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Introduction

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Csoport-téka Association primarily aims at providing service for people having disadvantages on labour force market and those who would like to improve their chances to build on their career. Besides educational programs (e.g. languages, computer techniques), Csoport-téka also offers different trainings to improve social skills (e.g. effective communication, co-operating), to develop key competences (e.g. creativity, self-managing)  and to share certain practical knowledge (e.g. techniques of telephoning, writing CVs) which although proves to be inevitable for gaining success, it cannot be acquired nor at the high school or at the university. Csoport-téka intends to offer all the assistance that helps their clients to overcome and avoid the social and psychological pitfalls which provide means for employers to select among candidates for a given position. Csoport-téka s final aim is to help that in agiven series of interviews job-seekers get to the point interviews where at last their personal skills, knowledge and experience come into light. Working together with drama-educators and psychologists Csoport-téka also helps its clients to map their own strengths and find out more about the possible psychological reasons behind their failures (e.g. lack of self-confidence, earlier conflicts with collegaues/superiors, profession orientation). Besides, Csoport-téka also finds it essential to help their clients with the practical "things" as well, e.g. finding and applying for a specific job, handling prejudice and being aware of some relevant issues such as equality on labour force market. To reach these aims Csoport-téka finds it important to have a close and intimate relationship with their clients; to build as personal relationship with them as possible Csoport-téka works through counsellors.

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EVS: volunteer service at Csoport-téka Association

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This is the first time that Csoport-téka hosts volunteers. Despite this fact, they are proposing a wide range of activities for the volunteers. As you can learn it from the above detailed profile of Csoport-téka, the service they provide is treefold: educational, social and psycological. For this very reason the interest that a given volunteer should preferably share is hardly definable, however characteristics such as initiativity, ability to work in group, felxibility and empathy are highly appreciated. Note that from whichever angle you approach your job, you will work with people usually struggling with difficulties in their life, for this very reason besides professional and practical help they need encouragment and full attention. Furthermore, among the members of the staff of Csoport-téka, you will also meet people living with disabilities.

The most important part of the recruitment process is to prove your motivation. It is also welcomed if in your appliance you can establish your goals that you would like to realize during the project, i.e. holding either a drama course or a langauge course; improving the marketing of Csoport-téka, creating further opportunities for Csoport-téka to appear on the web, building bridges between the Hungarian job-seekers and the Croatian employers, promoting EVS etc.

Beisdes the opportunities arising from its enterprise, through its extensive partnership Csoport-téka offers a number of further possibilities for the volunteers to find additional activities according their interest and skills. They are basically pleased with any initiative, and they offer all the assistance to help you manage your service time and achieve your goals.

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As far as practical issues are concerned: Csoport-téka situated in the 5th district, right in the city center. Csoport-téka is planning to find accomodation as close to the office as possible to avoid too much travelling. Regarding food: volunteers will have their lunch in the office. Note that according to the office routine each member of the staff is responsible for cooking once a week; so dear volunteers, learn to cook! ;). Breakfast, dinner and weekend meals should be arranged by the volunteers on their own being supported with money by the host-institution. 

In the case of Csoport-téka the length of the volunteer service is not defined in advance, but arranged according to the volunteers s need and expectations.

The association also puts heavy focus on comforting volunteers before beginning their service, for this very reason they intend to apply for the possibility  to arrange a pre-journey for each of the volunteers, which possibility is offered by the European Comittee. Through this journey volunteers can accomodate themselves to the new environment to some extent and feel more secure at the beginning. What I also find really pleasant at Csoport-téka is the effort they  take to form a community from volunteers spending their service time in Budapest.

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Useful links

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http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=36000325511

http://csoportteka.hu/english/