From March to May of this year, Richard Noring, a religious studies student from the University of Tartu, lent a helping hand at the Sõbralt Sõbrale headquarters. While volunteers and interns are a daily part of the team in the retail stores, involving young people in the corporate office is less common. This provided Signe Leidt, the Head of HR, with a great opportunity to test her skills in mentoring and integrating a young professional into daily operations.
“I decided to accept Richard’s request because, as someone who coordinates the work of volunteers and interns, I wanted firsthand experience in delegating, guiding, and supporting someone under my direct supervision,” Signe explained.
Why Sõbralt Sõbrale?
Richard Noring shared that practical training is a mandatory part of his curriculum. He explored several opportunities—both those offered by the university and positions found through personal connections—but none felt quite right.
“An acquaintance mentioned a friend who works at the Sõbralt Sõbrale foundation and spoke very highly of both the work environment and the assignments. After that, I looked at the company website, and it caught my eye how openly and clearly the internship opportunities were outlined. That transparency gave me the confidence that it was worth a shot,” Richard recalled.
Key Takeaways from the Experience
During his time with the company, Richard focused primarily on the administrative side of personnel management: refining documents, drafting new contracts, creating spreadsheets, and occasionally handling smaller, practical tasks requested by the stores.
“One of the most valuable insights was understanding how office work actually functions behind the scenes. People usually only see the customer service staff, but rarely the back-office work—the documentation and organization—that makes everything possible. It was a real eye-opener,” he said.
In addition to learning about corporate culture, Richard discovered a lot about himself. He particularly appreciated the calm and supportive atmosphere.
“What I enjoyed most was the experience as a whole. The work culture was peaceful and stress-free. Whenever I worried that I had done something wrong, I was always reassured in a friendly manner that everything was fine. Stepping away from the academic environment was a refreshing change of pace.”
Honest Feedback
Naturally, it wasn’t entirely a walk in the park. The beginning of the internship was slightly stressful for Richard due to his lack of prior hands-on office experience.
“Formatting tables or drafting official documents initially raised questions about whether I was doing it correctly. But that is completely normal for a first office job,” he noted.
There were also times when assignments were completed faster than expected, and some of the work felt repetitive. As a minor recommendation for his mentor, Richard suggested making availability hours clearer and providing highly specific instructions for new tasks.
“Despite that, I have absolutely no complaints. The workload was appropriate for an intern, there was always someone to consult with, and the working hours were very reasonable,” he added.
Highly Recommended
Richard strongly recommends a practical placement at Sõbralt Sõbrale to his peers.
“Here, you can easily negotiate your workload, and the tasks are of an appropriate difficulty level. It’s a calm, friendly, and supportive environment—exactly the kind of place where a first-time intern won’t feel overwhelmed by excessive pressure.”
In conclusion, Richard noted: “This was a completely new experience for me since I had never done office work before. It was also exciting to help out in the store. What I appreciate most is that I was never pressured or rushed, which made the entire experience incredibly positive.”
Sõbralt Sõbrale remains committed to engaging young people, offering them a window into the professional world while bringing fresh perspectives and new energy into the organisation.
