While we’re experts at organising travel logistics, it’s really connecting with communities that is at the core of all we do, whether that’s by inviting travellers to fall in love with a place the way our local guides have, by helping scenic remote villages to develop sustainable tourism projects to help preserve the land and culture they love, or by giving young people insight into what life might hold for them after they complete their education.
It was a privilege to open our doors to two students from NIST International School in Bangkok at Diethelm Travel Thailand last month. This is the second year that the school has sent students to our offices as part of its Career Week which aims to introduce Grade 9 students to professional working environments. Students are allowed to choose the organisation and department they wish to work with, and we were so pleased two chose Diethelm Travel!
We asked the students to share with us, in their own words, what it was like for them to briefly be a part of the Diethelm Travel family, so without further ado, we’d like to introduce you to Jose.
When I first arrived at Diethelm Travel, my idea of this internship was that it would be a very office-like job where interactions between co-workers were minimal and the mood was very low. To my surprise, Diethelm has one of the most fun and entertaining offices I have witnessed.
Khun Mook, Khun Aew, Khun Narisa, Khun Siprang and Khun Sukanya were the main employees that I interacted with every day. They made me feel welcomed in the company by showing me different techniques of introducing myself, making jokes and taking me out for lunch. In a work environment, I thought it would be serious all of the time, but many of the people around me made it fun and joked around more than expected. However, when it was time to work everyone went into their zone and completely gave 100%. This is something I admired and will try to do also, rather than work only half concentrated and half not concentrated.
The main job I was assigned was to motivate the Diethelm Travel employees to go to the gym. I also had to interact with people and improve communication skills which are usually seen in the HR department of any company. The fitness room downstairs really interested me and by encouraging the employees to go there allowed me to become a more friendly and outgoing person to complete the task given to me. With some guidance, the office was no longer an unfamiliar layout but a space where all the different areas were strategically placed to allow for easy availability. Many of the team members recognised me and were happy when they saw me greeting people, it was out of the ordinary for them but they enjoyed it and so did I.
The main skills which improved were my communication skills and my ability to be open-minded. Communication was the most important part in completing this task, and many of my coworkers were impressed by my efforts to talk and introduce myself to people I had never met before. My open-mindedness skills improved as I knew not all of the staff would speak a language which I speak, like English, Spanish or German. However, there were no incidents where I was unable to communicate and bring my point across to a coworker.
Towards the last few days at Diethelm Travel, I was very grateful for Khun Witsunda for helping me to understand all of the different areas in the company. Going around the first time in the office was strange but after this, all the workers without exception would smile and say hello and generally make me feel welcome at the company.
In conclusion, my experience at Diethelm Travel was really fun and it allowed me to see what an office environment looks like and feels like. I learned a lot about myself as a learner and as a person while working here at Diethelm. I would like to thank all of the staff who helped me and made me feel at home and wish them lots of success and happiness in the future.