"In October of 2009 I set out for Jordan to do a 6 month educational internship, one that I actually ended up extended for an additional 3 months because it was just that incredible! In my 9+ months in Jordan, I devoted the majority of my time to my work, learning Arabic, and experiencing as much of the culture as I could. For my internship, my main responsibility was teaching English to 19 students as part of an Engineering training program at Al-Huson College in Irbid, Jordan. The goal of the program was to train recent graduates who were lacking the necessary skill-set that the market was demanding, so that when they completed the program they would be ideal candidates for supervisory roles in international engineering companies. This pilot program was the 1st of it's kind in Jordan.

My students were ages 22-29, with varying knowledge of the English language, from beginner to intermediate. For the first 3 months, I taught an intensive English course to prepare my students to learn their other subjects (engineering, physics, math, welding, and pipe-fitting technology) in English. We did everything from reading, writing, and vocabulary to speaking and pronunciation. In the later months of the course I was teaching them presentation skills, leadership, resume writing, interview skills, and other general professional skills. I was incredibly impressed by the amount of material I was able to teach and they were able to learn, in just 9 months! I also had the opportunity to work with other students at the college on my free time. I taught two different courses at the college; a 6-week course in basic English and a 2-week long course in conversational English. I also did tutoring and had numerous informal conversation partners, which was a great way to teach students, in a one-on-one setting, but also helped me develop my Arabic.  My work was challenging, but incredibly rewarding. I gained skills in teaching, facilitation, curriculum development, and cross-cultural education, to name a few.

Overall I improved my Arabic immensely, made lifelong friends with Jordanians and interns from around the globe, and made a concrete impact in the lives of my students. In October of 2010, when the program reached it's completion, all 19 of my students graduated and the program and will soon begin working for an international engineering company in Abu Dhabi. This is the most rewarding thing of all and truly solidified my exchange experience. After I graduate in May, I plan to return to Jordan to work or volunteer for AIESEC and I am literally counting down the days till I get back there!"

"AIESEC’s Salaam Program contributed tremendously to the development of my cultural understanding of the Omani people and their way of life in addition to providing me with a meaningful professional exchange opportunity with on the of the world’s leading professional services firms – PricewaterhouseCoopers. As an auditor working in PwC’s Assurance department, I was bestowed with a variety of challenging but enriching work assignments in which was constantly expected to deliver the highest possible level of service to the firm’s clients. Professional development opportunities during the work day were complimented by the active engagement of many culturally educational activities during personal time including traversing through a souk market, traveling to a Bedouin village to witness a traditional Omani wedding, and eating the popular Yemeni dish Mandi for dinner. My daily interactions with the Omani people and expatriate professionals living in the country were especially enlightening and memorable, as I was able to forge relationships through conversations held at a personal and societal level."

"This is my first time living abroad and I quickly realized that I would have to relearn how to manage each aspect of my life. Starting with buying a phone and number, then finding a place to live, to getting around the city of Amman when half of the taxi drivers do not speak good English.  I had to learn cultural norms such as religious people do not touch the opposite sex (i.e. shaking hands). It’s important to learn to negotiate more on prices, dress more modestly, and folks are more approximate with time and money rather than precise.

Middle Eastern hospitality can be above and beyond my imagination at times. On the contrary, what the USA may lack in hospitality we make up for in customer service which the concept feels non-existent here at times. I have learned that the family obligations are often more valued than ones individual desires or needs. In the Middle East there is a small middle class.  Instead, there are many poor people to bring tea or coffee, clean homes or tend to children with no workers rights as compared to the west, but then again it’s a way to make an income for those who have few options. While living in Jordan, I manage to travel again to the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Syria and around Jordan. When traveling by land, I always enjoy seeing Bedouin tents, sheep, goats, or camels. Jordan is a great place for hiking and camping in the desert, the simplicity of having tea with fresh mint or eating falafel and hummus with your hands. When learning about other cultures, this also gives us the opportunity to learn more about oneself."

"I love living in Amman! It's safer than Atlanta and certainly more exotic. I'm an Account Executive for a small PR firm started by two Jordanian women and everyday is something different. Jordan as a country is so welcoming and my office is like a family. The intern community here is truly my home-away-from-home though. Recently a group of us went camping in the desert to view a meteor shower. It was one of the single most spectacular events I have ever experienced. The Dead Sea, Petra, and the Roman ruins in Jerash are must-see places as well."

"My second traineeship in Oman during summer of 2008 was wonderful. The reception from the AIESECers was so homey and I was really able to dig down deep into the culture and get integrated in the few short months that I was there. Outside of work and cultural integration, Oman was wild. I had the opportunity to experience all kinds of crazy things like camping in the desert with Bedouins, camel racing, cliff jumping and trekking in wadis, truly one of the best summers of my life."

Between Ramadi and Jerusalem, Riyadh and Beirut, Amman rests on a plateau above the conflicts that divide the Middle East today.  Amman has welcomed with open arms people of all types—refugees—from its modern founding by Circassians fleeing the Russian conquest of the Caucuses, through the Arab-Israeli wars, to the Iraq war.  The city has the highest proportion of refugees of any city in the world by far, yet the city has a peaceful calmness to it, and it’s safer than any large city in America—with little street crime.  It will welcome you too, it is safe, tolerant, modern, and growing—with plenty of places to go and things to do.  Originally confided to seven hills, like Rome, Amman was built on the ruins of the ancient cities of Amman and Philadelphia and the city's Roman and Umayyad ruins are in the heart of the city’s bustling downtown full of souks and shops.   But unlike most other ancient cities, everything that is not ancient ruins is twentieth century and newer, a unique blend of times and influences.  And unlike many of the other modern growing cities to its East, expats and locals alike socialize and do not inhabit isolated circles.  While four-fifths of Jordan is sparsely-populated desert, the Jordan river valley provides fertile land for agriculture, but its people are Jordan’s greatest resource.  Likewise, the Jordanian government and USAID are committed to growing Jordan’s knowledge-based economy.  Come to Jordan and I promise you will be welcomed and have the best hummous on the planet.

"I can’t say that my experience in Jordan was everything I had hoped for as I went in knowing little and expecting even less. I would describe my experience in Jordan as amazing and completely life changing. So my advice is to go in expecting to have your life changed while having an awesome time! I have been active in AIESEC for three years and really enjoyed it so I figured I would take a year off of school and enhance my life with an AIESEC traineeship. 

I worked for the American Chamber of Commerce in Amman, Jordan as an economic research analyst. It was a position which I really wanted as I studied international economics back at school, and after 3 Skype interviews was really excited to finally have it! Working in Jordan is definitely a different experience than working in the US: the management style is different and so is the concept of time (it could have been just my office), let alone the fact that everyone was speaking Arabic! These things though were helpful in the way that I was forced to adapt.  In the end, although it was tough at times, I feel completely prepared to go back and thrive in such an environment. My work consisted mainly of forging trade agreements between AmCham JO and economic development corporations in the US. I also developed an executive education program with Thunderbird School of Management specifically tailored for Jordanians looking to penetrate the American market. Along the way I was able to attend several conferences, most notably a day with deputy US trade reps talking about the Jordan US relationship, and a WEF conference on water resources. The office was small yet productive and I was given a lot of responsibility which I think is much better then the typical internship where you file papers and get coffee.

I had such a good time over the 8 months I was there that I can’t wait to go back! I’m left with only happy memories, great connections, and many friendships that will last a long time."

"AIESEC's Salaam Program allowed me to live in a country which many Americans aren't even aware exists. Although I am pursuing an undergraduate degree in Middle East Studies at UW -- Madison, studying a culture is one thing but experiencing it first hand is something completely different. Living in a local area of Muscat allowed me to experience everyday Omani life firsthand while teaching children English in an immersive American-style summer camp allowed me to introduce important aspects of my own culture while discovering the wide array of political and cultural perspectives from Oman's future generation. My favorite part of my job was by far the lively debates and discussions my students had among themselves about various social and political issues. Meanwhile,  outside of work, I was able to experience life in the modern city of Muscat and contrast it with life in a remote Omani village where my fellow trainees and myself were invited to a wedding. A weekend excursion to the commercial, cosmopolitan city of Dubai added a further dimension to the rich, extensive tapestry of life in the Arab Gulf."

“My traineeship in Muscat, Oman was my first chance to see the Middle East-a part of the world that before, I understood very little about.  After several months of living and working in the Sultanate, I became well-integrated into the society: one which is very welcoming, friendly, and extremely foreign to my way of life in the United States.  My typical day consisted of escaping the 130-degree heat, going to work in the morning, eating traditional Omani food (sitting on the floor around one large communal dish), and then smoking sheesha with new friends on the beach at night.  When I applied for a traineeship in the Middle East, I decided to take the plunge and enter a completely foreign world, only to find that I would fall in love with a beautiful culture.  Being in Oman opened my eyes to the world and inspired me to spread the good word about the people that I interacted with every day.  If I could go back, I would do it in a heartbeat.”