Undergraduate Major:
Graphic Design
Degree Received:
BFA
Graduation Year:
2005
Activities, student organizations, leadership roles, etc. in which I was
involved at UT:
Job Information
Employer Name:
Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership
Employer Web Site:
http://www.knoxvillechamber.com/
Present Job Title:
Art & Technology Coordinator
Brief description of my job responsibilities, e.g. a typical week in my job:
I serve as primary project manager and designer on all print and digital publications and webmaster on multiple sites. My position is liaison with marketing service vendors and membership database software expert. I must understand identity and brand consistency, information design, printing and pre-press practises. I use both Mac OS and Windows environments as well as QuarkXpress, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Microsoft Office. HTML editing is useful but not required.
Suggestions I would give to undergraduate students with regard to courses,
internships, and other means of preparation for my career field:
Take advantage of the student AIGA and your internships...especially your internships. Our design community in Knoxville is surprisingly compact, so making good impressions during your internships will open doors for you when you are job hunting. Your book is important, but so is knowing people and building your network early.
My career path in getting to this position:
I stuck to the curriculum, participated in AIGA events (the mock interviews were particularly helpful), and went the extra mile to "show my stuff" during my internships. One internship led to a part-time job while I completed my degree. That part-time job gave me connections to the Partnership, where I landed my full-time position after graduation.
Other advice for students interested in gaining entry into and pursuing a career
in this field:
You have to love it. Graphic design isn't as glamorous as you imagine, and you most likely won't become rich or famous. But if you love it, then what better way to make a living?
If you are interested and want to know more about the profession, make an appointment with a couple of designers and set up informational interviews. Designers are typically happy to help, especially since our industry is so misunderstood to begin with.
If you are pursuing your career, take full advantage of what the program at UT has to offer. There are amazing faculty there, and you'll make contacts within the industry through the course of completing your degree. Informational interviews are a good idea in this case too. It gets your book in front of professionals who have the potential to hire you or turn you on to leads.
./profiles/foreign/spanish.htm
Last updated: