October 2009

AIESEC Work Abroad: Roberto, O Roberto whefore art thou?
by Heidi
 

The student organization AIESEC has a Work Abroad programme which allows students to take their skills and talent and mix it all together in a new country. Coming from Costa Rica, Roberto Machado Jimenez is one of those who landed a job at Jyväskylä Vocational Institute through his country's own AIESEC programme. When asked about his first impression on arrival to Finland, his response was: " Very cold, white and quiet. I arrived in Jyväskylä on Saturday nightat 11:30 pm, in January! coming from the summer in Costa Rica! Do I have to say more?"
 
But the weather was not the only thing which Roberto found out about Finland: "People many times just stay quiet without saying a word even though they are gathered together staring at each other during a break, and doing nothing." So what exactly did Roberto do anyway, during his cold and quiet days in Finland. Roberto eagerly shares this information: "Well I worked in JAO Vocational Institute, in the Earthworks Department. Basically they taught people how to use heavy machinery for all type of constructions and works. I had to supervise the students in their practices and give some conferences about basic topics in engineering. In the mean time I also learned a lot in this field, because one thing is the theory and the other thing is the situation experience with many types of machines. "

 
Roberto has a lot planned for his future. He is thinking of working in an engineering firm and even probably getting a post degree. The one thing he is sure of, however, is that there is just too much to learn out in the world to stay put and do nothing. When asked if the AIESEC Work Abroad programme is worth participating in, Roberto surely and enthusiastically responds that it definitely is. "Why not? Why not work in your field of studies in a new environment, meet new people, new cultures, new points of view, new challenges... ". But will this energetic young man find his way back to Finland? "And about going back to Finland, well I would love to, but we'll see, it's quite far and like I said, there are too many things to learn in the world. " True. There is a whole world out there just waiting to be discovered.