Now & Then
Now & Then: Be proud of your work in ESN! by Davide Capecchi Working for ESN had truly exchanged my life. I started my ESN life quite late, at twenty-six, in Milan. President of section, National Representative, President: it all came in a wave, from the first meetings with ESN Milano Statale to Rue de Trone 98, in Brussels. Three years run, normally, swiftly. Not those. They were dense of experiences, challenges, growth.
While serving as President of ESN I attended an MBA course for executives. I learnt about strategic planning, project management, accounting, cross-cultural management; being able to match these theoretical inputs with concrete implementation through ESN was a furtunate combination, that I recommend to all ESNrs.
As a President of local section, I had to motivate volunteers; to draft a budget and run activities, but first and foremost, to figure how to raise the profile of the organisation while recruiting new volunteers and communicating our work positively and effectively, responsibly taking initiatives and with pragmatism.
Many things, and all beautiful, happened to ESN and to me during those - by some extents – exceptional, revolutionary years 2005-2007. After the end of my second mandate, I have been immediately hired by ERYICA, the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency, as its Director. I have worked now for five years in this capacity, in close cooperation with national governments and local administrators, NGOs, the European Commission and the Council of Europe. I can now value my work with ESN with a broader perspective.
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As National Representative for Italy, I understood the meaning of supervising and supporting, along with how to positively influence decision-making processes, taking into account at once the general interest of ESN and the special needs of ESN Italy.
ESNrs have leadership, entrepreneurship, curiosity; they are flexible, social, open-minded; they speak fluently at least two languages, more often three or more, in addition to their own; they are adaptable, independent, energetic, innovative, up-to-date; effective, productive, pragmatic and non-ideological. These quality are rare to found at once (as a recruiter I can testify it) and very much sought for. Be proud of your work for ESN and go ahead with it!