Getting to know the daily work of a large enterprise led to an internship at Estonia’s largest food company

Kristi Ivainen is a first-year marketing student at Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences (Mainor). As the owner of her own small business, she feels that studying marketing will be highly beneficial for her professional future. For her mandatory university internship, Kristi chose to join Rakvere meat processing plant.

“The goal of the internship was to get to know the daily operations of a large enterprise—to see how a company functions and operates,” Kristi explains, adding that it was an observational internship. “My aim was to complete my internship in a company that has all the key departments represented (finance, marketing, etc.)—essentially as large an organization as possible—in order to gain maximum insight into how a big company works and to broaden my perspective.”

The bright eyes of our team

Before starting her internship, Kristi had heard of the company and already knew the Rakvere brand, as she regularly consumed Rakvere products. However, she didn’t initially connect, for example, the Tallegg brand with the same parent company. “Before I came here, I didn’t fully grasp the company’s actual size and was worried I’d be a burden. After all, big companies are known for being busy places with little time to spare. I was also concerned that due to home offices and the aftereffects of the Covid-19 pandemic, I wouldn’t get the full internship experience I had hoped for. In reality, I got more than I ever expected!” she says with a smile. “Everyone was so helpful, their eyes sparkled, and they spoke about their work with real passion. I’d especially like to highlight Marketing Director Janne Laik-Lõhmus. As a supervisor, I’m very grateful to board assistant Sigrid, who was my anchor—introducing me to people, supporting me, explaining things, and working alongside me. I also got to see the production side and poultry farming. I must say, the people there really enjoyed presenting their work to me, someone who had never been in such places before. They shared their enthusiasm so well! For me, it was fascinating to see how the products I consume every day are made and what kind of work is behind them.”

Production and chicks

Kristi’s internship lasted 1.5 months, split between the Loo office near Tallinn and the Rakvere office. She admits the company’s size was intimidating at first. “At the beginning, the functioning of such a large enterprise seemed very complicated. But once I got familiar with the structure and daily operations, everything became logical and understandable. My coolest internship memory was definitely seeing the chicks at the poultry farm, as well as getting to know the production side. Since I had no prior experience with large companies, this was an amazing experience for me,” she recalls enthusiastically.

When asked about her favorite products, Kristi immediately names Rakvere Chilli Pork Jerky, as well as Rakvere minced meat products. As a fan of chicken, she adds: “I could say that almost all Tallegg products are also my favorites.”

In the future, Kristi wants to work in the field of marketing, or at least make the most of the knowledge gained from school and internships to develop her own business (a beauty boutique in Rakvere). ‘My biggest ambition is to become a marketing manager in a company someday, but that requires a lot of time and experience,’ she has a clear goal in mind. What motivates her to study is the desire to change something in her life and to get the maximum out of her studies. At home, Kristi is raising two small kids, and she highlights going to the gym as her main hobby, as physical activity helps her balance work and personal life.