[EVS Project] The Portrait Project

After using the video media since the beginning, we have decided to introduce a new photography project.

[EVS Life] Mid-term Training in Budapest

This traditional group picture was made during our "EVS mid-term training", the second and last one of our year of volunteering.
We were so excited about it! We weren't such a big group, just 15 youngsters from all over Hungary. We almost had already met each other during the year so it appeared that we were already all friends: we lived this experience with a lot of joy!
The training was named "EVS (mid-term) Master Chef Hungary" with an inspiring theme: sustainable food - as vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free food. Thanks to our 2 amazing trainers, all of it - activities, topics, participants - was well thought and allows us to enjoy a very great time!

[EVS Project] How to manage the personal branding?

This week, we met Attila Tollas to speak about the personal branding. The main idea was to understand how young people can make the difference in their application process. 

The next three videos provide some answers. 

[EVS Life] Four days in Belgrade!

Szia Belgrád!

The last week-end, we enjoyed the days off work - celebration of the Hungarian uprising of 1956 - to travel in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia.

Check our quick photo report of these four days!

[EVS Project] One day at the Mustár Rádió in Nyíregyháza

 

In the studio of the radio

Last Friday, we spent all the day at Nyíregyháza in the studio of the Mustár Rádió. The objective of the day: recording EVS testimonies and sharing experience.

After three hours and a half of train, we finally arrived in this city, in northeastern Hungary. Pierre, one the six EVS volunteers in the radio, picked us up at the train station. We have already met some of them in Budapest: Pierre (France), Giovanni and Stefano (Italy), Slavena (Bulgaria), Amaya (Spain) and Victoria (Russia). 

First, we began by recording a radio programme about our EVS experience. Then, we filmed each of them, talking about their expectations, what they think about the situation in their country, etc. And finally, we recorded a last programme in French with Pierre. 

We stayed on Friday night at their place and went out in the streets of Nyíregyháza. It was so great to see them and to escape from Budapest! So, the next step is to edit videos and to share them!

Stefano and Pierre

                                                                                                        

[EVS Project] Videos "How to": tips for a job-seeking period

How to be successful? How to stay positive?
These 6 videos below are the ones we made with several coaches or specialists during the HVG jobfair (this is almost the end of our videos concerning this event).
We hope we have made them enough short and efficient: we know how much it is hard to be focused on a speech for more than 3 minutes. We are working now on our "real project" composed with stories from young people all over Europe.

[EVS Project] Videos: Interviews with companies

During the HVG jobfair, we had the opportunity to speak with several companies. We interviewed HP, Decathlon and Sigma Technology to know their opinion about young graduates: do they recruit them? What advantages do they get when they hire them?
Click on "play" for the videos below.

[EVS Project] Our videos are online

We finally have started our Youtube channel! Almost all of our videos concerning the HVG Állásbörze are online.
It was a hard task to edit them properly because we had to be more familiar with the After Effect software first. These past days made us really busy, dealing with our computers at the office and improving our editing skills.

[EVS Project] We are back from the HVG jobfair!

Well, the last two days were both excited and exhausted but we did it! Some plans have changed since the last post.

[EVS Project] We are going to HVG Állásbörze!

Next week, on the 23rd and 24th of September, the biggest jobfair in Hungary named HVG Állásbörze will take place in Budapest.
We had already thought about going there with the MediaGo's staff, but it was hard to know exactly how we could take profit on this event.
Thanks to our coordinator, we have found out two main ideas:

Idea 1: involving young job-seekers in our project, making them putting a "Like" on our FB page.
Idea 2: going straight to the companies (or their HR leader) for interviewing them quickly.

[EVS Project] "About your expectations": our second interview

Last time we recorded our friends from Germany, Hungary and Spain for a video about the CV. Now we are working on the next topic: "What are your job expectations?".
So this time we've decided to involve new faces into the project, that's why we asked Elisa from Romania. We met her during our on-arrival training, she is an EVS volunteer as well and she is specialised in theatre.
She likes acting and even directing a team, then her point of view is very interesting: thanks to her, we've got new ideas of topics!

[EVS Project] Quotes from young European people

 
We had this great idea to illustrate the answers we've collected from the survey transforming them in "picture quotes". Now we can share young people's expectations or disappointments on Facebook and make them referring to our survey.
It would be a good thing if people accept to share their experiences as well!

Ophélie

[EVS Project] "About the CV": first video recording

 

Our first recording is done! And we were so excited to make it :)

Three weeks ago, we decided to interview some friends about this topic: the CV. We wanted to have points of view from 3 different countries: Hungary, Germany and Spain.

Through these videos, our purpose is to show and highlight differences between them, thinking it could be useful to know how it's working "all over Europe".

[EVS Project] NUMB3RS!

We launched the survey about young people almost three months ago and we have collected more than 200 answers. So now, let’s start to process the results!

[EVS Project] We are creating a "Question box"

We are entering in the third part of our project: creating videos.

As an introduction, we would like to make a little video project based on the model of a "question box". In France, we have a famous TV channel where this "game" is played with celebrities: they read a question on a screen, mostly asked by viewers, and they have to answer in a funny way while the camera is recording in front of them.

I already created this kind of video in the past, during an event with teenagers. On one hand it was really fun (especially for them), on the other hand it was helpful to involve people in my project 'cause all participants shared the video on the social networks.

So I was thinking it can be awesome to do the same thing again!

[EVS Life] Video "Tell me about Europe, episode 4"

Parlez-moi d'Europe - Episode 4 by CRIJ-Haute-Normandie

So this is the last video that I made for my sending organisation, one month after the first one.
Here I am speaking about the capital of Budapest, trying to introduce all the famous places that a tourist can visit (and some of my favourite ones as well!). Hopefully the weather was wonderful to film it, therefore you can enjoy how awesome is this city in summer!

Of course, because I am speaking in French during the whole video, you can read the translation of what I am saying here:

[EVS Project] "I'm in the swim" is on Facebook now!

One week ago, we decided to create a facebook page about our project. 

[EVS Life] Video "Tell me about Europe, episode 3".

Parlez-moi d'Europe - Episode 3 by CRIJ-Haute-Normandie

As I mentioned it here and there, I'm making 4 videos about my EVS life in Budapest since my sending organisation, CRIJ Haute-Normandie, asked me to create them one month ago.

For this one, I had to talk about my social life. So I decided to introduce almost all of my friends in Hungary.

Because this video doesn't have any comment from me, I guess a whole translation is useless.

Enjoy! :)

[EVS Project] Feedback: “Let’s think together!”

Last friday, we organised our first brainstorming. Fourteen european volunteers and hungarian students exchanged views about job seeking topics. 

Samedi dernier, nous avons organisé notre premier brainstorming. Quatorze volontaires européens et étudiants hongrois ont échangé autour de plusieurs thématiques sur la recherche d’emploi.

[EVS Life] PÉCS: check!

The last weekend, we moved to Pécs, to discover this cultural city, in the south of Hungary.

Le week-end dernier nous sommes partis á la découverte de Pécs, la capitale culturelle, située au sud de la Hongrie ! 

[EVS Life] Video "Tell me about Europe, episode 2".

Parlez-moi d'Europe - Episode 2 by CRIJ-Haute-Normandie
 

This is my 2nd video "Tell me about Europe". Here you can find the translation of what I'm saying:

[EVS Project] Let's think together!

At the same time as our survey, we begin the qualitative phase of the project. It starts by the organisation of a brainstorming about the same theme, that is to say the youth employment.

En parallèle de notre questionnaire, nous commençons la phase qualitative du projet. Cette dernière débute par l’organisation d’un brainstorming autour du même thème, à savoir l’emploi des jeunes en général.

[EVS Life] About the video "Tell me about Europe, episode 1".

Parlez-moi d'Europe - Episode 1 by CRIJ-Haute-Normandie

My sending organisation named "CRIJ Haute-Normandie" asked me to create 4 videos about my life in Budapest as an EVS volunteer. During one month, I'm going to make 1 video per week and this serie is called "Parlez-moi d'Europe" ("Tell me about Europe").

This first one is about my arrival in Budapest, my routine, my workplace and my expectations. Sorry, the video is only available in French without subtitles... But if you want to understand it, take a look to this translation:

[EVS Life] 3 days in Warsaw!

For our first trip out of Hungary, we chose Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. Three days of walk with two volunteer friends, one German and one Latvian. We flew away from 7th to 9th of June, taking profit of the Monday off.

[EVS Project] What about the companies?

This week, the second step in our study started: we launched the survey about the companies.

La deuxième phase de notre étude commence cette semaine, avec le lancement du questionnaire pour les entreprises.

[EVS Life] #happyEVS Part 3

This is the final video made during our on-arrival training!
Enjoy :)

[EVS Life] #happyEVS Part 2

The aim of our on-arrival training was to inform us about all questions referred to our EVS experience. Our trainers, Judith and Attila, helped us to think about the “why” and the “how” during those five days training.

The reflection sessions were interspersed with games to divert us and to get closer to each other.

[EVS Life] #happyEVS Part 1

The best volunteers!

After three months of fights to obtain some information from the Hungarian national agency, we finally took part in an on-arrival training. The main aims of this training are to meet the new volunteers freshly arrived in Hungary and to inform each volunteer of his rights and his responsibilities.

Après trois mois de lutte archanée pour obtenir des informations auprès de l’agence nationale hongroise, nous avons enfin pu effectuer notre “on-arrival” training. Le but de ce training est de rencontrer une partie des volontaires récemment arrivés en Hongrie et de nous informer de manière générale sur les droits et les responsabilités du volontaire.

[EVS Life] "Big Volunteer Meeting" in Várpalota

After a busy and exhausting work week, we took the bus to spend a weekend in Várpalota in the Hungarian countryside. This break has been eagerly awaited!

This event was planned for two months, organised by the fourth volunteers of the youth center (read our article about our first visit there): they had created an event on Facebook to invite European volunteers from Hungary for two days of games, talks and discoveries.

 To participate in this weekend, we had to “apply” for it, completing a silly questionnaire about our blood group, our favorite superhero or our shoe size. Why not?

[EVS Project] We need YOUth!

Link: bit.ly/1n0gt10

Finally, here we are! As I said before, we worked on the creation of the survey for two months: one targets the young adults and the other one targets the companies.

Enfin, nous y voilà! Comme je le disais dans l’article précédent, cela fait pratiquement deux mois que nous travaillons sur l’élaboration de deux questionnaires: l’un est destiné aux jeunes et l’autre aux entreprises.

[EVS Project] The survey is almost ready!

Brainstorming time! 

After one month of researches, structures and reflexion, the first step of our project can be launched. 

Après un mois de recherche, de construction et de réflexion, la première étape de notre projet peut être lancée. 

[EVS Life] Week-end "Castles tour"

Last Saturday, we went with other volunteers to Sissi’s castle in Gödöllő. You can find the building around 45 minutes from Budapest, if you take the HÉV (suburban railway).

After having a lunch together in a little restaurant, we bought our visit ticket. Inside the castle, pictures weren’t allowed. But once we were in the amazing garden, we could ask a Spanish couple to take a picture of our group. We finally finished the visit of the area on the run... because of the rain.

Samedi dernier, nous étions parties avec d’autres volontaires au château de campagne de Sissi l’impératrice, à Gödöllő. L’édifice se trouve à environ 45 minutes de Budapest (si on prend le train de banlieue).

Après avoir déjeuné ensemble dans un petit restaurant, nous avons acheté notre billet pour la visite. A l’intérieur du château, les photos étaient interdites. Mais une fois dans le superbe jardin, nous avons pu demander à un couple espagnol de prendre notre groupe en photo. Nous avons terminé de visiter le site en courant… sous la pluie.

[EVS Life] Memories: Delphine's birthday party

 

Last saturday, Delphine became 25 years old. Big event.

One month earlier, our coordinator had a great idea: we should organise a surprise party for her. In addition to think about the perfect present, we called Zita and Dia to book a bar and to create a secret event on Facebook to invite MediaSales colleagues.

On my side, my duty was to invite our new friends.

[EVS Life] Easter weekend program : hike at Biatorbágy

In Hungary, Easter (Húsvét) is the second main celebration after Christmas. Budapest is deserted by its inhabitants, who gather with their family in the countryside. Different traditions remain during this weekend.

Ici, Pâques est la deuxième fête la plus importante après Noël. Budapest est désertée par ses habitants, qui se retrouvent en famille dans la campagne hongroise. Différentes traditions demeurent durant ce week-end.

[EVS Project] ÁVF Jobfair : we did it! (video inside)

 

It was on Wednesday, the 16th of April. We went to a university in Buda, named ÁVF (or most longer: “Általános Vállalkozási Főiskola”) with our coordinator and two colleagues from MediaGo Foundation.

Students of the university had organised a jobfair for this day. Along the morning, Delphine and I asked young Hungarians because of our project, while our colleagues were on the stand.

Our aim is not a secret, if you know our project a little bit, you know that we’re still looking for emails for our database. 

[EVS Project] Beszélsz magyarul ?

 

Mennyi az idő ? 

After learning hungarian during one month, what about our first feelings?

Après un mois d’apprentissage de la langue hongroise, quelles sont nos premières impressions ?

[EVS Project] Work in progress

"Don't make coffee, make decisions”, you can read it on a flyer I brought from one of our excursions in Budapest’s universities last Wednesday. That day, we were in the prestigious Corvinus University to put copies of our new poster on the charts.

“Don’t make coffee, make decisions”, peut-on lire sur un flyer que j’ai rapporté de l’une de nos excursions dans les universités de Budapest, mercredi dernier. Ce jour-là, nous étions dans les locaux de la prestigieuse Université Corvinus pour y coller des exemplaires de notre nouveau poster sur les tableaux d’affichage.

[EVS Project] Internet safety for primary school-age children

Last wednesday, we joined Szilárd, the CEO of MediaGo Holding, at a primary school to deal with privacy and security on Internet.

Mercredi dernier, nous avons accompagé Szilárd, PDG de MediaGo Holding, qui intervenait auprès d’une classe de primaire afin de parler sécurité sur Internet.

[EVS Project] Wanted : contacts from young people

Our project is still a “big baby”. After one month and a half of work in MediaGo Foundation, we have started collecting emails to build up our database. 

Notre projet est encore un “gros bébé”. Après un mois et demi de travail au sein de la fondation MediaGo, nous avons débuté la collecte d’emails dans le but de constituer notre base de données.

[EVS Life] Spring is coming!

Chairlifts up to János Hill

Run to the hills!

Obviously, as volunteers we have to do the project but also there’s the life outside “office” hours. Budapest enables us to enjoy our free time because of the lots of things to do and to discover! Last Saturday, it felt like spring, we decided to take the bus in the direction of Jánoshegy, the highest point in the city (526m). 

En tant que volontaire il y a évidemment le projet mais également la vie en dehors de la structure d’accueil. Budapest permet de profiter pleinement de notre temps libre vu les milles choses à faire et à découvrir ! Samedi dernier,  les premières lueurs du printemps étant présentes, nous avons pris le bus direction Jánoshegy, le point culminant de la ville (526m), côté Buda.

We reached the top of the hill via some oldschool chairlifts. The ascent is very quiet, and sometimes our feet brushed the crown of trees. At the arrival, you can eat Hungarian specialities. We went on the climb to the Elisabeth Lookout tower: we appreciated the beautiful unobstructed view of the both city sides. 

Le haut de la colline est accessible via des télésièges oldschool. Le calme régne le temps du trajet et parfois les pieds effleurent la cime des arbres. À l’arrivée, vous pouvez vous restaurer à base de classiques hongrois. Nous continuons l'ascension vers la tour Erzsébet kilátó (Elisabeth Lookout) qui offre une vue imprenable sur les deux côtés de la ville. 

At the end, there are several options to take on the route down : by the mini railway generated by the kids, by a good walk for the hardiest or by the chairlifts, which is what we chose. Peacefulness guaranteed. 

Enfin, le retour se fait soit par le train des enfants, soit à pied pour les plus courageux ou via les télésièges : option que nous avons choisi. Détente assurée. 

Delphine

Frisbee meeting on the island

On the grass at Deák Tér 

We generally like calm Sundays. But this weekend the sun convinced us to put our feet out in the middle of the afternoon.

Program of the day : meeting with unknown young people on Margit-sziget, this green island where you can be lazy without conscience. During the week, we often go there to run after work.

Le dimanche, on l’aime généralement tranquille. Mais ce week-end, le soleil nous a poussées à mettre le nez dehors en milieu d’après-midi.

Au programme : une rencontre avec d’autres jeunes gens sur Margit-sziget, cette île toute verte où l’on peut se détendre sans scrupules. On s’y rend généralement dans la semaine pour courir après le travail.

This afternoon, we joined a group of Frisbee addicts who play games on the grass of the island on every sunny Sunday.

This good deal had been offered by our new friend Maruta, who is an EVS volunteer from Latvia. Sitting down on the grass, we preferred staying under the sun rather than joining the game on the lawn. As Delphine said : “It’s Sunday, it’s a lazy day”.

We’ve met some new people of course but I always think that it’s complicated to get on with a group when you don’t really share their favorite activity.

Cet après-midi là, donc, nous avons rejoint un groupe d’accros au Frisbee qui se réunit tous les dimanches ensoleillés sur l’herbe de l’île.

Le bon plan nous a été soufflé par notre nouvelle amie Maruta, une volontaire SVE originaire de Lettonie. Assises dans l’herbe, nous avons préféré paresser au soleil plutôt que de nous joindre au jeu sur la pelouse. Comme disait Delphine : “C’est dimanche, c’est un jour de repos”.

Nous avons fait connaissance avec quelques personnes, évidemment, mais je trouve toujours cela compliqué de se greffer à un groupe quand on ne partage pas vraiment leur activité.

Around 5.30 pm, we moved on to Deák Tér park where concerts were playing in front of a dense crowd.

In the park, we walked among the stands of a traditional market. With Maruta and his friend Dani, a Spanish guy, we stood on the grass like many people. The moment was ideal to speak about different topics like music, movies or life in Budapest.

At the end of the day, Dani invited us at his place for the dinner: it was an opportunity to cook together in an international way!

Vers 17h30, nous avons migré vers le parc de Deák Tér où des concerts se jouaient devant une foule compacte. Dans le parc, on pouvait se promener parmi les étals d’un marché artisanal. Avec Maruta et Dani, son ami Espagnol, nous nous sommes assis dans l’herbe comme beaucoup d’autres. Le moment fut idéal pour échanger autour de sujets comme la musique, les films, ou encore, de manière plus générale, de la vie a Budapest.

En fin de la journée, Dani nous a invitées chez lui pour le dîner : l’occasion de cuisiner tous ensemble de façon “internationale” !

Ophélie

 

[EVS Life] EVS meeting in Várpalota

 EVS art workshop in Várpalota

Last monday, we left Budapest in the southward direction of Várpalota. It was the opportunity to meet other volunteers in Hungary. We were three French, two Spanish, three German, one Serbian, one Latvian, one Romanian and one Italian volunteers, gathering in the youth club of Várpalota.

Lundi nous avons quitté Budapest, direction Várpalota, situé à 80 kilomètres au sud-ouest. C’était l’occasion pour nous de rencontrer d’autres volontaires en Hongrie. Nous étions donc trois françaises, deux espagnols, trois allemands, une serbe, une letonne, une roumaine et un italien regroupés au centre de jeunesse de Várpalota.

In groups, we talked with teens from Várpalota’s secondary school. We introduced them to the EVS program, talked about our own experience and the teens spoke about their expectations and fears about the EVS project. Afterwards, they showed us what they like in Hungary: food, traditions, events. In the afternoon, all the volunteers visited the castle of Várpalota. The day was finished with a beer !

En groupe, nous avons échangé avec les lycéens de Várpalota. Nous avons présenté le programme de SVE, nos propres expériences et les jeunes nous ont évoqué leurs craintes et leurs attentes face à un tel projet. Pour clôturer, les jeunes ont exposé les lieux, les traditions, les évènements à voir et/ou à faire en Hongrie. L’après-midi, entre volontaires, nous avons visité le château de Várpalota. Puis autour d’une bière nous avons parlé de nos vies, notre SVE, etc.

Delphine 

[EVS Project] What about our project ?

“I’m in the swim”, is the name of the project which MediaGo has given us. The aim is to study youngsters employment situation in Europe, basing the findings on researches and statistics.

The idea is to have an expert knowledge of this subject that can be used for creating one or multiple videos.

“I’m in the swim”, c’est le nom du projet que nous a confié la fondation MediaGo. Le but : étudier la situation de l’emploi des jeunes en Europe en se basant sur des recherches et des statistiques.

L’idée est de maîtriser suffisamment le sujet pour créer une ou des vidéos.