NCCC Success Story

Hometown
Liverpool, N.Y., currently living and working in New York City

Degree programs
AAS, Digital Illustration
BFA, Graphic Design

Year of graduation
2010

Place of employment
VaynerMedia, New York, N.Y.

Job title and work responsibilities
I'm a junior graphic designer, and I work in social media advertising, creating graphics for use on Twitter and Facebook. I mock up website designs using Photoshop and Illustrator, then give my design work to a web developer to implement. I've learned how to design with the Web in mind using software to create physical aspects, like shadows or texture, on digital pieces. My company manages social media for large brands, so I work with their styles and branding to create appropriate graphics. Working here, I've learned how to best use social media to create relationships, network, and share news or information. I work with an amazing group of people, so friendly and easy to communicate with, and the work is fantastic.

How my career relates to my degree from RIT/NTID
The coursework and the expectations of my professors at RIT prepared me to work quickly, which is important as the turn-around time is short here—and out in the world of advertising and marketing in general. I also learned how to design across a wide spectrum of styles and purposes, which is very useful since I work with so many different brands.

Advice
When you're looking for a job, apply to everything. Try for anything that looks interesting. I'm a big fan of social media and actually I found my job on Twitter. A friend re-tweeted a message from the agency that they were looking for an entry-level designer and gave an email address. I emailed them, had an interview, and my prior experience turned out to be what they were looking for. I did some test design work and got the job. So don't be afraid to take that initial step of applying. It opens doors you may never have thought of opening.