Divine Diving

Placement organization

Name of organization: Divine Diving
Town/city: Labuan Bajo
Country: Indonesië
Website: http://www.divinediving.com/

Name of student: Marit Metselaar

Specialist area: MT
Placement period: 2016-2017

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Dive centre
Organization’s activities: – cooperate in the day-to-day management of operational activities (managing teams, solving problems, contacting customers, ensuring customer satisfaction)
– keeping social media up to date (SEO, posts on FB, blogs and Instagram)

Daily activities
– Answering email from potential guests
– Update reservations
– Making offertes
– Check bookings
– Keeping up to date information for guests (both paper versions and website)
– Planning of bookings
– Keeping Social Media up to date (Facebook and Twitter) (making texts, collecting photos, posting messages)
Target group of the organization: Divers from all over the world
Company culture: The company culture of Divine Diving is informal; very ongoing, friendly, kind and respectful. Both local and western people are working at Divine Diving. This is why it is extra important be respectful. Different cultures in one organization can lead to miscommunication, so stay friendly and kind everyday all day.
Number of employees: 22
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Front office: Sales & Marketing
Brief description of your daily activities: I had everyday daily activities and sometimes other activities.
– opening the office; make sure everyone is on time, welcome the guests (payment/ equipment), making sure everything is going good.
– Sales and marketing; Give information about trips (day and liveaboards), courses and more. Write blogs, make Instagram and Facebook posts etc.
– Book guests (paperwork, equipment, payment)
– Update planning
– make work schedule
– keeping social media up-to-date
– small projects (collecting and analyse guest data, selling drinks, WWF)
-day-to-day management of operational activities
– closing office: money, prepare TripLeader bags, Cashbook, lock everything up
Brief description of your company assignment: Everything that company said in assignment was what I had to do.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: My supervision:
A part from all crew members helping me out when needed, I had three amazing supervisors: Steve and Francesca (the managers) & the boss of Divine Diving: Marij Aben.
I spend most of the time with Steve and Francesca. They helped me with everything. They’re lovely, patience and kind.
The whole crew welcomed me with open arms & the whole time here in Labuan Bajo I felt at home.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Social, team player, flexible, stress-proof, dependable, creative, problem solving,
Additional company requirements for this placement? MS Office, WordPress
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? I arranged the accommodation together with the company
How did you go to work every day? by foot or motor bike

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? Yes, Social Cultural visa
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents: Embassy
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? At least 2 months
Did you need certain vaccinations? Yes
How long in advance? 2 months; Look online & ask GGD. I needed all vaccinations

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. Maybe Indonesian if you like to communicate with locals, but this is very easy to learn at destination. (Dialect)

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € 800 (I booked my flight very late & my flight was in the middle of high season)
Accommodation (monthly): € 125
Local transport (monthly): € 40 (if you use Ojek or Bimo every day, 2 times)
General costs of living (monthly): € 120
Costs of visa: € 25 a month
Costs of work permit: € –
What did the company pay for/to you? – My accommodation (125 euro a month)
– Open Water course (355 euro)
– fun dives (100-125 a day)

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
– watched some videos
– read some articles
– asked some friends and family
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: maritmetselaar@hotmail.com

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: To do:
– have fun & enjoy
– Eat at the fish market & Indonesian warungs
– go to local BBQ, Wedding party or birthday party
– Go to Paradise bar at saturday night
– rent a bike
use anti mosquito spray or klamboe (mosquito net)
– carry your passport with you all the time

not to do:
– drive without helmet
– make fight with police
– use drugs (JAIL TIME)

Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: – Swimming pools (Molas Cafe, Dragon Dive etc.)
– Manta Talk (every wednesday at Molas cafe; very interesting!)
– over land trips (Wae Rebo (traditional village), Ruteng, rice fields and more)
– Waterfalls & caves
– Boat trips (diving, snorkeling, visiting Komodo Dragons, Padar Island or Kolong (Flying foxes)
-Dancing and drinking at Paradise bar (especially at saturday night)

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link