Not long ago IEC celebrated its anniversary. It is already 20 years old. I heard that a cocktail party was held at the Moscow office. What happened at our Tyumen office I do not know for sure, because I contacted IEC late. But I assume that the mood was probably upbeat at the agency, since they were summing up 20!years of work.
Over the time of its existence on the service market IEC has gradually but steadily developed, improving the level of service for its clients, expanding the list of possible programs and countries. The center mainly helps students from Russia conclude employment contracts with foreign companies for the period of summer recreation. Young people get acquainted with the history of the chosen country, study the language in greater depth, and gain work experience. And every year the center expands its range of services: it adds new directions, considers new offers, choosing the most acceptable options for Russian students. These facts are proof that the agency does not rest on its laurels, but continues to develop and expand!
I wonder, what will happen to IEC in 20 years? To us and to the country? Well, here's what...
- March. I am sitting in my office at the "VTB" bank in a white shirt and tie (ugh, how I hate it), drinking coffee, looking through reports and thinking not to forget to buy milk on my way home. The correspondence was brought in. I open the envelope. I am invited to a celebratory corporation in honor of IEC's anniversary (the 40th) as a regular client. And 20 years ago at this same time I only dreamed of going to America. Yes, a lot of time has flown since my first trip, a lot has changed...
The workday is over. I go outside. I pass by an electronics store. Need to buy milk. I approach a box that replaces the shop assistant, the cash register, weights and everything else! Could I have imagined in 2010 that in 20 years people would come up with this... You press the buttons, drop the money into the compartment, listen to "thank you for your purchase" and take your packet of milk. How far technology has come!
I pass by the display window of a new store, something like our former "Tekhnosila" or "Eldorado", with a wide selection of appliances at "ridiculous prices". And here's the new protoplasmic TV, or something of that sort. A large screen, a built-in system that imitates live sounds and enhanced playback of music tracks and many other cool "gadgets", like the ability to fold this TV set into a cube sized 4x4 cm and weighing a couple of grams... I bet Philo Francotour, the inventor of the first television, never dreamed of such innovations!
For a second I listen to the broadcast coming from this "miracle" box. News! "The euro rate has not changed, the rate of ECT (environmentally clean fuel) per barl has fallen by 3 points..." General information carrying zero semantic weight. Not a word about the fact that Russia is no longer an oil power, since this type of fuel has practically run out, and about five years ago we slowly began to switch to renewable resources. Several types of synthetic gasoline and ECT were invented, new ways of heating houses were found, many problems that arose because of oil shortages were solved. Although not all our achievements. Japan, for example, began the transition to the new level about 10 years ago, and our country still lived day to day, not particularly worrying about the future. After Japan, half of Europe and the USA followed. But we are not at the very end of that list, rather exactly in the middle, which is pleasing... More snippets of various information for the day...
I have to go on. I slowly turn and head home. Near the entrance I take out the resident card to get into the building. The thing is, many young men and women have come to like spending their free time in building entrances, so they invented the "new intercom", although calling it "new" is an exaggeration. Just like in the subway. You insert the card, the system notes that you are "one of us", and then a few control questions come from the dispatcher, like "who, where are you coming from, do you live here, and how many of you are there". Of course, now entrances are clean and quiet, but returning every day and telling the same story is tiring...
Here I am at home! My wife is not here yet. I'll put the kettle on.
I approach the window. A billboard for another IEC office invited me, flashing with multicolored lights. "Work, travel, internship in countries around the world! With us your dreams will come true!".
Yes, they are right. I fulfilled one dream with the agency 20 years ago, but a lot has changed since then. I heard that IEC still sends students abroad for work and travel. They increased the number of countries in their list, which now includes almost all of Europe! IEC has now created a database of job offers. You choose a country and city you like, select a convenient time of year and a field of activity. And the number of positions in that list is truly astonishing!
Another interesting program has appeared - the Education program. The agency now offers students the opportunity to continue their studies in foreign educational institutions for a year or two. The most in-demand are business schools and institutes in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and technical and vocational universities in Japan and Germany. Students are, of course, required to have a good knowledge of the language of the given country and excellent grades in major subjects.
IEC introduced a new program called Travel to Your Dream. The program includes a list of countries and events/holidays that will be held in those countries. These trips are short-term, only for recreation. For example, if you have long dreamed of attending the world-famous riot of colors and the great show—the carnival in Rio (Brazil)—then IEC can make your cherished dream come true! Also among the exotic offerings in this list one can note: the Beaujolais Nouveau festival (wine-harvest tasting in France), the spring Fair in Seville (Spain, one of the most famous and original fairs in the world), New Year in Amsterdam (no comment needed), the beer festival Oktoberfest (in Munich, or Bavaria) and this is far from all! What can be said? I think anyone will find what they want, no matter how picky they are.
Lost in these thoughts I didn't notice that my wife had long been standing next to me, also looking at the agency's sign with a cup of tea in her hand.
- Listen, let's go to the USA this New Year's holiday, celebrate the New Year there with friends, somewhere in Las Vegas?
- Not a bad idea, dear.