The ISFiT way – The Officials

The intention with “The ISFiT way” is to concretize the way we work in ISFiT, and to explain how ISFiT is the students’ most important arena of learning. We will explain why we use so much energy on making the festival, where the energy comes from and why the festival is so important to us.

Seen from the outside ISFiT looks like a 10-days long festival, but for us it is a lot more than that. Some work with the festival for years, and ISFiT is for many a central part of the years as a student in Trondheim. The experiences we get while working with the festival gives us unique knowledge we wouldn’t get elsewhere.

“My job is to manage projects with people from different departments, hold presentations, develop new ideas and find ways to do things better – in other words much of the same as many of the group leaders in ISFiT are doing, and as I did as vice president in 2007” – Ingrid Oline Skeide Ødegaard, vise president, ISFiT 2007.

Volunteer work

ISFiT consist of approximately 400 students who all have their own tasks in the organization. Every festival depend on students in Trondheim putting down thousands of work hours to create an important meeting place for students from all over the world. The officials’ tasks vary over a wide specter of areas of responsibility.

All who works in ISFiT are volunteers, but you still gain a lot for the work you put down in the festival. Many get responsibility for tasks that requires skilled workers, but since all are volunteers we do not demand any prerequisites. This means that the students’ gets tasks they are not initially qualified for, but they acquire the competence while working with the festival. The leaders in charge of the different departments in ISFiT are responsible for the officials being fit to perform their tasks, and that we have fun while working! This way we learn much more than we would learn in the universities or university collages.

In Trondheim there is a unique culture for volunteer work amongst the students. The students make up a big part of Trondheim’s population, and the association with the Student Society gives nutrition to a culture for volunteer work that has existed for 100 years.

In 2009 the student society in Trondheim was awarded “frivillighetsprisen” (price for volunteer work). The price is awarded by Frivillighet Norge, and is awarded to someone who has shown a remarkable effort for its local community. ISFiT is one of the reasons why the Student Society got the price. The jury wrote,

“The jury also want to emphasize the winners international engagement. Every second year, the winner arranges one of the world’s largest international student festivals, whit a content of high quality. Dedicated people from all over the world are gathered. This is how international solidarity and understanding is built.”

Professional amateurs

Since we don’t get paid for the work we do, we cannot call ourselves professionals. We are passionate and committed in the work we do, and we do our best to get the result as good as possible. This has shown to be a stronger motivation than getting paid in cash.

Often the term professional is used to describe the operation of an organization driven by voluntaries, where the expression professional says something about the efficiency. Our work involves and affects a lot of people, is of great international importance and is dependent on confidence from many external actors.

We depend on faith in the results of the festival, both from ourselves and from externals. We have to act professionally to achieve our goals. The enthusiasm behind it all makes us professional amateurs.

Motivation

What makes ISFiT capable of recruiting 400 students and motivate them to work as voluntaries over such a long period? There are just as many answers as there are officials in ISFiT, but the social aspect of the festival is important.

To meet new people in an environment where we focus on getting to know each other, have fun together and make new friendships is vital for a good experience as a student in Trondheim.

To participate in arranging ISFiT also looks good on your CV, and is something both employers and students have noticed. Persons who have participated in ISFiT gets unique knowledge in how a big organization works, are used to work in teams and are better in collaborating with others.

The international engagement is also important. We are convinced that the meeting place created during ISFiT is important in creating a better future. To feel that you are participating in creating the ideas and attitudes that change the world, is for many the reason why they join ISFiT.

Team Work

No one works alone in ISFiT. All departments are divided into groups with one leader. When we are many working together, we motivate and help each other to find the best solutions.

We need to focus more on social issues than commercial organizations, since it is important that people have fun while working as a volunteer. Getting to know each others good and bad sides, and to know about each other’s talents, is key factors in all teamwork. Going on excursions has become an important factor for creating coherence in the organization. On these trips we mix social and professional elements in a different way than we would do in an office.

ISFiT is also known for its energizers. Energizers are fun activities, like competitions, that give you extra energy to keep working. Taking breaks and having fun is important to maintain productivity.

Management

It is quite different being a leader for a group of volunteers than being a leader for a group of employees, even though there are plenty of similarities. Leaders are both a friend and a colleague, and to get the best result, the leader has to bring forth feelings of pride and solidarity to a greater extant than what you need with employees.

Students who have been leaders in ISFiT have a lot of experience, which can come in handy as a leader later in life. As executive of a group of volunteers you cannot force anyone to do something he/she doesn’t want to. You have to motivate every individual and delegate responsibilities to those who are motivated for the task. Leaders keep their officials motivated by creating strong social ties with in the group, balance work and fun, give trust, responsibilities and positive feedback as reward, and ensure that every one gets varied task.

The ISFiT organization is an organism that has evolved for over 20 years to cover the festivals needs. Since the staff is changed every two years, the organization structure is dynamic. This makes it easy to make changes from one festival to another. Every role in the organization is important, and an important task for the leaders is to explain all the 400 voluntaries how important their role is.

Responsibility

A part of the “payment” for working for the festival is responsibility. Getting responsibility for a large project creates motivation and ownership to the festival, which is important to get the best results.

Selection

The functionaries who work for ISFiT have gone through an extensive process before getting selected. At first the leaders for the different sections organizes the gangs the way they feel is most dynamic and productive. Then the different positions are promoted on the university, university collage and other schools for higher education in Trondheim.

The candidates then send an application for the positions they want, and then they get summoned for an interview. You do not need any prerequisites to apply for ISFiT, but it is of course positive if you have experience whit the field you want to work with.

It is not usual to have the opportunity to select the best qualified for volunteer positions, but since Trondheim’s students have such a strong culture for working as volunteers, it is possible to make it exclusive to work for ISFiT. This process ensures us that we hire the best students who want to contribute to reach the goals of the festival.