AIESECers' Experience: Anastasia Belikova

 By: Unknown    13:05  AIESECers Experience, ICX   No comments

Anastasia is from Belarus and she is now studying International Business at JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä. 
 

How long have you been in AIESEC? Why did you make the decision to join this organization? Does it live up to the expectation you had before you joined?

I joined AIESEC in 2011, soon after I came to Finland. I made the decision because as a business student, the practical skills such as sales and marketing are very important for me. AIESEC could help me develop these skills. I could also learn how to work better in a team, and get the training and experience that are very useful to me in my future career.

It turned out to be more than what I had expected, especially after I joined the Incoming Exchange (ICX) team. In this team my work is more related to business. I got the chance to work with companies and know more about how business works in this country.

Also what amazed me about AIESEC is the kind of culture and environment if has created. It is friendly to everyone who comes here. The friendly attitude I get from others makes me enjoy working here. In AIESEC I could easily find people with the same mindset and it is easy for us to think in the same direction.

Could you please share with me some of the most impressive experience and most unforgettable moments you had with AIESEC?

The first great moment that comes to my mind is the ACCESS meeting in 2012, and I was the OCP for that meeting. That was incredible experience that I could never forget. Although I had been in the OC team for other conferences before that, it is different to be the leader. By being the leader you could learn much more about how to organize an event and work with the team. The conference was just like a baby of mine. I know it cannot be perfect but I just love it when I tried my best.

Another experience I remember so clearly is at the beginning of my work in the ICX team, when I made my first phone call to a company. I was so nervous at that time. I stood in the corridor and did not want anybody to hear it. But now I am already the team leader and I can even give training to others. It is so exciting to see the change I had within this short period of time.

What do you think are the few most important, but also interesting factors that make you who you are?

First, as those who know me would always say, I talk and smile a lot. I am quite open-minded and communicative, so I love talking with people. And smiling can always make me happy.

Then, I am only 18 years old and I am the youngest in our AIESEC local community.

I am the bigger sister in my family. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. I learned to take care of them since I was young and I am almost the ‘second mom’ for them.

Finally, I love swimming, and I have been doing synchronized swimming for ten years. 

It seems the one and half years you had in Finland is quite successful. What is your plan in the near future?

Yes it is successful experience, and enjoyable as well. This autumn I will go to Mexico as an exchange student.

Why Mexico? Does anything particular about that country that attracts you a lot?

Well, the main reason for me to go there is that I want to try something different. As you know, I am from Belarus. There is quite a lot of difference there compared to Finland, like the culture, the behavior of people and so on, although these two countries are not far from each other. Mexico is much further away and there is much more difference as far as I know. For example people there are so talkative; they do things very fast; the weather is never so cold, and there is amazing food! Such differences are exactly what I would like to experience in my life. I was born to try!