NBTC Germany

Placement organization

Name of organization: NBTC Germany
Town/city: Cologne
Country: Duitsland
Website: http://nbtc.nl

Name of student: Anne van Rengs

Specialist area: MT
Placement period: 2014-2015

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: tourism board
Organization’s activities: NBTC is responsible for branding and marketing the Netherlands nationally and internationally. Using the ‘Holland’ brand, NBTC puts the country on the map as an attractive destination for holidays, business meetings and conventions.

Target group of the organization: Citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia and the big German cities
Company culture: Informal
Number of employees: 5 fulltime employers and several freelancers
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Marketing
Brief description of your daily activities: – Writing reportings
– answering e-mails
– Creating and developing marketing proposals for partners
– maintaining relationships with partners
– answering Consumerrequests
– being involved in campaigns and activities

Brief description of your company assignment: I started my own campaign with help from a colleague.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: We discussed everything during a marketing meeting (every monday). It was mostly about what I’ve been doing, and what what I am going to do. I also took the oppertunity to ask questions when some things weren’t clear. I was always allowed to ask anything during the week.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? flexible, stress-proof, independent but also a teamplayer, taking initiative
Additional company requirements for this placement? MS Office
English: Intermediate
Spanish:
French:
German: Advanced
Italian:
Other languages: Dutch: intermediate

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: By car and train

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? I arranged the accommodation myself (online)
How did you go to work every day? By foot or public transport

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? no
Do you need a work permit? no
How did you arrange the necessary documents: –
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? –
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance? –

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? No
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? Depends on your german language skills

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 17,80
Accommodation (monthly): € 265 Euro
Local transport (monthly): € 65 Euro (refunded by company)
General costs of living (monthly): € ca. 100 – 150 Euro
Costs of visa: € –
Costs of work permit: € –
What did the company pay for/to you? Financial compensation: €300,- and you are able to refund everything when you have to work outside the office.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I did not.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? no

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: anne_van_rengs@hotmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Start looking for a room early, and make sure you’ve seen the room before you decide to sign a contract. Pick a date and arrange several roomsightings on one day, and decide which one you like the most. Cologne isn’t that far, and you know exactly what you are getting in to.

Talk when something is bothering you! you feel releaved, and the others now what is going on, and are able to help you!

Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Cologne is a lively City. There is always something do to: pay a visit to a ‘brauhaus’, take a look at the Dom, endless shopping possibilities and celebrating carnaval. The city is lovely around Christmas time, because there are several ‘weihnachtsmärkte’. One of them is right in front of the office!

Restaurants and supermarkets are relatively cheap, take advantage of that!

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link