What it does: Online services such as airline ticketing, hotel booking, and lifestyle products and services.
Best known for: Traveloka became one of four Indonesian ‘unicorn’ startups in 2018. Unicorn companies are new businesses with a valuation of more than US$1 billion.
Staff stats: More than 2,900 employees.
The good bits: The company accepts applications for internships at its offices in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The not so good bits: Traveloka may be a US$1 billion company, but their startup nature makes them prone to constant changes. Their recruitment process also involves a tedious system for IT and engineering roles.
A group of former Silicon Valley engineers founded Traveloka in 2012. The technology company initially engaged in online ticketing for airlines and booking hotels across Southeast Asia (ie Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). Traveloka became one of four Indonesian ‘unicorns’ in 2018. The term describes startups with a valuation of more than US$1 billion. Their valuation reached more than US$4 billion as of 2019.
The company has expanded its services in 2019 by targeting consumers in Australia, where Traveloka offers five services through their application and website. These comprise of airport accommodation, airline ticketing, entertainment services (eg attraction tickets and car rental), hotel booking, flight ticket with hotel booking, and utility services.
Traveloka takes several weeks or even months to process candidates, which can imply a strict policy on choosing potential employees. Some previous applicants, however, said that the company’s prolonged selection stems from a disorganised or an indecisive approach on recruitment.
Applicants for the Product Management Acceleration Program (PMAP) should expect an online assessment as the first part of the screening process. A business case study and focus group discussion will take place after you pass the test, followed by a user interview. Traveloka normally accepts PMAP applications in January each year.
If you apply as a software engineer, the company may take more than four weeks on average to process candidates. There might be two rounds of interviews where you should answer technical questions (eg coding and system design).
Traveloka may present a job offer for IT and engineering professionals within two weeks on average, only if you clear a series of interviews and tests. Some candidates for software engineering roles took three rounds of selection stages: an online technical test, coding exam and a technical interview.
The company may process candidates for data scientist, finance, product management and software engineering roles from three weeks to two months. It’s safe to assume that Traveloka considered another candidate if they still haven’t contacted you after three weeks.
Traveloka offers two kinds of internships for professionals and students. You can apply for a three-month student internship at any of their regional offices. It’s unclear if professional internships also take three months, but the company said that the program is designed for postgraduate students.
The PMAP fast-tracks a fresh graduate’s career within one year. Participants can become associate product managers after working with different company leaders, gaining extensive experience and skills in product management.
Traveloka considers recent graduates of hospitality and tourism degrees for an entry-level role like a market coordinator. You must be fluent in oral and written Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and English. The company will be more inclined to hire individuals who are familiar with GDS ticketing systems and certification for Abacus, Amadeus and Galileo.
Data engineers and software engineers are some of the entry-level roles at the company. Computer science graduates will have an edge over their peers if they are familiar with Android, iOS or Web platforms. Traveloka doesn’t seem to require a college or university degree for data engineers.
Fresh graduates can apply as to content writers, but they should expect a one-year contract. Traveloka also hires inexperienced individuals for full-time roles including display marketing analysts and product admin flight.
The company encourages graduates to apply as client support and coordinators and market assistants.
Some employees said that the company improved the benefits package after becoming a unicorn startup. Traveloka offers free lunch and snacks, flexible work hours, health insurance including dependents, personal travel allowance and semi-annual bonuses. The actual perks and salaries vary per region:
The company pays up to IDR6.5 million per month on average for internships. Software engineers’ average salaries range from IDR7.5 million to IDR20 million per month depending on experience.
Software engineering interns earn between INR36,000 and INR39,000 per month on average. Median annual salaries for full-time software engineers can be over INR1 million.
Backend and software engineers earn SGD6,000 per month on average.
Work-life balance at the company may become questionable depending on the role. Market coordinators, for instance, typically work overtime when necessary. Individuals who prefer a monotonous job will struggle to fit in with the company. Traveloka expects its employees to keep up with the fast-paced work environment, which is typical for any tech startup.
Traveloka’s business rivals include Booking Holdings, Ezytravel, HolidayMe, Mystifly, RateGain, Travelio and Wizz Air.
Traveloka co-founder Derianto Kusuma unwittingly became the target of an online hoax in 2017. Some people claimed that Kusuma walked out while Governor Anies Baswedan, who was newly elected at the time, delivered a public speech. An online frenzy ensued and called for a boycott of the travel site. The company, however, denied Kusuma’s participation in the politically driven act due to his overseas travel during the incident.
Most employees at Traveloka believe that the company remains a good choice for fresh graduates, due to plenty of learning opportunities and great benefits. Poor work-life balance, though, becomes a trade-off for certain roles. Be ready with a fallback plan if the company rejects your application after several weeks or months of waiting for results.