A Great Summer at L&T

I was working as a Service Advisor at Lassila & Tikanoja for 6 months. Lassila & Tikanoja is a huge company with roots in many, many different sectors such as property technology and maintenance, recycling- and circular economy services, lobby- and trade services, Bajamaja and other event services. The possibilities are almost endless, but most people know Lassila & Tikanoja for their recycling- and circular economy services, which also happens to be the department I was working at.

I was working as a Business-to-business Service Advisor in the environmental services department during the summer of 2021, Monday to Friday between 7am – 7pm, no weekends (yay)! Upon starting to work at Lassila & Tikanoja, me & my new colleagues received a very thorough and exhausting 5-week training before actually starting to work. During this training we were taught multiple new software that was crucial to know how to operate, because everything revolved around said software. We were also required to learn lots of laws and rules regarding the recycling industry. Knowing Finland, the country of endless laws, there was a lot to learn.

After completing the training and final exam, it was time to start the real job and start answering the phone to actual customers in need of assistance. During the training we were taught the answers to the most common questions, but as always, nothing can prepare you 100%. Some questions were so unordinary and required a lot of problem-solving and information hunting. I think that is what made the job interesting, and you never got bored, because you never knew what the next person was going to need aid with. You were learning something new every day, which I think is the point of practical training. I also liked that there were lots of different aspects to this job. On some days, you were on the phone, and on the next one you could be answering only online tickets or calculating quotations / offers for potential customers. Sales is something I enjoy and during the summer I got to sell plenty of different services ranging from basic waste disposal services to huge construction site cleanups or Bajamaja-services at events or festivals.

Because you could never know every answer, communicating with your colleagues and the local offices all around Finland was very important. My colleagues and superiors were just super nice and helpful people, as well as most of the clients, which made the summer even more enjoyable. Sometimes it felt like I wasn’t working, but rather spending quality time with friends at Lassila & Tikanoja’s cozy office in Lutakko. The job wasn’t easy by any means, it was challenging, but all the learning and the grateful clients made it very rewarding at the same time.

Afterall, I remember my summer at Lassila & Tikanoja very fondly. The job had lots of different elements, required a combination of theoretical & practical knowledge. It contained a lot of communication, problem-solving, multitasking, information hunting, customer service and sales skills. It didn’t get boring at slightest during the summer and everyday it felt like I was learning something new. I also think Lassila & Tikanoja is a well-respected company that will look good in your CV and will lead to more great opportunities.

Author: Aleksi Eskelinen