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30/7/09
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Ted
Starting my own business showed me the difference between school and real life, the difference between what you're taught in school and actually putting it into practice”…
My name is Ted Kouri and I am Alumnus of AIESEC at the University of Alberta in Canada. I started my own business, Incite Solutions, 3 years ago with another AIESEC alumnus. I took part in the AIESEC internship program, travelling to Latvia. It was wonderful; I worked for an agency, dealing with an international client group. I managed accounts for large companies such as Ford and IBM in the Baltic countries. Being in Latvia, I was given more responsibilities than I would have received if I had been in Canada because I had valuable skills: being able to speak English, computer skills and a business degree. Most people in the business spoke English, so it was accomplishing small daily tasks such as grocery shopping, going to a restaurant, and doing laundry, which
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were more challenging. You learn to use a bit of sign language and point to what you want. AIESEC gave me the chance to develop creativity, teamwork, intercultural and intergenerational skills. AIESEC provided an important “playground” to try things out. Starting my own business showed me the difference between school and real life, the difference between what you’re taught in school and actually putting it into practice. Starting your own business, you also learn from your mistakes. When something goes wrong, you just have to work through it and keep on going. AIESEC got me interested in business. It gave me the confidence to start my own business right out of university.
James
The importance of drive, values and passion that is instilled through my international experiences is something that will stay with me forever”…
My name is James and I am the director and co-founder of my own company. Studentbeans.com. I joined AIESEC at the University of Birmingham, UK in September 2002 and by the summer of 2003 I was experiencing a challenging and rewarding international experience. An AIESEC leadership role in The Philippines pushed me to my limit and forced me to adjust to the differences of daily living. I loved it and despite all the challenges, including witnessing an armed bank robbery and experiencing the city during a military coup, the people were fantastic, the international aspect of the trainee community was exceptional and the business experience I gained was unrivalled, contributing to my
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ability to set up my current company. I met companies and organisations including the Asian Development Bank, the British Chamber of Commerce, Shell Petroleum, HSBC, the European Chamber of Commerce and many more. Every weekend brought a different adventure, from visiting Banaue and the rice terraces along to seeing the amazing beach islands. I am now the director and co-founder of my own company. Studentbeans.com is a student website currently based in the UK that helps students save money and companies market more effectively to students. The importance of drive, values and passion that is instilled through my international experiences is something that will stay with me forever.
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