I couldn’t have asked for a better internship.

Published April 2023

“I had no idea just how many different raw materials and seasonings need to be delivered to keep production running,” says Lennart Kütt, who completed his internship at Tallegg’s production facility in Tabasalu. ennart is studying Business Administration at Tallinn School of Economics, specializing in Sales and Marketing.

Lennart is convinced that business knowledge is always valuable. “The role of procurement professionals has been growing rapidly in companies. I believe this trend will continue, and there is tremendous potential to apply the knowledge and skills gained in this field. Sales and marketing is also a highly relevant area today, and the expertise acquired there is always useful,” he says, explaining his choice of studies. At Tallegg, Lennart completed an internship focused on procurement operations, gaining experience in purchasing management, materials management, preparing requests for quotations, and supplier relationship management. At Tallinn School of Economics, this module is broadly referred to as Preparation and Execution of Procurement Operations. “Finding an internship generally means sending out dozens of emails, so securing a placement at Tallegg was, you could say, pure luck—I couldn’t have asked for a better place. I was already familiar with the Tallegg brand because I’m a big fan of chicken products, especially their chicken cigars and chicken fillets, and Rakvere products are also staples in my refrigerator. However, it was during my internship that I really got to know the company. I saw how the business operates as a whole, how the different departments are structured, who is responsible for what, and how everything fits together,” Lennart explains. According to Lennart, he received a very warm welcome at Tallegg. “The people I worked with were always polite, professional, and helpful, and they also had a great sense of humour. I had limited direct involvement in the production process itself. Since I spent most of my time working in the warehouse, I gained a good understanding of what was happening on the production side. Even though I wasn’t directly involved in manufacturing, I always had a clear picture of where things were happening and how the different processes worked.”

According to Lennart, the size of Tallegg as a company was more of an advantage than a challenge. “One of the objectives of my internship was to gain experience in a larger company. It was certainly more demanding, especially at first, as I had no idea how many different raw materials and seasonings need to be delivered to keep production running.
During my eight-week internship, my responsibilities included preparing procurement plans, analysing requests for quotations and supplier bids, and forecasting purchasing needs based on procurement and production plans. I spent most of my time working in the warehouse, where I handled goods, placed orders, and prepared warehouse documentation. In addition, the Procurement Manager assigned me tasks that were aligned with the objectives of my internship,” he explains.

For Lennart, the most memorable part of his internship was attending sales meetings alongside the Procurement Manager. “Those meetings gave me the opportunity to observe real sales presentations and negotiations firsthand, which was an invaluable learning experience. I also had the chance to participate in a meeting on food trends and in a production meeting, and I really appreciated both experiences. Overall, I gained a solid understanding of how procurement works in a large food manufacturing company. One of the biggest takeaways for me was realizing that what you learn at school and how things work in practice are often two very different things,” he says, reflecting on his internship. What motivates Lennart most is the opportunity to learn and develop new skills. In procurement, he also enjoys the challenge—and there was certainly no shortage of that at Tallegg. Before studying business administration, Lennart completed a vocational qualification as a Multimedia Specialist, and he has a keen interest in everything related to the world of IT. “I also make time for sports and know how to enjoy my downtime,” he says, describing his interests outside of work and studies. Looking ahead, Lennart hopes to continue building a career using the knowledge and skills he has gained—and who knows, perhaps one day he will even return to Tallegg as a Procurement Specialist. 😊