My exchange was 3 months and started on 27.07.2022 and ended on 18.10.2022.
I can’t say I chose my host entrepreneur, but rather we chose each other. I didn’t have any “failed” experiences while connecting with different host entrepreneurs, he was just the one I felt a connection with. Our conversations were easy, the tension and anxiety was gone from the start and our goals and expectations overlapped.
When I arrived, everyone was positive towards me, didn’t separate me from the team, didn’t ignore me and that was the case until the end of the exchange. What changed was our closeness, my development, my confidence and my will (in a positive way of course). My expectations before I left were related to the fact that I was hoping everything would go smoothly, that there would not be any serious problems other than just disagreements at work, to learn, to develop my skills, to get to know a different country and in the end, I managed to live up to my expectations and achieve all the goals I had set myself at the beginning.
What I was able to achieve is that I got to know a different market, traditions, clients, trends. I developed my ability to create designs in various styles. I took part in some projects of the host entrepreneur where I gained new knowledge, developed my entrepreneurial skills and learned how to work with new computer programs. We analysed the business plan and built a marketing strategy for me to follow.
What I offered to the company from my side were ideas and knowledge. I showed my potential, thoughts, point of view and skills, I told them about the market and the trends in my country and in other countries where I have travelled, because this is very important when your work involves imagination and creativity.
I would recommend every young person to participate in the programme because it is an opportunity to develop and gain experience, to meet new people, to get to know different traditions and markets. I hope it reaches more people and they have the opportunity to participate.