Puresurfcamps

Placement organization

Name of organization: Puresurfcamps
Town/city: Munich
Country: Duitsland
Website: https://www.puresurfcamps.com/

Student

Name of student: Linda Jürgens

Specialist area: Tourism Management (EN)
Placement period: 2020-2021

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Tour Operator
Organization’s activities: Puresurfcamps is a tour operator and German market leader when it comes to surf travels worldwide. The company provides all-inclusive surf travel packages to their own or partner surf camps featuring Camps, Houses, Lodges, and Villas as accommodation and surfing as the main activity.
Target group of the organization: Young Adults (majority is German)
Company culture: At Puresurfcamps you will find a flat organizational structure with short communication lines. The atmosphere is very personal and informal. Two CEOs run the company, and there are different departments such as sales, marketing, accounting and IT, yet every employee is part of the big Pure Family! As the employees are welcoming and inclusive, one could describe the internal culture as a clan culture, yet innovation and creativity are of high value making it a mix between clan culture and adhocracy.
Number of employees: 30
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 department

Brief description of your daily activities: I am mainly responsible for sending suitable offers to customers and email & phone consulting. As a sales intern, I am occupied with advising customers on the best option for their desires and provide them with information regarding the camp, accommodation, transfer, surf course, etc. Besides, I formulate content for the website and email templates, contact universities for exclusive group travels or cooperation, and help out colleagues when needed.
Furthermore, I got to spend a week in a surf camp in France as the bus teamer. I was responsible for organizing a smooth bus journey and help out in the camp.
Brief description of your company assignment: An internal analysis of Puresurfcamp’s performance by conducting a SWOT analysis, comparing it with competitors, and drawing conclusions as well as recommendations for improvements and new ideas.
Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: My supervisor works in the sales department as well. In that way, we worked closely, he introduced me to the work flow and I was able to ask questions whenever needed.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? reliable, team player, sociable, problem-solving
Additional company requirements for this placement? MS Office, good writing skills (German & English)
English: Intermediate
Spanish: Basic
French: Basic
German: Advanced
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Munich is accessible in every way

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? myself via this website: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/wg-zimmer-in-Munchen.90.0.1.0.html
How did you go to work every day? bike or car

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 your German is not advanced, yes

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € –
Accommodation (monthly): € 440 (average room rent 400€-500€)
Local transport (monthly): 19€ (swapfiets)
General costs of living (monthly): € 650
Costs of visa: €
Costs of work permit: €
What did the company pay for/to you? 300€ per month as financial compensation
1 week all-inclusive holiday in one of the surf camps

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I checked out interesting spots in Munich to explore when there.
Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? It kind of influenced my German dialect

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: 181445@buas.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: To do:
– stay in contact with your company supervisor before you start your placement
– don’t be afraid to ask questions – in that way you will learn faster
– get used to the workflow first but do not forget about your company & specialization
assignments
– show initiative -> your supervisor and colleagues will like that

Not to do:
– no need to show up in fancy formal clothes -> the colleagues are very easy-going and
laid-back surfer
Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Surfing (standing wave at “Eisbach” and indoor surfing at “Jochen-Schweizer Arena)
Skating (Theresienwiese, Freiham, Germering and many more spots)
Hiking (I recommend a trip to the Alps)
Swimming
Biergarten / Oktoberfest (Oktoberfest was of course canceled this year)
Shopping
Skiing/Snowboarding
City trip in Bavaria
Going out (when there is no corona)

Media