Business administration student Franziska Wolff applies to the international student organisation AIESEC for an internship in India. She spends five months there, working for a recruitment company. When she returns, she is deeply impressed.
Beautiful and wondrous at the same time - these were Franziska's first impressions when she arrived in India. After completing her bachelor's degree, she wanted to gain practical experience abroad and applied for an internship through the international student organisation AIESEC. This was an obvious choice, as she has been an active member of the Oldenburg section of AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) since 2010. When Franziska Wolff finally set off in August 2012, she already knew a lot about the country and its people - but the reality surpassed everything she had imagined.
Between fascination and culture shock
Honking cars, scooter drivers, swirling dust and, above all, crowds of people await the student on the streets of the metropolis of Jaipur in northern India. "Seeing the occasional cow or elephant on the street is completely normal, just as extreme poverty and wealth are only a few metres apart," says Wolff, describing her first impressions.
Her new home is a spacious bungalow, which she shares with ten other AIESEC interns from all over the world. "We quickly became a real little community and it was a great help to share experiences and adventures with the others," says Franziska. On site, the Indian section of AIESEC organised her stay, from picking her up at the airport on arrival to accompanying her on her first day at work.
Hustle and bustle and serenity
Nine hours a day, six days a week - a normal Indian working week awaits Franziska during her internship at the start-up company IC-Services. A company that specialises in recruitment and recruits specialist staff. "I made an incredible amount of phone calls, built up contacts and regularly accompanied my boss to New Delhi for company meetings," says Franziska. With the equivalent of 130 euros a month that she earns, she can live well in India and even do a bit of travelling.
The Indian culture was a completely new experience for the student. "The people have an inner calmness about them," says Franziska. "With this mindfulness and serenity, they defy the often unimaginably difficult living conditions." That impressed her deeply. The morning ritual was also a must at work: they lit incense sticks in a small shrine in the office and prayed together for a successful day.
Curry, dal, lassi and co.
Indian cuisine is also a special experience: "The variety of spices and flavours is unparalleled here," enthuses Franziska. That's why she brought a supply of spices with her. Back in Oldenburg, she cooks Indian food, is learning Hindi and has made contact with the Indian students at the university. So it seems almost natural that she is now responsible for counselling outgoing students at AIESEC.
