Transkript
Wer bist du und was machst du?
My name is Madis Vaelja. On my business card it says “Head of marketing management.”
Worum geht’s in deiner Lehre?
My job handles all the members in AIESEC in terms of their own personal development inside the organization. In terms of marketing, my goal is for our events, our bigger international events, our products, like volunteering or internships abroad or even membership or being a leader in the organization. I'm responsible for finding these members among students inside of all of the universities in Austria. So my goal is to communicate in a way, how students actually like to hear about this. Also what we can provide from an organization side. So about two products that I'm handling marketing for is external events, like you've to business where a lot of students around Vienna in this example come for one event that I'm responsible and organizing a team take care of it. Then there are internships abroad. I go to the internship department and think if I was them, “okay how to approach to rinse for internship that they like for 6 months go abroad.” Or then there's a smaller going abroad that we have, is volunteering abroad that are also with that department and there I just clusterize for products instead of one big one that would confuse the students. In a 2 month I'm spending six weeks in Vienna inside the office. 1 week in Vienna going around our local offices, we have the two major offices here. Then all around Austria we have five other offices that I visit once every two months. So for one week, I will be traveling around Gratz, Linz, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck and Salzburg visit all of their offices, see how they're doing how the promotion is going, how their current feeling is, how well they understand the product and how prepared they are for the next quarter for the next promotion period.
Wie bist du zu dieser Lehre gekommen?
I was born in Estonia and spent most of my life there. I was first in a science space in gymnasium and from there I graduated in to our IT department in my hometown University. In between I had a a job as a system analysist in Estonia for the biggest IT company we have there. In between I’ve discovered more of my passion towards entrepreneurship, towards leading a team, managing other people. From the side I saw that actually this is something I would enjoy myself more in, in task oriented position in the organization. Then I transferred to an other university, a technical university where I studied business IT. I started at AIESEC four years ago, march 2010. I was a team lead for 2 months, then I was marketing manager for international events for half a year. During that period I’ve also became the marketing manager of AIESEC Estionia for 1 year, from june 2011 to june 2012. After two years in AIESEC I’ve discovered that being only in my country I can’t get enough relevant global experience with different nationalities. To get the full picture even in Europe, you need to travel further. In may last year I came to Austria as a marketing manager, and that’s my current position until next June.
Welche Eigenschaften sollte man mitbringen?
Personal skills and talent with past experiences are a good bonus to start in the organization in a concrete position. I think the magic of our department is no matter of the background, if you you’re say willing to do the job and you're willing to be educated on how the job should be done then you can still do it. We will provide the personal education from the ground u, until the highest level possible, as long as the person is interested to learn.
Was ist das Coolste an deiner Lehre?
The last campaign I worked on is a 3 months old campaign called seven reasons why not to join AIESEC. Because of the negative approach towards joining an organization. It's really hard to rephrase this, we did it in English, in German, it took 3 months and once the design and everything, the product is packaged and you have the poster in your hand. Then you finally see your 3 months of work in your hand. That's the greatest moment. The next greatest moment is when you see people applying to the organization based in the campaign that you organized.
Was ist die größte Herausforderung?
Only thing that really is limiting me, is my chance to go to all of the cool conferences AIESEC offers in other countries around the world. It is because there's like two conferences per day in some point in the world. Of course if you're in the higher management there's not so many conference you can go to because there's no meaning for it. There is more opportunities right now than I can take. So that's kind of my restriction that I need to be here and not only to go to conference to other countries.
Der wichtigste Ratschlag in deinem Leben… ?
Pay more attention what they teach you in the gymnasium. Travel more! Be more open-minded towards other cultures and nationalities because you can learn a lot from them.
Mehr von AIESEC
Iván Sánchez Enrique
“The thing that I like the most is the story that we are creating out of the experiences that we provide, and the experiences that we live.“ For Iván Sánchez Enrique, Director of AIESEC in España, it’s cool that he can see, “how people develop themselves through their achievements that they get as being part of the organisation.“ His responsability is to manage the national team and to represent spain at an international level. For his job soft skills are essentiell: “You don’t need that many hard skills.“
Madis Vaelja
“Inbetween I discovered my passion towards entrepreneurship and leading a team.” Nowadays Madis Vaelja works as Head of Marketing at AIESEC. What he likes most about his job? “When you see people apply to an organization based on a campaign that you organized.” His advice? “Travel more and be more open-minded towards other cultures. You can learn from them!”
Andrea Süschetz
“You have to be interested in international experience and like to have a lot of responsibility”, says Andrea Süschetz, Head of Global Talent Sourcing and Selection. She works for AIESEC Austria and helps students from everywhere in the world to get internships in Austrian companies. On the one hand it’s a lot of work, but when you have an idea “nobody can say ‘you cannot do that’, it’s like a playground”, she says.
Jakub Baláz
"What really matters is your attitude and your mindset, not what you have on your CV.” Jakub Balaz worked as Head of Marketing at AIESEC before he started as Head of Sales & Sponsoring at “Diversity Leadership”. Apart from being able to work when and where he wants, he most appreciates learning to deal with failure: “You lean to try the 21st time if it didn´t work the 20 times before.”
Miroslav Dimitrov
“Be more open for new things, don't be scared of challenges and just go and try it”, states Miroslav Dimitrov Vice President Organizational Development at AIESEC Spain as one piece of advice that he would give to his 14-year-old self. His work demands two very important things: “You need energy and positive attitude the whole day”
Anna Atalora
“I really like the part of co-creating something, the strategic part and proposals” says Anna Atalora about her job as Vice President Business Development at AIESEC.. What is most important for her when you seek to work in the field of Sales is personality: “I think you can do it without a specifically background in business administration, because is mainly about the personality, that you have”.
Cristina Soreanu
“Dream big. You shouldn’t put limitations to your dreams, the world will do it for you anyways, so there is no point in saying ‘This is not possible’”, Christina Soreanu would tell her 14-year-old self. The coolest thing about her job as President of AIESEC in Austria “The global network and having the chance to work with people from different parts of the world.”
Raúl Pineda Urbina
“As long as you are not afraid of working with numbers, you can do it.” Paul Pineda Urbina, Head of Finance at AIESEC, started his AIESEC-career in Mexiko working in the Sales Department. “The best part of my job is realizing how everything we do has an impact on people. Whenever I have contact with them, it is the most rewarding part of my job.“
Elena Tirtiu
“In the end it is not only about your background or knowledge, but more about the attitude towards work.” Elena Tirtiu works as Recruiting Consultant for AIESEC. Part of her job is to make sure that AIESEC is properly represented to external partners. The coolest part about her job? “I always look forward to meeting members of student organizations.It always gives me a lot of energy and insipres me to do better every day.”
Juan Guerra
“I met people from Austria, I got to know Vienna and fell in love with this city.” Juan Guerra, Local Head of Finance & Human Resources, was born in Venezuela and gained international experience in the US and Germany before he came to Austria. His advice: “There is no development if you don’t get out of your comfort zone. AIESEC will make sure to get you out of there.”
Stephan Kropf
"You can send 1.000 emails but they will never have the same effect as if you talk to someone personally.” Stephan Kropf promotes an IT-Donation Platform towards the NGO-market. Through AIESEC he was able to gain international working experience in Italy, Macedonia and Switzerland. The coolest thing about his job? “When I talk to people and explain them what I am doing, it gives me a lot of energy because I can see what impact NGOs have in Austria.”
Johannes Ide
“It is about the development of the people, who work for us.” Johannes Ide, President of AIESEC Austria, provides personal coaching to his team-members. His position combines the elements of his dreamjob: “When I thought about my dreamjob, I wanted something with a lot of responsibility, to work with a team and to travel a lot. Through my job I have all this elements.”
Ivan Jurić
“I was always interested in doing something different, something more.” Since elementary school Ivan Jurić was president of the school parliament. As president of the AIESEC Local Committee at the University of Vienna his main duty is to motivate his co-workers. His advice: “It is important to have a focus, to know what you want and what you want to get out of it.”
Ivana Gusic
“When we are young, we are very impressionable and we want to please everyone. Do what makes you happy and don’t worry so much”, Ivana Gusic, Head of Public Relations and Marketing at AIESEC, would tell her 14-year-old self. The limitation of her job? “For marketing people it’s usually the budget!”
Oraianthi Evangelia Toumxzxtou
“Communication with the people that are going to an exchange program and they tell you things like: thanks for this, it felts so amazing” is the best thing in her job as Vicepresident for Outgoing Exchange in Spain, tells Oraianthi Evangelia Toumxzxtou. Her organization prepare people for exchange programs, the most important thing about it is “that they really develop, the things they have to develop and in the end when they come back they bring something value to Spain”
Mariana Ferreira Amaro e Silva
“Do not be afraid of making new things happen, to get out of your comfort zone” iis one piece of advice that Mariana Ferreira Amaro e Silva, Vice President of Marketing at AIESEC Spain would give to her 14-year-old self. Even though she is studying Economics, she works in Marketing as these fields have a common element: “I am working now in Marketing but I study Economics and and this is somehow connected, because when you study economics it's about the behavior of people, and his is what we are doing in Marketing. We need to convince people”.
Alisa Eresina
“It´s great to work with young people. You really see how they are developing on a professional and personal level.” As President of the Local Committee Alisa Eresina is responsible for the strategical outlook of AIESEC at the WU (Wirtschaftsuniversität) in Vienna. Her advice: “Don´t just go with the mainstream! Find something you are really passionate about.”
Kristina Gondova
“Seeing the impact of what I`m doing in my colleagues’ work, makes really worth what I am doing.” Kristina Gondova is Head of HR and Member of the Management Team at AIESEC Austria. Her advice: “Never be afraid to fail and to use every opportunity that is in front of you! ”
Melanie Gonzalez Y Bender
“In the end it is always the goal to have a win-win situation.” Melanie Gonzalez Y Bender works as Sales Academy Member for AIESEC. The organization was the perfect opportunity to combine her two passions: Travelling and Sales. “You have to be very persistent. You receive a lot of No’s and finally you receive a Yes.”
Predrag Gogic
“No excuses! Excuses will take you nowhere, fight against them. Your sentence should be: I can, I will, I do!” As Head of Outgoing Exchange Program at AIESEC Predag Gogic knows everything about student exchange programs. “The coolest thing is the feeling when someone is going abroad. When the person comes back and shares experience, you hear that you changed someone’s life.”
Peter Kürti
“Working for AIESEC is not stereotype at all”, says Peter Kürti, Head of Business Development and Sales for AIESEC Austria: “You meet very interesting people and work with different companies, each day you can learn something new.” His advice to everyone is “to not be scared of taking challenges and responsibilities and of course to work on your languages.”