Some music to listen to while you read
If someone had told me that a student organization would shape me more as a leader than many companies, I probably would have laughed. But that’s exactly what happened. I was coming off a phase of being deeply bored studying Law at my beloved UNS, wanting to get my hands dirty with something real, and that’s when I found AIESEC. At first, the idea of joining felt strange, but now, many years after leaving the organization, I realize I walked away with a backpack full of tools I still use every single day. I learned how to lead without holding a formal title, how to build teams around purpose, how to fail and try again. And above all, I understood that there are experiences which, even if they don’t pay a salary, can change your life forever.
A few years ago, in my early twenties, I dove headfirst into AIESEC without really knowing what I was getting into. I was part of the BahĂa Blanca chapter and eventually became VP of Talent Management. What at the time looked like a student volunteer experience, I now see as a true school of leadership, people management, and meaning. A kind of real-life lab where, without realizing it, I was learning the foundations of what would later become my professional career.
At AIESEC, I heard concepts for the first time like “leading with purpose” (the famous why), “retention rate,” “feedback,” “team building,” “cultural values,” and “stakeholders.” I learned how to define personal and organizational goals that actually had impact. I learned how to build teams, how to give purpose, how to give feedback from a constructive place. I also had to learn how to deal with frustration, how to recalibrate, how to sustain enthusiasm when things didn’t go as planned. In every cycle, every role change, every project that succeeded or failed, something was taking shape in me: judgment. Something you don’t get from a course or a degree, but from being fully immersed in something that truly matters to you.
But I also took away something that’s hard to put into words: the idea that being part of something bigger than yourself, even without getting paid, can completely transform how you see the world. At the time, some people looked at me oddly. “Why are you working for free?” “Why do you put so much effort into organizing trips or projects for others?” “What do you get out of it?” And the truth is, the answer isn’t in the short term. What you gain is becoming a leader, learning how to manage, communicate, resolve conflicts, work as a team, handle frustration, and make decisions. You gain judgment, empathy, and above all, purpose. And in the long run, that’s worth far more than any paycheck.
What’s funny is that, even back then, there were people who looked at these organizations with prejudice. Sometimes you even start doubting yourself. Some label them as “cults” or as places where you waste your time. There’s a slightly cynical take that says, “That’s for people who have nothing better to do.” But the truth is that those who choose to truly commit, without expecting anything in return, are the ones who end up gaining the most. Because they train in the art of leading without formal authority, influencing without a budget, and sustaining teams purely through vision and conviction. And that kind of leadership is the most valuable of all.
AIESEC, like many organizations in the third sector or the public sector, is a space for people who believe leadership is about leaving a mark, building something with others, and growing while helping others grow. You’re not there out of self-interest, but out of vocation, curiosity, and genuine desire. And it shows. Because in those organizations, people aren’t driven by extrinsic incentives, but by something much harder to explain: a commitment to something bigger than themselves.
Personally, all of this translated into an enormous number of learnings that shaped me forever. I learned how to plan and think long-term. I learned how to evaluate results honestly, listen with empathy, lead diverse teams, handle difficult meetings, and facilitate tough conversations. I learned to value culture as a tool for cohesion, to read team dynamics, and to step in when something wasn’t working. And all of this, I repeat, in my early twenties. Without ever setting foot in an office. Without having a formal boss. Just with the desire to do something that felt worthwhile.
Today, after several years in my professional career, I look back and have no doubt that my time at AIESEC was one of the major turning points in my life. It gave me a solid foundation of soft skills that are increasingly valued today: leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking. But it also gave me something that isn’t always learned in “corporate life”: a way of seeing work as a tool for creating impact.
This post is, on one hand, a thank you. To my teammates from that time, to those who taught me, challenged me, and allowed me to be part of something meaningful. But it’s also a message for those just starting out: if you have the chance to join an organization like AIESEC, do it without prejudice. Fully commit to the experience. Learn, make mistakes, lead, listen. You have no idea the impact it can have on your life.
And if you’re already part of an organization like this, make the most of it. Don’t underestimate what you’re learning. Everything you’re doing today in a Google Sheet, in an improvised daily, or in an onboarding interview with a new volunteer can become the foundation of your leadership style tomorrow. It’s in those small experiences where the leader you can become is shaped.
Sometimes, the decisions we make without many expectations end up defining our path forever. AIESEC was one of those for me. And I couldn’t be more grateful for it.
If you’re an AIESEC member, come say hi :)