Queen’s AIESEC is here to help students find an internship.
AIESEC is a global organization connecting students with partners who offer volunteer, teaching, and internship opportunities internationally. AIESEC’s Queen’s chapter was disbanded in 2020 due to COVID-19. While the teaching and volunteering options aren’t paid, the club is working to help students find internships as well.
Nikolaus Schade, ArtSci ’24, is this year’s AIESEC president at Queen’s, who wants to get students excited about the opportunities available abroad.
“We’re kind of like academic advisors or counselors, but for internships,” Schade said in an interview with The Journal.
Though students can visit the AIESEC website themselves, Schade knows it can be difficult navigating the possibilities for internships. AIESEC at Queen’s will help students find internship opportunities and advise students on completing applications.
“A lot of students at Queen’s want to go on internships, especially engineering and CompSci students, and right now the only option they have to consider, for the most part, is just QUIP,” Schade said.
At the organization’s global level, AIESEC partners with companies such as DHL, Nokia, and EATON to place students in internships. AIESEC Canada offers internships ranging from $670 to $770, which include visa support and a pre-departure seminar. Once the internship is confirmed, students pay AIESEC an “exchange fee” before receiving a lump- sum salary from the companies they match with.
AIESEC in Queen’s matches students to the right internship offered through the AIESEC platform.
From Portugal to Pakistan, there are AIESEC internships in most sectors, except for medicine and health sciences, which Schade finds disappointing as a Life Sciences student. He’s on the lookout for internships relating to his field, but he’s eager to participate in a teaching or volunteering project with AIESEC.
“I like exploring new places and really immersing myself in the culture and the life,” Schade said.
When Schade first joined the club last year, he was most attracted by AIESEC’s international component. He’s eager to get the word out about AIESEC–the club will host events on campus this year to engage students.
After hiring is completed, there will be six members of the executive team. According to Schade, discussions are ongoing about the AIESEC Ontario Regional Conference, where chapters across Ontario meet and awards are given out.
Kingston is still on the table as a possible location.
“Being involved in something more than just what’s around you, for me, that’s big, that’s an important thing,” said Schade.
AIESEC in Queens is currently hiring for multiple executive positions, which can be found on their Instagram.
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