Progressive Business Publications Reviews

Pros – Working as a summer marketing intern at Progressive Business Publications was a truly empowering experience. Never was I treated as "just" an intern, but instead I was taking on tasks like a full-time employee would from day one. The atmosphere among the employees at Progressive Business Publications was remarkable; everyone was friendly and everyone was constantly happy to help and answer questions. My supervisor made sure that I had all the resources I needed in order to fulfill my tasks. Feedback was always prompt and constructive, and whenever I had an idea for a project, I was given full attention by upper level management. Within the ten weeks that I spend interning at Progressive Business Publications, I learned a tremendous amount of applicable knowledge that has since helped me in the classroom as well as in other jobs and internships I have held since. I certainly enjoyed my time at Progressive Business Publications and I am hoping to have the chance to return to the company.

Cons – There are not many cons to mention, besides some tedious tasks that every entry-level position has and the fact that I was not there long enough to join any of the company sports teams.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep up the good work at empowering your employees and pushing them to do the best they can.

Pros – I had a wonderful experience as an editorial intern at Progressive Business Publications this past summer. I worked as an assistant editor on several of Progressive Business Publication's newsletters. I was responsible for writing cover stories, short pieces, and calling subscribers to generate content. By the end of the internship I had taken on the responsibilities of a full-time emplyee. All of the other employees were extremely helpful, and I felt like I was really a part of the Progressive Business Publications family. The company is founded on solid ethical principles and truly adheres to them. Progressive Business Publications is also involved in various philanthropic initiatives in the community. The mentorship program in particular has had remarkable success in improving the lives of children in the area and improving test scores as well.

Cons – Sometimes it got very tedious to have to go through the list of subscribers making phone calls, but I understand it is part of the job, I also wasn't making as much as some of my friends in other internship positions, but I did make a decent amount.

Pros – If you do your job well and perform at a high level keeping the customer at the front of all your decisions you will do fine. Company focus is on helping executives do their job better not selling widgets. Every 2 weeks you have an opportunity to speak with a different type of executive while learning about a differnt part of the business world.

Cons – Blue chairs need to be upgraded!

Pros – casual work atmosphere, some fun employee activities

Cons – This is a churn & burn organization - both with their treatment of employees and their email marketing practices. A quick Google search will show you plenty of "questionable business ethics".
Not much vacation time & paid holidays - lousy insurance.
Management will guide you very little but hold you accountable for everything. Expect little guidance and the likelihood that you will never elevate your position unless a member of the almost all-male management club. Greed-driven initiatives with poor project management planning and follow-through.

Advice to Senior Management – Change your bad business ethics, poor benefits, low-pay

Pros – If you are desperate enough you can get some experience.

Cons – The only positive reviews on Glassdoor for PBP are by current employees paid to write them and/or their "on board" with the owner in their deceptive marketing tactics.

I worked here for 4 months and I literally felt sick going to work every day because of the despicable marketing tactics. These tactics included their deceptive invoicing and collection methods for paper newsletters. This deception is well documented online just by searching for the company name.

Who would pay $300 a year for a bogus 4-page bi-monthly newsletter? The Wall Street Journal, a world renowned publication, is much less expensive and at the same time much more valuable.

In general, everything this company does is shady. Unless you are desperate for a job, find a job elsewhere.

Advice to Senior Management – Management would not benefit from advice.

Pros – *Culture that encourages achievement
*Colleagues are people of accomplishment who encourage and support one another
*Opportunity to bring great ideas to fruition
*Strong record of giving back to the community

Cons – *It is hurtful and aggravating to read the nasty criticisms and negative comments seen on the web.
*some of these harangues seem unfair and misleading

Pros – - PBP is a meritocracy - if you do well you’re rewarded with more, challenging work that plays to your strengths. As a result, I’ve been able to grow within the company and work with many different divisions which has allowed me to both learn a lot and contribute to the overall growth of the company.
- The People - I’ve never worked with a group of more talented and interesting people. It makes work more enjoyable if you like the people you work with.
- Giving back - PBP doesn’t just give money to non-profit organizations they support, they also encourage their employees to give time during the work day to make a difference in a child’s life by mentoring elementary school children

Cons – The office itself is "tired" looking. I would love to have more access to windows and natural light. And, more parking spaces, too.

Pros – I've worked in marketing at the company's headquarters for 3 years. Company has a high performance environment but managers give you the resources and support to succeed. I'm always learning something new and have been given opportunities to attend conferences, trainings, and other outside resources. Upper management challenges you to make an impact, but empowers you to see your ideas through.

PBP is very philanthropic and encourages employees to participate in its mentorship program . I found the program to be incredibly rewarding. Gives you a sense of pride to work with a company that positively impacts the community in so many ways.

Cons – It is a results driven environment. Everyone is held accountable for what they deliver on, so it's not for everybody.

Advice to Senior Management – Better coffee!

Pros – I began work at PBP as an administrative assistant in the special events department. It wasn't my dream job, but the people were all very nice and the work was enjoyable. As I expressed interest and showed ability, my supervisor was happy to allow me to branch out into different types of tasks and areas of the company. Some of the wonderful things I got to do while working at PBP include assisting with the design of the line of greeting cards and developing a dance team with a few elementary school students that attend a school the PBP sponsors. I was also encouraged to apply for a position in the editorial department, even though it took me away from my admin duties. Everyone was happy to give me opportunities and support my goals from the beginning of my time there (I was even able to telecommute part time). It was difficult to leave such a welcoming and encouraging group of people when I had to take my leave due to relocating for my husband's work.

Cons – There were a few things that bothered me with the editorial work. One of them was having to do cold calls, mostly because I am not a terribly confident person on the phone. Another was the strictness of the format of how they write the articles for the newsletter, but that's what works for them and it's something that you just have to learn how to do.

Advice to Senior Management – It would have been encouraged to research articles more before writing them.

Pros – I have been able to work with some autonomy and grow the business segments within the realm of my responsibility. My role has not changed, but I have been able to better define the role and increase expectations and results. I enjoy those I work with, am challenged to by the fact there is more I can do to improve processes towards increasing revenue for the company and my division.

Cons – Low salary, but have been able to grow income through incentives.