We’d like to introduce you to some of the people from around the world who make us who we are at Progress. In this post, meet Lyublyana Nikiforova, Market Research Intern at Progress.
They say you never know until you try, and that old saying applies perfectly to internships. Whether you know exactly what you want to do or you’re still trying to decide, internships are a great opportunity to get some hands-on experience and see what you like. And for Lyublyana Nikiforova, Progress was just the place to do both.
As a market research intern, Lyublyana was able to get a better understanding of what it means to work for a large organization, and to collaborate on projects with colleagues across the company. With the knowledge she’s gained, Lyublyana will be able to pursue a career in the field of her choice.
Learn more about Lyublyana’s internship experience at Progress below.
What made you decide to intern at Progress?
My decision was driven by multiple factors. As someone who is at the very beginning of their career, I was looking for a place where I would feel excited and inspired to work. Progress’ performance and good reputation made me confident that the people who work here are competent and eager to grow, which is the perfect base for a challenging and motivating environment.
Moreover, I was interested in working in the field of market research, so the fact that Progress is a customer-centric company operating in the rapidly developing software industry ensured me that I would be able to both learn and contribute while performing essential tasks.
Another factor that greatly influenced my decision was the detailed job advertisement—it was one of the few that contained enough information for me to decide whether I was a good fit for the role. Setting clear expectations saves both the company and the candidates’ time so I appreciated it a lot.
Finally, I had a very positive experience during my interviews, which gave me an insight into the company culture, and convinced me Progress was a great place to start my professional journey.
What are some of the lessons you’ve learned while interning at Progress that you know you’ll continue to use and remember?
Apart from the job-specific knowledge that I acquired while interning at Progress, I learned a lot about working at a corporation in general.
As part of the market research team, I had the opportunity to meet many different people from various departments of the company and I learned a lot about cross-team collaboration. One very important lesson that I took away is how to approach complex issues that affect multiple teams.
Moreover, I joined Progress at a time of high growth of the company, so I had the opportunity to closely observe how the members of the BI and the market research teams were successfully handling their workload. As a result, I learned how to plan my time more efficiently, and how to prioritize tasks to stay on track, especially when something unexpected disrupts my schedule.
How do you think this experience will help you in furthering your career?
During my internship, I got to work with various tools for creating surveys and building reports, which are essential for becoming a (market research) analyst. Moreover, I gained a good overview of the specific paths I could follow depending on my abilities and preferences. I also improved my analytical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills, which will help me further my career regardless of which direction I choose.
Most importantly, being a Progress employee this early in my career taught me firsthand what a positive and healthy work culture is, which will be very valuable when making my future career choices.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
To be honest, my favorite part of this internship were the people at Progress. I liked the job itself, I enjoyed learning and being useful when completing tasks, but this is something I would enjoy doing anywhere. What made this internship a truly unique experience were my colleagues who were all very passionate about their work and eager to share their knowledge with others, the manager of the BI team who made sure I felt part of the team from day one, and especially the manager of the market research team who guided me through every step of my internship and gave me so much useful advice.
Why did you choose to pursue market research? What about the field excites you?
While doing my bachelor’s degree in international business administration, I most enjoyed the courses in marketing, statistics, and data analytics I took, so I looked for a job that combined all of those.
Retrieving information from hundreds of rows and columns of data and presenting it in an easy-to-read and understandable way is fascinating, as it uncovers lots of “hidden” knowledge that allows companies to understand their consumers much better, successfully meet customer needs, and gain and sustain their competitive advantage. My internship at Progress gave me the hands-on experience in the field of market research that I needed to become more confident in my desire to pursue a career in this field.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is one that would make me feel useful and happy, and that would give me opportunities to develop. I am not one of those lucky people who dreamt of a certain job at the age of five and focused on achieving it—I always had rather diverse interests. However, throughout the years I realized it is important to me to enjoy what I do and create value while doing it. Now I am excited to pursue a career in market research and see where I get.
When you’re not working or in school, what do you like to do?
Outside of work and school, I enjoy (digital) drawing, volleyball, board games, and fantasy novels—anything that would keep me creative and/or involve some quality time with friends.
To get to know other Progressers like Lyublyana, read more of our employee interviews here.
Jessica Kent
Jessica Kent was a content specialist at Progress.