Q & A with Progress Lighting Intern, Nicole Pavia
Written by Progress Lighting on August 2, 2019
At Progress Lighting, we strive to equip, educate, and excite our employees - and that includes helping our interns grow while reaching their full potential. Meet our Marketing Communications intern Nicole Pavia, who gained valuable experience in corporate videography this summer (and had fun doing it!)
Tell us a bit about yourself. I am from Simpsonville, SC. I will be a junior at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. I am double-majoring in Public Relations & Strategic Communication and Digital Media/Video Production with a minor in Environmental Science
Why did you decide to apply for this internship? My father works in the lighting industry and is familiar with Hubbell Lighting (the parent company of Progress). He encouraged me to apply since he knew I was interested in working in a corporate environment. During the interview process, I learned about the available internships for many Hubbell brands, and the Progress Lighting position caught my interest the most because of its range and selection of products.
What kind of projects are you working on during your internship? The majority of my projects have focused on video editing. I've worked on different types of videos, mostly educational or instructional, to be used by sales representatives, internal and external stakeholders, and new and current employees. Many of the videos are tutorials or step-by-step, how-to videos on using a specific form, tool, product, or resource. I also created videos for social media, targeting existing and potential customers. These videos introduce new products and help people select products based on different style trends and product features.
What was your favorite project during your internship? My favorite project was editing a Customer Support Appreciation Day video. This video was fun since it allowed for more creativity with editing. It focused on storytelling and emotion which is what I am interested in and learning at school. I also was able to learn how to create an animation using Adobe After Effects, which is something I've never done before.
What was the most challenging project you worked on during your internship? Editing an instructional video for the sales team, "How-to Request A Builder Book" video was a challenge. The material consisted of still images, not raw video footage, and I had never edited a whole video without raw footage. I had to learn how to animate still images and highlight important aspects of the form to demonstrate how the process works.
How did the Progress team work with you to resolve this problem? Ryan Clark, who handles videos and graphics projects, reviewed my work and taught me how to make it easier for the viewer to follow the process. Josephine Florendo, the Builder Book designer, provided the assets and explained the Builder Book process to me, which made editing the video a lot easier.
What has been your favorite part about working at Progress Lighting? My favorite part was working with the marketing team; they have all been so helpful and resourceful. It's nice to be in an environment where everyone works well together and provides honest feedback to each other. I feel like I'm learning a lot and getting constructive feedback on my work.
What are some skills you have learned during your time with Progress? One of the most important technical skills that I've gained is how to create animation using Adobe After Effects. I also expanded my skills in Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Adobe Spark, which I used to create story videos for social media. Two other things I've learned are how to shift my focus from a storytelling-based approach to an educational approach and how to communicate using visuals rather than words.
How do you feel your internship will benefit you in your future career? Previously I worked in public relations at smaller studios, and now I am working in marketing at a large corporation. Having both types of experiences will allow me to adapt quickly to either environment.
What would you like to do after graduation? After I graduate, I would like to get my master's degree in either graphic design, new media, or a related field. I'm very interested in being able to communicate information across multiple platforms and working with new media technology to create content. Becoming a creative director is my ultimate career goal, whether that be for video production, at a public relations firm, or a marketing agency
