Work Experience Reflections
Work Experience Reflections belongs to the following groups:
All About Your Best Work, Art Students and Beginners, Beginner's Expressions, Graphic Arts and The Graphic Room-Graphic and Digital ArtToday, I finished a week of work experience at Enigma. The whole week was incredible, the people were inspiring, the agency was vibrant and I learnt more in the space of a week than I had all year.
So now I’m at home I am realizing just how much I want to get into the real world and do design for a living and also how studying at uni isn’t quite the same as the real thing. I have really enjoyed my degree and have learnt a heaps, but if I could have learnt on the job….? In addition to that, there is no required placement for my degree… simply because it is too hard to find places for everyone.
I did one week of work experience at Home Beautiful magazine. I learnt how the office flowed, the systems through which each page and each decision has to go though before it goes to print. I also learnt about file management and various admin tasks as well as prize draws, excel spreadsheets, contacting clients etc as well as helping and observing photo shoots and designing page layouts.
This week at Enigma, I learnt how to use QuickPrint, how to navigate their extensive computer filing system, to pay extra attention to detail, how a full design studio functions, a bit of animation and even went to a radio voice recording. In addition to this, I had Art Director Michael Newton over my shoulder helping and advising, which was invaluable (after discovering he loves mint slice biscuits I bought him a packet however somehow I don’t think it quite compares).
The basic skills I had learnt at uni using software and self-critiquing were great, but it was challenging being in a real environment. Doing basic jobs like research and editing type were suddenly the most interesting and exciting things I had ever done!
In summary, Im not quite sure what I started this entry for… I am very tired and will probably go to bed now. I think it had something to do with everyone should do work experience because while uni gives you some good skills, nothing beats learning on the job, especially if you are lucky enough to be surrounded by brilliant and creative people.
Goodnight! :)
cdwork
Goodnight to you! Enjoy!! Your work is beautiful you’ll be full time in no time at all!
It is a wonderful industry that allows us to make money from something we enjoy doing!
Regards Chrissy Dewes- cdwork
shanmclean
Thank you so much Chrissy! I agree, it is a great industry and hopefully jobs aren’t as hard to come by as everyone would have us believe – hopefully :) xo
Luis Perez
Glad to here your career is on track…nothing beats job satisfaction, except maybe a great compensation package! ; – )
tenfour
Hey Shan. Thanks for sharing! I run an Industry Placement program between my Studio & TAFE Qld. It’s great to see you taking the initiative & getting out there & realising the value of work experience!! Good work! You’ll be snapped up in no time.
samedog
Thanks for sharing your experiences Shan, very inspiring!
Karin Taylor
very interesting, and most enjoyable read!