Final Reflection
Final reflection on first term of BS300
During this term, I learnt a great many things from our lessons and guest speakers. Through the course of the module we discussed ways of working, internships, recruitment, freelancing, and entrepreneurship.
One of the talks I benefited most from is the one on internships. We were visited by internship managers who were able to answer students’ question on internships and could give insight. The responses from the guests made me feel more at ease about the internships I need to do this year, as well as those I will possibly do in the future before being permanently employed. I learnt a great deal on how to behave as an intern, to make the most of your circumstances, and to be ‘hungry’ (eager to learn). The internship managers also reassured students that in most cases, our assumptions about internships are wrong. For example, the employer doesn’t care about their intern(s) - this is false. A valuable tip we were given to show our future employers that we are eager to learn is to find out what we can do to prepare for the first day - this shows eagerness even before entering the workplace.
Being visited by a recruitment agency opened my eyes to more possibilities. I had never before even thought about it as a possibility for me. I now am considering signing up after my studies, just so I can see what my options are and also, whether or not employers see my skills as valuable/desirable. The guests from the recruitment agency also gave us valuable tips on what to include or exclude from our portfolios to have a to-the-point approach. They said that future employers respond better to less-is-more.
My favourite lesson to date, would have to be the visit from young entrepreneurs ‘hoick’. I really enjoyed listening to their insights on starting one’s own business in the creative industry and also had a strong affinity with their personalities and brand values. I felt that I could relate to them in the sense that they are passionate about making meaningful work, and their focus is not solely on design work, but also on producing art. Their insights gave me hope for my future as a designer, because it is my dream to do something similar to what hoick does. Their advice, to rather first get experience before starting a business, is what I intend to do. That is the most important point I took from that talk.
At the start of this year, I felt very much overwhelmed by all that needs to be done before I am able to receive my degree in March 2020. I also had a feeling that I am not equipped at all to enter the working world. Interning for a company - my biggest fear… was a brick wall in front of my face, in the way of my dreams; but after all the lessons and visit from guests, feel more relaxed and reassured that I will be able to do this without the world ending.
What I see for my future is to first, focus on getting my BA in Communication design, then, to get my Honours degree in Illustration and to oneway have my own studio. I didn’t always consider having my own business, I just accepted that my personality is not suited for that role - but I’ve only now begun to realise that these dreams are well within my reach.
I have also recently started thinking of applying to intern at bigger, more ‘out-of-my-reach’ companies/studios I wasn’t previously considering because I doubted that I could make it there.