How my time as a Progressive intern led to a job and success in my role

Many interns dream of one day landing a job with their company. Niky—a former Progressive intern—is one such person who was hired shortly after completing her internship in 2022. We sat down with her six months into her full-time role to find out how her Progressive internship prepared her to take the next step.

What was the best part of your intern experience?

“I really liked Immersion Week. It was so great to come to Progressive’s headquarters in Cleveland, connect with the other interns, and meet our program sponsors in person. I also had the chance to experience new parts of Progressive’s culture, like the art collection and their campuses. Experiencing these things for myself sealed the deal—I knew I wanted to be a part of this company.”

How did your Progressive internship help your future career?

"One of the ways my Progressive internship helped my career was giving me the experience I needed to later step into a full-time role at Progressive. The team of Progressive employees I interned with were very supportive of my development. They made me feel like it was okay to ask questions.

“Additionally, it was great getting DevOps experience with a major company like Progressive. I worked on direct quoting for web and mobile and also refactored code for our applications. It was great to have the chance to apply my college education in real-world situations and learn from Progressive’s developers.

“The best part is I ended up joining the same group I interned with when I got hired. So, all those questions I asked, all those times I took the initiative to try something different, it all paid off. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was auditioning for my future role while I was interning.”

Now that you’re a full-time employee, what do you enjoy most about working at Progressive?

“I think what I like most is the help I get from my peers and mentors. I saw this when I was an intern, and it’s no different now that I’m in my role. It’s incredible how everyone is willing to take time out of their day to help. This may sound cheesy, but I think Progressive attracts kind people who genuinely love supporting each other.

“Another thing I love about Progressive is how much they emphasize development. My manager is always asking how they can help me grow. They’ve even given me opportunities to showcase my work and increase my exposure to our business partners. It’s clear Progressive is invested in my career.”

What would you tell someone who’s thinking about interning with Progressive?

“Compare what’s important to you with what Progressive values and see if the two match. If they do, then you should apply! But if they don’t, then keep looking. The goal is to find a company you can someday see yourself working for.

“My values—as well as my career goals—aligned well with Progressive, so interning here was the best decision for me. I treated my internship as a trial run to test and see if this was the place for me. I told myself, ‘This is what I might be doing if I work here. Do I like my work? Do l like the people?' If the answer had been ‘no’ to these questions, I wouldn’t have wanted to stay. But the experience I gained, the people I met, and the culture I found at Progressive made it an easy decision to take the job.”

Learn more about Progressive internships, as well as full-time positions for recent graduates.