Work n Holiday

Placement organization

Name of organization: Work n Holiday
Town/city: Auckland
Country: Nieuw Zeeland
Website: http://www.worknholiday.com

Student

Name of student: Joosje Voordes

Specialist area: ITMC
Placement period: 2015-2016

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tourism Agency
Organization’s activities: The organisation receives backpackers through travel agencies abroad from all over the world. Work n Holiday receives them on their first day and provides them with all the information they need in a presentation. The members (so the backpackers) also receive things such as a simcard and a hostel membership etc. For some of the members (depending on the package they booked), a trip to the northland of New Zealand is organised. One of the Work n Holiday team members goes with them as a tour guide.

During the backpackers’ stay in New Zealand, Work n Holiday serves as a help for bookings, post, information, wifi-spot and more. The company also offers help in finding jobs. The organisation has a job database on which members can find contact information and job vacancies of employers.
Target group of the organization: Backpackers
Company culture: The company has an informal culture within the Auckland branch. Colleagues are more like friends, which is an amazing feeling and sometimes even something you need.

The relation with the CEO is a bit more formal.
Number of employees: 2
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Sales, front desk, customer service, administration.
Brief description of your daily activities: – Updating job database
– Handling post
– Airport pickups
– Guiding of monthly tours
– Updating facebook page
– Answering questions of members
– Giving presentations
– Making starter packages
Brief description of your company assignment: I have done a product evaluation on the Top End Maori Experience. This was a 5-day trip to the Bay of Islands. I have evaluated it and recommended modifications and additions.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: My supervisor was great. She was a friend and sometimes even my New Zealand mum. She gave me a lot of help and feedback which was very useful. Unfortunately she quit, but the new manager and supervisor is a really nice girl as well. She is friendly, funny and always ready to help!

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Team player, independent, flexible, stress-proof, presentable, sociable, helpful, creative.
Additional company requirements for this placement? MS Office, MS Excell
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French: Basic
German: Intermediate
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Via a friend’s relative.
How did you go to work every day? By foot, but bus is very probable.

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes, usually people get a Working Holiday Visa, but I managed to get a Work Visa. I would advise you to think about what you want to do in New Zealand. I knew that I did not have much time to stay longer and travel, so I decided not to waste my Working Holiday Visa if I was only going to work. You can only get your Working Holiday Visa for New Zealand once in your life (before you turn 31).
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Online and in contact with the placement company.
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? About a month
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? No

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 1200
Accommodation (monthly): € 400
Local transport (monthly): € 50
General costs of living (monthly): € 300
Costs of visa: € 200
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? The company gave me one week of accommodation in a hostel in the center of Auckland. Furthermore they paid me $35 for an airport pickup and $85 for a guided tour. Working in the tourism industry in New Zealand gives you also a lot of opportunities to get discounts for activities and transport. Also local barpersonnel knows you because every now and then you take new arrivals on a pubcrawl, so there are a lot of discounts on drinks.

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
Not needed. Maybe check what the accent sounds like, because this can be quite hard to understand sometimes.
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: 133712@edu.nhtv.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Do ask your branch manager for discounts etc. when you are planning to travel! Do not be shy about this, because every one in the tourism industry in New Zealand really wants to show you the country and help you out.

Do talk to people, no matter who it is or what he/she does. In New Zealand; networking is everything!
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: There is a lot of nice bars, also gyms and other sports clubs. It is a big city so it is quite easy to find something to do. Definitely check out the Civic, which is an indian style theater. It looks absolutely stunning from the inside!

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link