and about the benefits of traveling. But what happens when you put the two of them together? What happens when you don’t only travel but you dive into a new culture? When you have to work with volunteers from 10 or 20 different countries?

Well, this kind of experience doesn’t offer you just a random range of benefits but it changes you fundamentally. It challenges you and it makes you strive to be at your best.

So what exactly makes these volunteering abroad experiences so unique?

While volunteering, you will face events that will challenge your mindset

An internship abroad will give you the chance to travel to new places, make new friends, make new memories and learn new skills. But it also challenges you; it teaches you first hand what intercultural communication really is; it will challenge your mindset and it will help you become more open minded and more culturally aware.

“I’ve worked on the project with people from Ukraine, Russia, Bahrain, Poland, Egypt, Turkey, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and USA. I now feel that student exchange programs are crucial in getting to know so many different nationalities at once. It’s never too late to learn new things. The awesome experience has just taught me that life is not all about yourself, it’s about you in a society and how you adapt to it.”  – Jaya, on her internship in Ukraine

Volunteering abroad changes you because it gives you the chance to change others

The volunteering internships that AIESEC is providing are focused on solving particular issues in society, such as: cultural education, environment, cultural understanding or career development. This means that in most cases interns work with children or with students, and they have a chance to impact their life either directly in the short-term, or long-term, providing them with the skills and knowledge to be more successful.

Raluca was a volunteer in Poland. She says that: “this experience is about stepping out your comfort zone; about being crazy and letting go of what others think about you; about leaving a mark on some people’s lives. I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do this. To be that person that changes lives. But one day, during the last moments we had in one of the schools, the teachers came to us and told us: “You don’t know what an impact you had on these kids. You changed their lives.”

But we must admit there is one downside of volunteering abroad: it’s addictive.

Mihaela, who volunteered this autumn in Ghana, says that “now I’m even hungrier for adrenaline and adventure so I can’t wait to see what the future will bring regarding any new internship.”

 

AIESEC provides over 26,000 young people with the chance to go abroad each year. If you are looking to go on an internship or volunteer experience abroad, please go to opportunities.aiesec.org and check out all our available opportunities.