EF Educational Tours

Placement organization

Name of organization: EF Educational Tours
Town/city: London
Country: Groot-Brittannië
Website: http://www.eftours.com/

Name of student: Sharon Bernhart

Specialist area: MT
Placement period: 2015-2016

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour operator
Organization’s activities: Trying to break down the barriers of language, culture and geography by providing international travel experiences to teachers and students in North-America. Education First offers programs for all ages, e.g. language learning, cultural exchange- and university preparation programs. However Educational Tours focuses on providing tours to high school students in North America.
Target group of the organization: (Highschool) Students
Company culture: Within the company there is an informal atmosphere with a business casual attire. During the day Tour Directors walk in and out of the office and everyone is mutually interested in each other and very friendly and open-minded. In addition, there is not really a noticeable hierarchy, making you immediately feel like you’re part of the team.
Number of employees: +-6 in the office, more worldwide
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? The Regional Office in London which means that you are doing operational tasks for tours starting/departing in London.
Brief description of your daily activities: – Distribution of documents and materials to the Tour Directors (among other things (assigning) tablets and Oyster Cards)
– Booking and coordinating airport transfers
– Checking the post-tour paperwork (financial accountability of the Tour directors)
– Communication by phone and email
– Sending out packages to other offices.
– Attending activities/meetings (attending selection/training days for new Tour Directors for example)
– Other small tasks that come along the way (especially the case in the low-season)
Brief description of your company assignment: Analysis of the current information systems and come up with a new system for the information of Tour Directors.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: I have often worked individually with the supervision of Tammie/Tamara, because there were no other colleagues at the time (due to the low-season). On occasion I worked with more people in the office. They were always very friendly and everyone helps each other when necessary.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Flexible and sociable team player, who can work well individually
Additional company requirements for this placement? Excel knowledge comes in handy
English: Intermediate
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: We travelled by car

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Internet/Agency
How did you go to work every day? By tube (to Bond Street or Oxford Circus)

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? If you feel more secure with the language course I would recommend it. People with different accents will approach you during your placement.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 148 for the Eurotunnel + gasoline (I travelled with a friend of mine/fellow NHTV student)
Accommodation (monthly): € +- 560 (shared a room with my friend)
Local transport (monthly): € 175 – EF reimburses this amount
General costs of living (monthly): € +-450
Costs of visa: €
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? – One return ticket
– 8 pound per day for your lunch
– Oyster Card/Travel costs

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
Only a bit of reading online
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: sharon_bernhart@live.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Try to find someone who can help you searching (and looking at) a room and do it as soon as possible. (We had a bad experience with our agency)
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: London is a city full of possibilities and fun activities. The office is located on Oxford Street, which gives you the ability to see/do a lot during your lunch break.

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link