HOW TO SERIES e03

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TIME IN AIESEC.

Being a part of an organization and being a spectator can be the most detrimental thing you do for yourself. The essence of being a part of the AIESEC entity is reflected in our vision statement. However, you can never achieve these lofty goals (self aware, solution oriented...), if you sit there watching things happen, and not try to make things happen.

That is why, we will be bringing to you an enlightening interview from an AIESECer who has and is still helping to make things happen by taking up a leadership role. (interview was conducted by our very own Debby).

We present to you the former LCP Enugu, Okafor Charles Kingsley.

Debby:

Thank you for this opportunity. I would ask the questions in order to encourage present AIESECers all over Nigeria and over the world who are aspiring to take a leadership position in AIESEC.

Let's know about you (your name, your hobbies, quotes etc.)

My name is Okafor Charles Kingsley from Enugu, Lagos Nigeria. Currently MCVP ogx AIESEC in Nigeria, I love swimming, love to play video games, especially soccer. Then I love to travel a lot and like reading literature and one of my favorite quotes is 'fill everything with love, then you have pure joy and love for humanity'.

How was being an LCP like for you?

Being LCP was it for me!. Especially the fact that I had lost two LCP roles in the previous years of applying for the post which was everything I wanted. Being LCP was more challenging that what I felt it would be. It was not an easy task but more importantly I pulled through, it made me learn to manage people better and also be selfless, which meant putting members first ahead yourself. Every key decision made meant you had to ensure it affects more than 70% of the members. It was about trying to create a vision for your LC, it was trying to ensure that there is talent capacity in your LC, you have to make sure that every member is productive at least 60%, you have to ensure that every member is connected with their careers, that is it was magic for me and an awesome experience that I would also recommend for every person.

What were your expectations and what expectations did you meet?

So expectations before LCP were big, though I knew it was challenging really I thought it was going to be all bossy, I thought it was going to be an easy ride, I thought it was all about representing my LC at plenary and other external events. On getting there it was a totally different thing, it was about self service, it was about creating a vision like I said earlier, it was about leading a movement actually. So for me it was amazing being the voice of my LC and trying to make sure that I stir all of their dreams towards a common goal.

How were you able to manage it with academics?

I mean for some is one thing for others it's another thing but for me it was simple, it's not a complicated job. We have job description, year plans and things we do in timelines, of course most of the times you find yourself struggling with the timeline but it was simple no procrastination for me. So if I have a marketing sales stuff to do this week I will ensure that I do it, if I have someone to follow up I will do it or probably I have a follow up to do on Monday and it won't affect my academics, when I don't do it on Monday and then I move it to Tuesday and then Wednesday and moves to next week then when I want to do it, it becomes a problem managing it with my academics but for me it was simple do the right thing at the right time and all of those task as enormous as they seem they're also simple to do. So it was all about going to classes and when it was time to do a task I do it at the right time, so that was how I managed my academic calendar really.

What were the challenges you faced and how did you try to solve these problems?

I think the most difficult challenge for me was trying to align the vision of all my members into a common AIESEC vision and trying to make  them see that it in turn affects them, it was difficult because we had people from different backgrounds from different ethnic groups and we are trying to make things work out for them so it was challenging. Then one more important thing LCP or MCP each of this role in AIESEC is a lonely role you are there to solve other people's issues but nobody solves your own, you're always alone with you thoughts. So those moments made me more self-aware of who I'm and what were my key strengths because I needed to know how to effectively manage my challenges. So to me the most difficult moment was trying marry the ambition into the AIESEC vision and also the fact that most of the time you were always alone, that's the thing with leaders.

What aspect do you feel AIESEC could have done better?

I think AIESEC would have done better with trying to provide a lot of support system for the LCP's and also getting us up to speed with a lot of realities within the region, sub-region, Africa and the global realities as well because without that we tend to want to not adhere to most of the plans from the national body and it affects our growth as an entity. Having finished LCP and on the MCP now you tend to get a few realizations of what could have been or you could have done better. So I think a communication channel would have been more effective and I think it would have helped a lot more especially because of the support bodies for us and we didn't really know what was at stake, we knew but we didn't know enough so we couldn't do enough so that was that for me.

How has this position helped you as an individual?

I think for me the position has helped me a lot in like making me self-aware and also gave me a sense of responsibility. I didn't think I had that but it was a whole new level for me, also an opportunity to serve and made me a better person all rounder, it installed in me a stability, it made me hunger for success and it taught me what it means for me to transform into big realities. For me the position was awesome for me, it shaped me entirely and I'm ever grateful for it.

 If you were given a chance to run again would you take it?

If given the  chance to run again I will run again and I would hope to really avoid the mistakes I did while I was LCP and I would love to do it better, so it's an opportunity I will always be grateful for if given the chance.

What word of advice do you have for AIESECers?

So from me to AIESECers I would say really that don't give up hope when the going gets tough, never back down from a challenge because this things shape who you become, this things shape who you are and it's awesome and it's a beautiful experience that I can never trade for anything looking back. So my advise is that keep going, know how to manage the selfish and selfless part of AIESEC together because at some point you're going to ask yourself why are you here, what are your actual beneficial gains asides from rebuilding yourself so you can be able to answer those key questions for yourself. So for me my advise for them is just to keep going and to keep believing that the world can be a better place because really it can be a better place.

Anticipate our next topic; how to cope with stress. We know this exam season, and as much as will encourage you to study, we surely don't want you to breakdown.

Success in your Tests and Exam!.