Guest Post: Our Intern Lenni
Greetings from an Intern:
"Now I have the courage to learn new things and not just repeat the same old familiar stuff"
Virkkukoukkunen's spring has been brightened not only by patterns and colors but also by our excellent workplace learner Lenni. He wanted to share his experiences, lessons, and thoughts with you as well, and here they come. We really recommend reading these reflections from a young man. A heartfelt thank you for the spring, lessons, and help, and gentle winds for the future, Lenni!
"Hello to all Virkkukoukkunen fans and friends! I'm an 18-year-old young man from Imatra. I'm graduating as a business specialist this spring. I got to do my final internship here at Virkkukoukkunen. I wanted to come specifically here because my criteria was a private company, and what could be more Imatra-like than Virkkukoukkunen. BINGO – the position opened up!
The new t-shirts were launched during Lenni's internship
To be honest, at first I wondered what would come of this, since I hadn't worked in a place like this before. My work experience is mainly based in grocery stores. However, the experience has been absolutely great – fun, educational, and yet relaxed. I was positively surprised by the versatility of the job description. I have done things that I probably wouldn't have been able to do anywhere else.
Among other things, I have created a marketing plan and, as a counterbalance, served as a model for new t-shirts – that was definitely the coolest, most surprising, and strangest work task at Virkkukoukkunen. I also got to share my own experiences about the product and thus influence product development. These are just a narrow example of what can be involved in the everyday life of a small business. In my opinion, the fact that tasks vary widely even within a single day is one of the nicest aspects of the job. I learned something new from all work tasks and got food for thought.
In the pictures, Lenni modeling men's t-shirts and Shinya modeling women's clothing
It has been nice to work at the workplace because the work atmosphere is relaxed and everyone is involved with a positive attitude! You can ask anyone for help. What's especially nice about the workplace is that you can stop and chat with colleagues about things unrelated to work as well. The work environment is also neat and colorful, and every day you find something new to marvel at in the store.
It has been particularly educational to hear Tiina's thoughts on entrepreneurship. I have been able to see what it's like to be a private entrepreneur and how the business is run, and how challenging times affect the company, especially when it's a truly unique and personal brand. Having seen and heard the whole growth story of Virkkukoukkunen's company, I can only appreciate the everyday life of an entrepreneur. Virkkukoukkunen's journey has included ups, downs, successes, and failures. However, the company has always survived and continued forward.
I really recommend getting to know the company's history – read more about the colorful phases here!
From my perspective, what makes Virkkukoukkunen profitable is the uniqueness of the products, the courage to stand out from the crowd, and above all, teamwork. Tiina has managed to gather just the right team around her, and the strengths of the staff are clearly respected. Tiina doesn't consider employees as subordinates but as friends. There is a strong trust and respect for each other among the entire team. I have also noticed that customers are considered in a particularly fine way as individuals – a similar approach is not self-evident in all stores.
Friends Lenni, Ville, and Adam at Imatrankoski wearing Virkkukoukkunen's new t-shirts
I highly recommend this experience if you like working in a team, trying and learning new things, discussing, being in contact with different people, and above all, getting to do extremely diverse work tasks. Here, you shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes, because they happen to everyone and they haven't brought down the world before either. At Virkkukoukkunen, it's understood that you are here to learn.
Adam, Ville, and Lenni at a photoshoot in Koskipuisto wearing Simsala patterned shirts.
If I were to list everything I've learned here, I would run out of lines. For example, I've learned more about marketing than in two years at school – perhaps the reason is that I haven't been listening. I've learned to use tools related to the field, such as a price printer, to be natural in front of the camera, and I've overcome camera shyness. I've also learned more about running a business than I could even dream of. The biggest thing is that I've learned and been encouraged to go into uncomfortable areas where I didn't dare to go before. Now I have the courage to learn new things and not just repeat the same old familiar stuff.
A big thank you to Virkkukoukkunen and the whole team for letting me practice and learn new things here. THANK YOU!"
Regards, Lenni
A tough trio! Adam, Lenni, and Ville in Riimiruutu patterns.
