Helen, Product Specialist, looking to learn

I wanted to get more experience in a workplace and grow skills I could use both in work and in my life and expand my career prospects. I love communicating with people and learning new things, so as a first job being a product specialist really feeds into all of these. I am constantly learning things about the platform and talking to all sorts of people every day. I'm learning how to network with people and how to communicate complicated things in simpler, more concise ways.

What attracted you to Qualtrics in the first place?   

I heard it was a really nice place to work, culture-wise.

What was the turning point where you knew you 'had to have the job' at Qualtrics?   

When I visited the office. I was unsure about Utah and Qualtrics but the area was beautiful and the other Product Specialists that were there all answered my questions really candidly and they were very welcoming.

What does your day look like?   

I am working from home so I'm generally podding with people from my team and taking calls/emails and helping people solve their issues.

What is your favorite part of your role?   

My favorite part is getting to talk to the other Product Specialists and getting to learn specialties because I can become an expert in a specific part of the platform that aligns closely with my own personal interests.

You moved to Utah, right?  

I am from Houston and I went to college in Austin. Qualtrics didn't really recruit much at my school compared to some of the other companies, so I actually found this job online and just applied for it. Then I went through the interview process and the rest is history.

Any tips for someone who is considering a role at Qualtrics? Or advice for someone looking to get into a career like yours? Tips for someone in general?   

I say take it. I am really liking this job so far. There are definitely some rough days but everyone is extremely understanding and your managers are great (how often can people say that?). In a job like this you just have to do your best and not worry about being a bit lost in the beginning because sometimes people have some really weird issues, but the more experience you get the easier things become.

What has surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?   

How nice everyone is. I heard the company culture was good but I honestly didn't expect it to be this friendly, it was a nice surprise.

What made you want to start your career in this product specialist role?   

I wanted to be a product specialist because it was a really good start at the company. You learn how the platform works in pretty decent detail, and you can talk to people internally about where you want your career to go.

What are your aspirations in career/life?   

I really want to go into software engineering. Absolute dream job would be related to natural language processing.

What is your top #LifeHack?   

To stay productive just do something for 5 minutes each day.

What's a favorite moment/memory of your time at Qualtrics so far? Or an impactful moment?  

I really enjoyed all of our team meetups so far. The hie was my top favorite so far.

What 3 words would you use to describe Qualtrics to someone?   

Helpful, Friendly, Climbable.

How do you feel you've been able to apply what you studied at school to your career?   

I feel excited. I wasn't fully able to do that in the beginning but as I get more into it and find specialties that relate to my interests it feels good to be able to actually use what I've learned.

What's a myth about your type of job that you'd like to bust? Or about working at Qualtrics?

The majority of people you talk to as customer support are extremely pleasant. It's also a lot harder than it looks because you have to be extremely familiar with the platform and you have to be able to find their problem and a solution in 5-10 minutes.

Qualtrics is growing, and if you're ready to find your "why" at a place like this, you can explore our open opportunities at any time by visiting our career page or by joining our talent community.

	Helen is an alumnus of the University of Texas - Austin and started her career at Qualtrics. Helen figure skated for 13 years.

See more of the Qualtrics Life on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.