EF Tours

Placement organization

Name of organization: EF Tours
Town/city: Paris
Country: Frankrijk
Website: https://www.eftours.com/

Student

Name of student: Karolina Bakalova

Specialist area: Tourism Management (EN)
Placement period: 2018-2019

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour Operator
Organization’s activities: EF is launched in 1965 in Lund, Sweden, by Bertil Hult, and up until now it has
offices in more than 50 locations and over 500 schools in 114 countries (EF Educational Tours, n.d.). EF Education Tours is a global educational company focusing on language, academic, cultural exchange and educational programs. The concept behind all the services provided by EF Tours is the experiential learning. The company’s mission is: Opening the World Through Education. Its aim is to teach students language skills and practical matters by means of experiences.
Target group of the organization: United States of America and Canada
Company culture: The staff of the EF Regional Office in Paris consists of Ariane McBeath Board (Regional Director); Mirka Mrazova (Senior Reginal Coordinator); Barbara Belghuit (Administrative Assistant) and me (Seasonal Trainee).
The dress code in the office is casually formal. Jeans are allowed as long as they are not thorn. However, it is better to wear suits, jackets and trousers with elegant blouses/shirts. Moreover, it is advisable to wear more elegant shoes.
Number of employees: 4 in the EF Tours Regional Office in Paris
Dress code: formal
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes, it did.

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working?

I work in the Regional Office of EF Tours in Paris. It is in charge of recruiting, training and supporting of Tour Directors (TDs) and Transfer Tour Directors (TDDs) based in France. It is both Operations department and Human Resource department.

Brief description of your daily activities: I am responsible for:
– TD link set up (tablets that TDs use during tours)
– Allocating TDs and TTDs to tours and transfers
– Distribution of Metro and train tickets
– Keep the TD room and the office organised
– Work with the internal system (creating profiles of newly recruited TDs and TTDs)
– Answer emails and phone calls
– Lost/Found items management
Brief description of your company assignment: The company assignment I am doing for EF Tours is a research about the European contract possibilities for TDs and TTDs within the Tourism Sector. In order to gather data for analysis I prepare a survey which I send out to the TDs/TTDs to fill in.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: During my internship both Ariane and Mirka supervise me. The atmosphere in the office is friendly and welcoming. Whenever I have questions, both my supervisors are happy to help . Most of the time we are working quietly but we balance it with small chats from time to time.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Responsible, proactive, independent, time-manager, confident, stress-proof
Additional company requirements for this placement? – MS Office – Writing skills
English: Advanced
Spanish:
French: Basic
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Airplane and train

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? I found it myself.
How did you go to work every day? I used the Metro.

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No.
Do you need a work permit? No.
How did you arrange the necessary documents: I arranged them from Breda, through email.
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? Around 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? Knowing French is a plus, because you can practice it and improve your language skills.

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € The plane ticket: 100 – 200 EUR; The Train ticket: 40 EUR
Accommodation (monthly): € 680 EUR
Local transport (monthly): € 75 EUR (NAVIGO)
General costs of living (monthly): € 250 – 300 EUR
Costs of visa: –
Costs of work permit:  –
What did the company pay for/to you? – 3.75 EUR net per worked hour (usual weekly planning 35 hours)
– 50% local transportation cost reimbursed
– 4 EUR lunch coupon per day

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I have been studying French language since high-school so I am familiar with the French culture. As an international student, I do not find many differences between the Dutch and French way of living.
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: 160853@buas.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do:
To do:
– Explore Paris as much as you can, visit many museums/galleries etc
– Try to speak French
– French culinary tasting
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Paris is a must-see city, no wonder why it attracts so many tourists. There is a place for everyone here, you just have to find it. You should visit as much museums/galleries/expositions as you can, read about the French history etc.

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