Frequently asked questions:

How are the candidates selected?
Why is a foreign trainee better then a German one?
Will they be able to speak the required language?
Do we have to take care of them while they’re here?
Who is responsible for finding housing for the trainee?
Who sort out the visa, work permit and other administrative stuff?
How does the trainee get paid?
Do we have to pay for their flight?
What happens if a trainee is unsuitable when they arrive?
What happens it the trainee is not happy with their traineeship?
How can you guarantee trainees are what they say they are?
Trainees takes to much time from us! We don’t have time for him/her.
Our company is to small, we don’t have any job to offer!
This years budget is already set!
We don’t have international departments or functions!
I can not take such a decision!
Our results have gone down, we cut in our activities!
We get our trainees in other ways!
We must keep secrets within our company!
We take trainees every summer and get LOTS of applications!
We have bad experience of AIESEC!
We have stopped recruitment!
The employees do not have enough language skills
I don’t want to spend a lot of time and money on trainings
It’s a bad investment for us to train someone for three months and then they leave
I need someone with work experience!
Why hire an international when I can have a German?
Do I need to pay any insurance for the trainee?

How are the candidates selected?
Each candidate is required to go through a screening process before they are eligible to be assessed for the programme. The student then has to be tested on the language ability, communication and inter-personal skills they say they have. They are also assessed on the items they have listed on their CV. Our process ensures that candidates are what they say they are and have a real desire to learn from an international experience.
Back

Why is a foreign trainee better then a German one?
A foreign student is not necessarily better, but brings a different perspective and set of skills to the job that may not be possible for a German student. Many companies tell us that having people from different backgrounds and cultures in their organisation has had a positive impact on the way the rest of their staff is able to do their own jobs.
Language skills are guaranteed to whatever level you require and if you’re interested in specific international markets, then as a native speaker, the trainee will be able to offer local market knowledge and an insight into the culture. These two things are critical when going into a new market.
Back

Will they be able to speak the required language?
The student’s language skills are tested and certified by their university. The level ranges from N (Native), A (Fluent) to C (fair). You can then make your own choice depending on your needs.
Back

Do we have to take care of them while they’re here?
All we ask is that you give the trainee a quality work experience and incorporate them into your work environment just as you would any member of your staff. The rest is taken care of by AIESEC. On arrival, the trainee will be met at the airport and AIESEC will take care of integrating the trainee into the German culture through social activities, cultural visits and other AIESEC projects and programs.
Back

Who is responsible for finding housing for the trainee?
You don’t have to worry about that. AIESEC will take care of finding suitable housing for the trainee.
Back

Who sort out the visa, work permit and other administrative stuff?
The trainee and AIESEC are responsible for obtaining a visa before the trainees leave their home country. The work permit, if necessary, is obtained by AIESEC’s national office. The AIESEC local committee takes care of all other administrative stuff. This includes opening bank accounts and registering the trainee as a foreign worker. As you can see, we’ve tried our best to ensure that you have the least possible hassle by making things as easy as we possibly can. In relation to Afghanistan our contacts to the German Ambassy in Kabul in combination with the reputation of the organisation AIESEC allow us to get all necessary documents without problems.
Back

How does the trainee get paid?
The trainee is treated like any other employee in your company and paid in line with company procedure. This is generally by bank transfer at the end of each month into the trainee’s account here in Germany.
Back

Do we have to pay for their flight?
No. The trainee pays their own way to Germany. That is another way you can be sure that candidates in our program are fully committed to making a success of their international experience. Actually, other than the sponsorship fee, AIESEC doesn’t charge anything more to the company. If the trainee isn’t able to pay all the necessary costs there are possibilities of financial help, e.g. the DAAD.
Back

What happens if a trainee is unsuitable when they arrive?
This is a highly unlikely situation because our system of selection and matching is tried and tested. Academic backgrounds are checked thoroughly before hand. In theory, you would have straightened out all your concerns regarding the suitability of the student before formally accepting them.
If something does go wrong, we will do our best to address the situation at no extra cost to you.
Back

What happens it the trainee is not happy with their traineeship?
During the trainee’s stay, their hosting AIESEC Local committee and other local committees in Germany, holds several reception events to help the trainee settle in and get used to the German culture. Anything regarding the job will be discussed with the company and we will do our best to solve the problem. Again this situation is highly unusual because the kind of people who choose to take traineeships are out going and willing to integrate into a new culture.
Back

How can you guarantee trainees are what they say they are?
The International Traineeship Exchange Program has been running for 53 years and the systems in place ensure that people are what they say they are, have been tested again and again. The same strict selection systems used in Germany are used elsewhere in the world to guarantee the quality of our program.
Back

Trainees takes to much time from us! We don’t have time for him/her.
- You can demand a special course of the student which means that he/she has a good potential of handle the task without any help.
- A Local student also needs guidance
- It is at the same time education for the supervisor
- The task description will be more clear
- You only have to take care of the job, AIESEC takes care of all other questions like culture, practical problems administration etc.
- Have the trainee for a longer time
- The trainee has knowledge and want to take responsibility
Back

Our company is to small, we don’t have any job to offer!
- You have the possibility to start up a new project with help from the trainee.
- There are companies with only 1-2 employed which takes AIESEC trainees
- A trainee can do different tasks and you can also demand that.
Back

This years budget is already set!
- When will the budget be revised next time, will there be possibility then?
Back

We don’t have international departments or functions!
- These won’t be needed to have a trainee
- Expand the views in your company
- Your competitors are more and more international nowadays. There are a lot of international companies in Germany
Back

I can not take such a decision!
- In which way are decisions taken in your company?
- Could we arrange a meeting and explain if the other decision makers needs more information?
Back

Our results have gone down, we cut in our activities!
- If you employ a specialist/market developer from a land you export to, you have the possibilities to improve you results at a low cost!
- Have you planned to take summer interns?
Back

We get our trainees in other ways!
- AIESEC has more than 53 years of experience in this area. Which mean that our programmes have achieved a high quality standard.
Back

We must keep secrets within our company!
- Is there any task which doesn’t demands this?
- A trainee is someone under the same conditions as all the rest.
Back

We take trainees every summer and get LOTS of applications!
- Have you maybe a more demanding task for a trainee?
- Here you can choose the duration and the period you want.
- Why not try our system for a change?
- Why not throughout the year?
- New thinking in the company?
- We save your time when you choose an AIESEC trainee
Back

We have bad experience of AIESEC!
- Really? What kind?
- When? Since last year we have a much better matching system and the quality has improved because of international standards and better service process
Back

We have stopped recruitment!
- For how long? If you fill in the forms now and takes the trainee next year you will have a bigger chance to find the right person.
- Could we contact you later?
- The employment is only temporary
Back

The employees do not have enough language skills
- This is a possibility for them to practice and learn
- It might be possible to get someone from World speaking world
Back

I don’t want to spend a lot of time and money on trainings
- We can supply students with completed Bachelor and Master degrees
- You can demand a special course of the student which means that he/she has a good potential of handle the task without any help.
- A Local student also needs guidance
- It is at the same time education for the supervisor
- The task description will be more clear
- You only have to take care of the job, AIESEC takes care of all other questions like culture, practical problems administration etc.
- Have the trainee for a longer time
- The trainee has knowledge and want to take responsibility
Back

It’s a bad investment for us to train someone for three months and then they leave
- The students can stay in your company up to one year
- You can also take a trainee overlapping the old one in order to transfer the knowledge
Back

I need someone with work experience!
- A lot of our trainees have already work experience
- Some have work experience as a part of their education
- It’s up to you to set the criteria in the job description
Back

Why hire an international when I can have a German?
- German laws make it complicated to fire people, so it’s advantageous to hire temporary people.
- Because you can choose from a global marked of competence, finding knowledge that does not exist in Germany.
Back

Do I need to pay any insurance for the trainee?
- No, all our trainees have international insurance. They are obliged to have it.
Back