Find Your Way

The project was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

"Find Your Way" was an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange about career orientation and management. The main activity happened between 16-24 July 2023 in Mohács, Hungary. 31 people (mainly aged 18-25) came together from Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Estonia and Hungary to take part in a non-formal educational experience.

What were the reasons behind creating this project?

Lately, the options offered by the world are countless and make our career-related choices even harder to make, especially if we feel lost on our way. The key to succeed in a career is to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and to learn how to sell ourselves on the market. It is even more important to find the ideal profession that suits our skills and competencies the most and makes us excited every day when doing it. When we found that, all we need to do is follow the labor market changes and handle career-related mental health.

That is why we came together from different countries to change ideas, and perspectives and to get inspired. We aimed to equip ourselves with different tools that help us clarify which path to take and how to be an outstanding candidate while improving our chances on the job market. To achieve our goal the non-formal educational setting was the most suitable approach.

Daily blog

Day 1

"After a morning run for some of us, we started the day with breakfast and a walk around the neighbourhood, where we had the opportunity to discuss some questions. Even though it was already hot, we managed to explore the city to some extent, learn about ourselves and our peers.

"After a morning run for some of us, we started the day with breakfast and a walk around the neighbourhood, where we had the opportunity to discuss some questions. Even though it was already hot, we managed to explore the city to some extent, learn about ourselves and our peers.

Then we came back to the venue and played some games to learn each other’s names. These original and interesting games were useful. After a short coffee break, we discussed and had the time to reflect on our goals, contributions and challenges of the project through post-it notes. The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming so that all the participants could share their ideas and thoughts. Before lunch, we were also informed about how the daily schedule looks like. 

In the afternoon, we started by signing the project contract and discussing the ground agreements, such as the ‘bora-bora’ or ‘marco-polo’ techniques. Then we were separated into 5 groups and the egg-challenge began… 

In this challenge, we were asked to make a nest to protect an egg cooperatively. It was a good way to learn about each other and to improve our teamwork skills. Throwing the nests from some high would be the final part of the challenge where everyone was crowned winners.

The final tasks involved ‘mission impossible’ and reflecting on the whole day. Regarding ‘mission impossible’, we conquered the world record for finishing 31 tasks in only 45 minutes (at least we think so 😊). All the participants had to be actively participating in completing the challenge if we wanted to be successful. Some of the challenges included a rap battle or learning three Hungarian basic expressions. 

The day finished by making our family groups and reflecting on the process we went through during the day. In the evening, we had some free time where we played volleyball, went swimming and bonded at a deeper level."

Day 2

"A Day Filled with Empowerment and Learning: Reflections on Yesterday's Activities

Introduction:

Yesterday was an eventful day filled with exciting and enriching activities that left a lasting impact on all of us. From engaging energizers to interactive stations aimed at teaching the eight Youthpass competencies, to exploring the concept of Ikigai and creating our own "wheel of life," and finally, a captivating living library where experienced individuals shared their valuable insights on the job market. In this blog post, we will delve into each of these activities, highlighting their significance and the lessons we gained from them.

1. Energizer: Setting the Stage for an Inspiring Day

To kickstart our day, an energizer activity was organized, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere. This activity aimed to uplift our spirits and prepare us for the day's events. It not only provided a fun and energizing start but also helped foster a sense of friendship among participants.

2. Exploring Youthpass Competences: Unleashing Our Potential

The next activity involved a series of five stations, each focused on one of the eight Youthpass competences. These competences encompass a wide range of skills and qualities that are essential for personal and professional development. Through interactive exercises and discussions, we were encouraged to actively participate and learn from each station. This activity provided valuable insights into our own strengths and areas for growth, empowering us with the knowledge needed to navigate various aspects of life successfully.

3. Discovering Ikigai: Finding Purpose and Fulfillment

Following the Youthpass competences activity, we delved into the concept of Ikigai. Ikigai, a Japanese term, refers to the intersection of passion, mission, vocation, and profession. We were guided through the process of identifying our passions, skills, values, and the things that bring us joy. By creating our "circle of life," we gained a deeper understanding of our own purpose and how to align it with our everyday lives. This activity was thought-provoking, encouraging us to reflect on our aspirations and seek meaning in our endeavors.

4. Living Library: Wisdom from Experienced Voices

In the afternoon, a captivating living library was set up, offering a unique opportunity to engage with experienced individuals from various professional backgrounds. Divided into two sessions, the living library featured four individuals in each session, each sharing their working experiences and providing invaluable advice on navigating the job market. Through personal stories and interactive discussions, we gained insights into different career paths, learned from the challenges they faced, and discovered valuable strategies for success.

Conclusion:

Yesterday's activities provided a rich and diverse learning experience, equipping us with valuable tools for personal and professional growth. From exploring the Youthpass competencies and understanding our own potential, to discovering Ikigai and finding purpose in our lives, and finally, engaging with the living library and gaining wisdom from experienced voices, the day was filled with inspiration and empowerment. These activities served as catalysts for self-reflection, encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones, and fostered a supportive community of learners. Overall, the day was a testament to the transformative power of experiential learning, leaving us motivated and eager to apply these newfound insights to our own lives."

Day 3

"A Day Dedicated to Improvement of CV and Job Interviews

The beautiful cloudy morning kicked off with a delightful breakfast. Energizers are an important part of any Erasmus+ project. We started the day with an amazing energizer. Then we started working on our CVs, which were a key to finding a desired job. Reni and Abris helped us with the key points of a good CV.

We had an insight into a bad and a good CV, as well as the ways to make a good CV even better. It was very useful for the people who already had the CV and highly motivating for the people who didn’t have a CV.

After some coffee and an energizer, we moved on to the interview part. Interviews are a crucial part of a successful job application. Many of us didn’t have any experience with it. It was an interactive session in small groups where we did the role play of being an interviewee, an interview, and an observer. We kept on switching roles so everyone had the chance of each role. It was a great experience.

After having a delicious lunch, we jumped into the pool, of course, it’s an essential part of our days here.😁

In the evening, we had an activity based on trust building. We had to form alliances among ourselves, forming a pair. Then we had three rounds of each person getting blindfolded and the other person guiding the way, discussing the beautiful resort we’re staying at and some of our life memories. It was a fun activity.

The day ended with a dive into the beautiful Estonian and Turkish cultures. We learned some dances, some information about the countries (learning the pronunciation of some words), amazing delights and some snacks."

Day 4

"On Thursday we started our day with a refreshing energizer. Five teams competed in a speed game to see which could fill up their cup the fastest. Team members had to collaborate in order to carry pool water in their hands, from person to person. Everyone thought it was really fun.💦💦

Afterwards, new groups were created and assigned social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Blog, Tik Tok) to present a specific occupation. The aim was to identify strengths and weaknesses of each platform relevant to the nature of each profession and reflect on it.

As for the last task, each participant had to create a short video presenting their own field of work or studies. The suggested topics were 1) a "self-introduction video", 2) "failures and successes" and a "field-related" video🎬📽. We had the whole afternoon to prepare that and make it good quality.

In the evening, we gathered in the activity room to view everyone's work and share our thoughts. We were very impressed with the creativity of the group and the different ways in which everyone chose to present it. We concluded the evening with a fun Kahoot game. It was a lovely day😊"

Day 5

"On the 5th day, we started the day with an exciting energizer. Then, in the first session, we arranged ourselves into 5 stations, each one with one question related to the youth in the workplace. 

After lunch, we were instructed to organize 3 debates between the participants. Each of these debates was about controversial topics about the workplace

After the debate, we discussed ideas on what activities should be implemented in the next day workshops, organized by the participants.

This day was definitely more challenging and chaotic than the previous days, but all in all, everyone had a good time!

At night we all cooled off in the pool and spent the night dancing to the attending participants' countries' traditional music."

Day 6

"What an experience.

On this day, the participants were called to decide on the schedule and the activities done throughout the sessions. This initiative was creative and motivating since all of us had to cooperate in order to actually plan and then realize it.

The morning began with the '5 rooms of life' activity during which we reflected on our lives. This was important to understand our feelings and reactions towards our personal and professional lives.

After a short coffee break, we learned about our learning styles and connected with other participants who shared the same ones. It was enlightening and interesting. In the same activity, we also visualized ourselves 10 years from now. This was thoroughly appreciated by everyone since we took much-needed time to actually think and reflect on our future. 

After a long break, we had fun creating TikTok videos cooperatively. The results were fantastic. It put all our creativity on the spot, besides having to put into practice problem solving skills and out of the box thinking.

Then, following a slight change of schedule, we enjoyed our time by playing volleyball. It was very fun and we managed to develop our teamwork, cooperation, and sports skills. 

In the evening, we presented the TikToks developed at the beginning of the afternoon, and did some PowerPoint karaoke, incredibly useful, educative and creative.

This was the last activity of the day and we took advantage of every minute, keeping in mind that the project is close to an end. What an experience."

Day 7

"Today it was, unfortunately, the last day of the project 😭

We started by looking back on the challenges, goals and personal contributions that we did on the first day. After this reflection, we divided ourselves into national teams to discuss the follow-up activity that we are going to do in our local communities.

After organizing the schedule for the day and having an amazing lunch we did the secret friend reveal and also the "Net of sharing activity" which made us think about the days that we spent on this project, it was very heartwarming. 

We finished the day by closing the family groups and challenging ourselves by doing the "eye contact game" where we wrote sweet messages to every participant after looking at them for 1 minute👀 

It was a very emotional day and we will miss this project a lot!"

Career videos