Most young people do not realise the importance of volunteering in different types of student organisations such as ESN. Considering those additional activities as a waste of time, they simply don’t see any benefits that may arise from it. However, there are some people - the lucky ones- who personally experienced all the goods and blessings ESN can give to a person and how useful it could become in your everyday & professional life.
Meet one of them- Szymon Brylski, a guy who went through all the steps of ESN career ladder.
If you could go back in time 5 years, would you still decide to join ESN?
Wow, I didn’t realise It’s been already 5 years! Thanks for the reminder! Yes, definitely yes. I can’t think of any other option. ESN had a huge influence on my life and if I were to choose again, I would still follow the same path. It’s all about amazing people, countless travels and international environment. Not to mention loads of great experience !
So then, what have you learnt as a volunteer in the student organisation?
I guess it would be easier to point out things that I haven’t learnt <blink>. Well, starting from the time management and project management skills, through self-confidence boost and some very precious features - humility and respect to other people. I have also enhanced my team management skills and learnt the rules of business networking. Finally, thanks to ESN I took my first steps into Photoshop and video making world. You just need to keep in mind that there are people standing behind those 3 letters who create the core of the organisation. The abbreviation itself didn’t give me as much as the people did.
How about the soft skills you’ve gained? ( which are by the way on high demand nowadays) They tend to be pretty useful, not only in your career life.
First (and in fact a crucial one) that comes to my mind is good self presentation skill which I find extremely important in my career life. Multiple public appearance I’ve made during different organisation meetings and gatherings enhanced my communication skills, taught me how to interact with public and how to control the course of debate. Thanks to that I was able to get every job I’ve applied for and managed to gain new clients for every company I’ve worked for.
Secondly, I would say diplomatic skills and the ability to reach a compromise. Some of my friends will not agree with the last one but it is only because they’ve reached a compromise unconsciously and I am a good diplomat ( laughing).
You have mentioned your friends. As we already know, ESN puts main focus on the personal development and mastering your skills but how about friendship? Is it also present behind the ESN wall?
Definitely, ESN is based on that. As you’ve noticed yourself, years are passing by but friends stay the same. As long as our everyday duties allow, we try to meet with the old ESNers during the football match or billard games. We are also planning to gather a bigger group and spend the “Majowka” holidays together.
Beside the volunteering sphere and spending time together , can you also count on yourselves when it comes to troubles?
Of course we can! A couple of months ago, I’ve had some serious problems at work due to a conference that was about to take place in Poland. Our company was serving one of the biggest banks in Europe and it got super complicated! There was a point when I needed animmediate help from several cities in Poland at the same time. If it wasn’t for my ESN friends, our company could have lost a huge loads of money. Only a few calls and everything was fixed out. Non-profit, because we are from ESN. I will never forget what my friends have done for me and they can always count on me as well. This is basically how ESN works.
You’ve talked about multiple skills and values gained during your ESN career. Now, If I were to ask you about 1-2 things that you are particularly grateful to the Organisation for.. what would it be?
I would say: friendship and career. Both things I’ve mentioned already but it is important to emphasize them. If it wasn’t for ESN, I would probably be a regular UJ graduate with a couple of good friends and lack of better perspectives. Why so harsh? It’s because hundreds( or even thousands) of people may graduate from the same major on more than one university , in more than one city at the same time. There is nothing special that they can be distinguished for. ESN, as any other student organisation opens your eyes, changes your perspectives and gives you a great opportunity to step out at the beginning of your professional career.
Each of us could be as sweet and delicious as a cake might be but it is always the cake with a cherry on its top that is chosen by employers.
I totally agree with the things you said! If I wasn’t already an ESN member, I would definitely recruit myself to the closest ESN section after hearing your story ;) However, as you probably know, it is not easy to convince everybody to join and actively participate in our organisation. How would you motivate some potential ESN candidate to become one of us?
I would tell him/her the story of myself or the story of my friends. Each of us started as a Newbie. We were involved in different teams or activities, searching for our own way among the various ESN paths . In fact, the path we decided to follow at that times and choices we made somehow shaped our future , not only ESN future but also our personal and professional life. I believe that everybody has it’s own path to follow. You just need to come and discover the right one.
Thank you very much for the interview and we wish you lots of success in your (Post)ESN career!
Interviewed by: Izabela Szczerba