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The IAESTE London Local Committee: an experience worth a thousand internships
When I returned from my internship in Denmark, all psyched by the experience just concluded, I discovered that a group of like-minded IAESTE alumni were just setting up the first London Local Committee. It was incredible to think that I could extend my IAESTE lifestyle in my very own routine. I could hang out with the group regularly, and explore the immense variety of boroughs and cultures that London has on offer.
The scope of the London LC is wide ranging. Our immediate role is as an “on-the-ground” outpost of the British Council IAESTE office, being the faces and smiles of IAESTE in welcoming incoming students and preparing those who are leaving to go abroad. During the summer, we take care of the international trainees resident in England, arranging summer trips, weekly socials and cultural events. For the remainder of the year, you’ll find us at careers fairs promoting IAESTE, networking with employers and trying to secure new placement opportunities.
Joining the LC is a flexible commitment. A big reason to be a part of it is that committed members are rewarded with a guaranteed IAESTE internship the following summer, which is significant given how competitive securing placements can be. However, the majority of our members are drawn to the LC simply because the experience is fun; besides being rewarding, the group is contagiously pervaded by an openly social mindset. Last year the LC organised exchange trips (twinnings) with LCs in Istanbul, Zagreb and Split; we held barbecues, a New Year’s Eve party, a Christmas dinner, attended festivals and concerts, played squash fortnightly and met random people around town. So we can say it out loud: the LC is first and foremost a group of friends that is open to everyone visiting, studying or working in this beautiful city.
What’s more, the London LC is proud of its international reputation and has attracted members from other LCs globally, giving all of its members endless opportunities to experience different cultures, to challenge stereotypes and to obtain first-hand global experience. This results in an LC that is dynamic, rich in perspective and ideas and a skills-enhancing, international working environment where members build large networks of international contacts, learn how to go about marketing, practice public speaking in English, manage IT platforms and how to build a work team.
Being a member of the LC isn’t only just about getting points for an IAESTE internship, acquiring a wide range of transferrable skills or fleshing out your CV; we are an ambitious group that does real work that shapes our members and their futures. Ultimately, the sense of working towards a greater understanding of the world, empowering other students and allowing people to create bonds across international boundaries is what makes it worthwhile.
To get involved, contact us at info@iaestelondon.org.uk
Visit www.iaestelondon.org.uk and find out how to join our
Welcome Event at the beginning of October.
For more information on the IAESTE programme in UK,
both if you are a student or an employer, you can also contact: iaeste@britishcouncil.org
