Connecting daily work with the master's degree
Karen Pogoretskiy graduated from the MIB program in 2014 to develop his career as a market analyst.
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| Karen Pogoretskiy |
Prior education: BA in Linguistics and Intercultural Communication, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad, Russia)
Professional areas of interest: Marketing, Advertising
Languages proficient in: Russian, English, French
Hobbies: Reading, Swimming, Architecture
Favorite destination: New York
Karen, please tell us about specific project(s) you are currently working on at Intermedservice.
At the moment I am working for one of the leading distributors of medical equipment, medical supplies and medications in the Russian market. My main activities evolve around demand forecasting. Together with my colleagues, at the marketing department, we analyze the market situation, obtain information from our current and prospective suppliers and project the profitability of upcoming deals.
Karen, how does your daily job correspond to the knowledge and skills obtained at HSE MIB?
My daily work is truly interconnected with my master’s degree. First of all, as MIB student I gained valuable understanding of business cycles and various business functions within an organization (human resources, finance, operations, etc.). At work this knowledge helps me to closely communicate with my colleagues from finance, sales and other departments while exchanging vital information. The success of our company’s deals greatly depends on the efficiency of our communication.
Secondly, our suppliers come from all over the world. On a daily basis I’m in contact with our partners in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, USA, and Germany. That is, a truly international business environment!
Karen, you seem to be very well acquainted with the business world. Has it always been the case?
Hardly! I graduated with bachelor’s degree in linguistics. Many of my classmates went to work as teachers or translators, but I couldn’t see myself in a similar work setting. Straight after graduation I bought one-way ticket to New York with an absolute determination to live and work in USA. Back then I had no clue what career path to follow and had even worked as a tourist guide for some time.
Karen, these days you are residing in Moscow. What made you come back?
With a tourist visa I could only stay in USA for a couple of months and soon was applying for jobs in Moscow. However, I do not regret any single day spent wandering around New York and its suburbs. This was a fantastic adventure!
Karen, how did your career path develop after coming back to Russia?
I got a marketing job in a firm specializing on the distribution of medical equipment and started cumulating business skills. Soon I realized I needed a business degree to reach higher ladders and began looking for a relevant master’s program. At the beginning I only considered MGIMO and MGU, however while studying for TOEFL I met students from Higher School of Economics who convinced me to look closer at master’s programs offered at HSE.
Karen, what attracted you to Master of International Business program?
I was determined to get a business degree, however with my linguistics background a master’s program in economics appeared to be a hardly attainable goal. MIB program offered a perfect combination of various business courses taught in English and didn’t require profound knowledge in math or economics.
Karen, as a proud Alumni of MIB program, could you name some significant milestones during your time at HSE MIB?
Above all this master’s degree gave me the opportunity to meet highly motivated and qualified professionals, whether they were my classmates, professors, or guest speakers. The environment we had in our classrooms was very similar to working atmosphere: most of our assignments were done in teams and I learnt how challenging teamwork could be.
Karen, are you a different person today after having obtained MIB degree?
Definitely! My time at HSE MIB taught me many important lessons and has definitely widened my horizons. Today I feel absolutely confident while talking to my colleagues specializing in finance, sales or other business areas.