Experiencing the World: Tourism Graduate Building International Career

04.12.2023

Yanti Setiawan’s Journey Spanning Three Countries in Asia and Europe

After finishing high school in Indonesia, Yanti Setiawan had the option of staying in her home country where she had a comfortable life to study for a university diploma and start a career. However, seeking to broaden her personal and professional horizons, she opted for a more adventurous path and decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Leisure Management at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, in the Netherlands.

Moving to another country that was so far from Indonesia was initially a real challenge for her. “My lifestyle was completely changed because my family had helpers in Indonesia and my parents would drive me to school every day. In the Netherlands, I had to start cleaning my house, doing my own laundry and cycling to campus, even in winter. This helped me become a more mature and independent person,” she says.

In 2015, having obtained her bachelor’s degree, Yanti felt that she was not yet ready to enter the job market. For this reason, she chose to pursue the master’s degree in International Tourism Management which was offered jointly between Wittenborg and the University of Brighton. Among other factors, Yanti opted for this programme due to its cosy atmosphere and the small size of the groups.

According to Yanti, the programme helped her develop crucial skills including intercultural communication and public speaking.

“As an Indonesian, I was not used to asking questions in class as well as being outspoken and giving my opinion during discussions. This was even more challenging to me given that English is not my native language. But at Wittenborg the groups are small, and the classes are very interactive. The school expects you to actively take part in the class, so it pushed me to build up my confidence. I think the fact that the lecturers and the other students came from different backgrounds somehow also gave me a morale boost.”

In her view, the best thing about Wittenborg is the fact that the school is so diverse and international, giving people the opportunity to learn more about each other’s backgrounds and cultures.

Starting a career at Wittenborg

After completing her master’s programme, Yanti had the chance to do an internship at Wittenborg, as part of the Admissions & Registry team. Later, she was hired for a full-time position, remaining at Wittenborg for five years and eventually becoming the school’s Admission and External Relations Manager.

“I started as an intern, so initially, I had to learn the basics such as answering questions from prospective students, collecting their application documents and how to conduct intake interviews and evaluate their files. During my journey at Wittenborg, I developed other important skills including how to organise events and how to give presentations and adjust the content to different audiences. Plus, I also built up my leadership competencies.”

In 2021, Yanti moved back to Indonesia to get married and live with her husband. There, she worked for two years as a recruitment consultant hiring professionals for Sales and Marketing roles within the Digital and Services sectors. Afterwards, she accompanied her husband as he was transferred to Singapore.

Currently, she is working as an Admissions Manager for the Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), one of the world's top graduate business schools. Yanti highlights that her previous experiences at Wittenborg have provided her with a good foundation for this job. She adds that her new colleagues are very friendly and welcoming, and she really appreciates the training courses offered by the institution.

Regarding her plans for the future, Yanti says that she would like to settle down in Singapore. “I like how the country is home to a lot of expats, it’s a very international environment. And in terms of my professional goals, I would like to keep progressing in my career in education, so that I can contribute to society.”

She advises current students to take the initiative and not just wait for opportunities to come their way.

"Internships are crucial, especially if you have never worked before. They significantly increase your chances of getting hired in the future compared to students without such experience. It's not just about learning the job but also about networking and developing essential values and skills like work ethics, responsibility and meeting deadlines."