Conclusions It is logical and ethically responsible, as a massive global experience provider facilitating upwards of 25,000 EPs per year, to attempt to understand and enhance the transitional learning and reentry experiences of participants. Taking the next step to conjoin reentry adjustment with professional integration and inviting reentry assistance from a mega alumni network must continue to be seriously examined in order to ensure reentry is not overlooked throughout program training phases.
How is AIESEC connecting reentry adjustment with professional integration?
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National, local post-return conferences aimed at returnees, integrating external employees or alumni to help connect professional world with returnee’s needs; employees co-delivering sessions with AIESEC
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LCs partnering with university career service offices during post-return
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Building youth alliances in home country to offer pathways for returnees to connect skills gained abroad with potential employers
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Deliberate goal-setting at pre-departure, debriefing of goals, new formulation of goals post-return
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Research illustrated AIESEC’s reentry adjustment, professional integration programming practices varied considerably over training phases.
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Hence, exchange participant reentry experiences remain relatively disjointed across global member countries; lack of resources, knowledge gaps, geographical constraints, focus on new volunteer program, variable or even no EP reentry expectations
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Advocate for program phases to be better promoted, understood by EPs as complex, holistic, intertwined transitions of the exchange experience
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Recent integration of GCDP has broadened reentry challenge; current reentry emphasis is placed on supporting GCDP returnees to become active members of AIESEC
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Differentiated reentry strategies for the GIP and the GCDP are required; One size RIS or one type of reentry experience will not fit all of AIESEC’s returnees.
What are the reentry experiences of recent global EPs? •
Half of respondents said RA & PI support for returnees was not being implemented or offered very well in their countries
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Ranged from a lack of reentry servicing by AIESEC to more elaborate, good-case reentry experiences
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EPs with multiple opportunities to share global exchange experiences during postreturn felt AIESEC had met reentry needs
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Data shows reentry concerns of EPs not matching administrative MC’s perceived needs of EPs
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AIESEC met EP expectations for reentry adjustment slightly better than for professional integration
What are current training examples within the network? •
Relatively little reentry training happening during pre-departure, experience abroad
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Post-return meetings, local debriefings, national seminars & confs, showcasing of the exchange experience locally
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Free three-day nationally organized reentry conference with public exhibition featuring returnees sharing insight with local citizens
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Smaller training focus on guided reflection, evaluative learning, competencies gained, finding professional opportunities
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Real-life training interaction during post-return desired by returnees
Training Barriers: •
half of MCs had not yet participated in an AIESEC exchange program
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lack of EP databases at national level,
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primary focus to integrate returnees as members
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limited reentry debriefing/training junctures annually
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lack of time & funding for geog larger countries, new countries
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transitional, relational gaps due to annual LC & MC leadership changes
Action Items Given the amount of documented returnee difficulties, concerns and needs upon post-return it must be insisted that exchange providers place reentry assistance on their radar
Actions for AI, MCs, LCs to enhance EP reentry experiences •
Define how the organization understands “reentry”. Currently two different understandings exist which require different strategies. 1) How to engage returnees within AIESEC upon return 2) Classic readjustment, assimilation challenges most returnees face. Both are important for AIESEC. Paramount to bind meanings together for returnees
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Create a globally supported, intentional, integrated, effort to conjoin reentry programming with career development throughout all training phases
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Ensuring deeper post-return dialogue takes place, lengthening the reentry experience will help EPs build confidence in school-to-work transition, effectively articulate the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed as a result of interning or volunteering abroad with AIESEC
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University partnership models. Leverage access to institutionally-based expertise existing at doorstep of university-based LCs. Institutional internationalization thru intern placements. Incorporate AIESEC’s EP numbers into institutional exchange data. Partnering institutionally equals additional educational credibility.
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Strengthen program assessment; Improved RA & PI training can provide an avenue towards generating, quality, transparent assessment, outcomes.
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Develop strategies for exchange program specific (GIP or GCDP) reentry training -Acknowledge cultural specific expectations of EPs -Align appropriate methods of reentry support to match EP concerns throughout phases
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Explore virtual reentry trainings, online webinars on demand with assistance from
alumni •
Build, emphasize corporate, not-for-profit, alumni sponsored reentry-specific
partnerships to secure funding and expertise for geog large, young countries
Alumni Recommendations EPs and MCs agreed little is being done to facilitate alumni to returnee assistance. All groups suggested reentry assistance of alumni across all program phases. AAI, a million global minds offer an exceptional abundance of knowledge for supporting returnees to reflect on bountiful array of experiences. •
MCs: Training, mentoring, coaching, providing connections to career opportunities
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Alumni: professional networking access, current labor market, job placement support
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Advocate AAI as a mechanism to unlock returnee transition to global workplace
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Examine alumni reentry support while EP is abroad. Alumni could help EPs prepare for professional integration before they return home
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Alumni mentorship programs during pre-departure, post-return in home country. International mentorship by host countries for long-term EPs while abroad with localized alumni.
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Alumni promoting importance of post-return phase, teaching EPs to audit their global experiences
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Post-return EP presentations at global alumni hubs. Invite alumni to post-events
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Develop job placement reentry service. School-to-work placements by matching returnees with employers whom value AIESEC exchange experience. Integrate RIS
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Alumni consultative role in formalizing standardized reentry services
Experience Abroad Two MCs thought about RA & PI training in relation to incoming exchange; practice of holding professional leadership training for foreign EPs
Pre-Reentry Pre-reentry defined in questionnaires as taking place within two weeks prior to the return Support from AIESEC for EP concerns during pre-reentry: “I did not tell AIESEC about my concerns (be)cause I thought that was my own problem.” Strikingly, nine MCs (41%) EPs don’t expect much upon return, “the post part is not promoted, therefore it is not expected!” 2 MCs (9%) said EP’s expect reintegration from AIESEC “reintegration is stipulated in the EP contract (in order) to receive a certificate”
Post-Return EP Post-Return Concerns •
wondering how to change and influence others in home country
MC perceived Post-Return Concerns of EPs •
concerns of EPs become more urgent once home
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EPs have a fear of being abandoned by AIESEC during post-return
“EPs concerned about finding a role which may align with experiences abroad” “being part of organizations which will create a positive impact on society” •
MCs think EPs are concerned about building on their newly acquired skills
How AIESEC Helps EPs Recognize Personal Changes “There is a session about the inner and outer journey with reflection time built in. There are three levels of reentry seminars based on the capacity of the local committee, but some do not have the time, experience or environment to offer in-depth facilitation of the inner journey” Connecting Reentry Adjustment with Professional Integration “some LCs connect EPs back to alumni from their home university” “we are only one year old, our focus is on reintegrating EPs into members” “we offer seminar ‘Talents of Tomorrow’ to connect returnees with national employers”
How to Improve the Connection of RA & PI (EP Responses) “strengthen the relation between EP and home based EP manager” “offer longer period of reentry activities for EPs, creating a pipeline of future path opportunities for EPs” “EP manager should track, counsel EP, explain how AIESEC internship provides many future possibilities locally.” How to Improve the Connection of RA & PI (MC Responses) 7 MCs (37%) bridge EPs w external organizations; embedding career fairs within RIS. “mandatory resume workshops, certificates verifying skills” “activities with alumni about different career options to see how alumni have succeeded” “match EPs with future opportunities, provide companies with access to talent.” “to acknowledge that this connection exists & understand how important it actually is”
How to Improve Education & Support for returning EPs during post-return “guidance to global MCs to deliver national campaigns for reintegrating EPs, measuring their growth, delivery of exchange must not end with the return” •
offer post-return personal development opportunities
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partnering with universities
“build an understanding of what reentry could look like, decide what it may entail, explain why important, standardize delivery, educate on implementation” Current State of Reentry Adjustment & Professional Integration •
MCs (47%) quite pessimistic, MCs (24%) neutral, MCs (29%) relatively optimistic
“our country does not have a standard or widely used process, many LCs do not understand the importance, nor set expectations with their EPs about reentry” “state is getting way better, we are trying to understand, promote internships as complex” “created reentry framework, tested nationally, received very positive feedback from EPs”
Credibility Effect of RA & PI •
6 MCs (35%) correlated strong post-return servicing with improved, credible network of promoters “It will make AIESEC, experiences relevant, applicable to EP's careers, make EPs loyal promoters, more vocal about putting AIESEC on resumes”
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“Reintegration and learning should be the services that (EPs) are paying for” “Providing reentry services would also bring reward to AIESEC members delivering the final part of the exchanges”
Alumni identified potential primary support roles for assisting EPs with RA & PI Job placement support “activating access to professional networks for EPs during reentry” Coaching or advising EPs “how to showcase the relevant learning linkages, added value of the experience abroad” Personal mentorships during pre-reentry or post-return Proposal “Alumni organizations should be in charge of the post-return services, AIESEC should partner with alumni orgs to provide reentry or job placement services. Create reentry program linked with job placement to employers who value the AIESEC exchange experience”
Most important part of any alumni role lies within the attitudes of the alumni;
“Every EP should be approached with a hypothesis, that by changing people with the exchange experience, we hope to change the world and (that) by completing their experience through the reentry phase (it) will help to achieve this goal!�
Practical Applicability •
Varying bodies of the AIESEC organization; LCs, MCs, AI, AAI
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Applicability has program design, budgetary, marketing, implementation implications and ultimately educational, training benefits
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Education: LCs, MCs, AI may benefit from understanding importance of RA, the need to connect career steps, the potential for alumni reentry assistance. Education may result in increased org credibility by ensuring a high quality reentry experience
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EPs will directly benefit by recognizing reentry as a crucial element of the total prog
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Global uni’s business departments which house LCs may discover access, cooperation points with AIESEC’s globally minded students
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AI exploring reentry together with MCs through annual, global conference cycle
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AAI Momentum
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International student advisors, education abroad advisors, career development professionals, reentry managers and the greater go-abroad program industry
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Alumni networks associated with education abroad programs
Life span of 66 years Balance the importance of reflective reentry Alumni may assist life-long-learning AIESEC and its alumni will keep on moving together Global Citizen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_FH0-qwGNE
Challenges & Limitations •
Returnee access; reaching program alumni located abroad or cross-nationally post program. MCs not equipped with EP databases and returnee contact information
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English language; non-native language for majority of informants. In-depth questionnaires proved too lengthy for some potential responders.
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Time constraint within data collection; Unable to launch awareness of research across a large global organization. Data collection very spontaneous. SCOPE!!!
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Small resulting EP sample size; for such an extensive global network made drawing specific conclusions difficult. Further qualitative, quantifiable EP data suggested
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Personal growth paradigm; bias of researcher, westernized approach to reentry theory
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Varying national realities, cultural needs, and professional integration differences of returnees acknowledged in future studies
Further
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Strength; focus on connecting the transitional exchange program phases with career development and alumni support.
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Credibility; Researchers willing to devote time and energy to studying AIESEC’s global exchange programs will enhance its global leadership development model.
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How could a quarter of the world’s universities provide reentry adjustment expertise and school-to-work transitional knowledge to AIESEC’s institutionally-based local committees??
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Could studying a broader generational range of alumni yield more robust conclusions for shaping reentry assistance of alumni? Regional or national perspectives?
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Returning populations over longer spans of time post-return; could be systematically studied Individual vs. communal outcomes of repatriation, longer-term social or cultural impact of PI.
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Cross-disciplinary approach combining diversified programmatic elements especially across a multi-national population such as AIESEC
Life span of 66 years Balance the importance of reflective reentry Alumni may assist life-long-learning AIESEC and its alumni will keep on moving together Global Citizen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_FH0-qwGNE