My Internship
I study International Business at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, and I completed my internship in Tallinn from June to August.
My tasks were quite varied and included sales support, customer service, administration, logistics and warehouse work. I prepared quotations, answered customer emails, worked with invoices and delivery lists, organized data in Excel and entered information into the company’s ERP system. I also helped with packages, deliveries and other warehouse activities.
What I enjoyed most was being able to see how different parts of a business work together. My colleagues were supportive, and as the internship progressed, I became more independent and confident in handling my responsibilities.
Free Time in Estonia
Since Tallinn is already familiar to me, my free time was mostly about enjoying the city and spending time with friends rather than discovering it for the first time. I went to the gym, met friends and explored different parts of Tallinn.
I also spent some time outside Tallinn, which was a nice way to see more of Estonia and enjoy the country’s nature. Having the whole summer there made it possible to combine work with a normal social life and enjoy my time outside of work.
Estonia vs Finland
Working in Estonia also gave me a chance to compare the working culture with Finland. In both countries, employees are expected to be responsible, independent and efficient. Communication is straightforward and colleagues are usually willing to help when needed.
However, I felt that the working environment in Estonia was somewhat more focused on direct communication and asking for help when necessary, while my experience in Finland has often been more independent and informal.
Overall, I found two cultures quite similar, but experiencing both gave me a better understanding of how working environments can differ even between neighboring countries.
Looking Back
My internship was a valuable experience that allowed me to put my international business studies into practice while gaining experience in sales, logistics, customer service and administration.
Even though Estonia was already familiar to me, working there gave me a new perspective on the country. Combining my studies in Finland with practical work experience in Estonia made the summer both professionally useful and personally meaningful.
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