Starting in the Graphic Design World.
I was hired as the Student Graphic Designer at the Temple University Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC is an organization that helps community small businesses and entrepreneurs. My job is to design graphics, event material flyers, social media campaigns, and more artistic concepts and graphic creations. My experience working at the SBDC has been encouraging and has helped my creative skills grow significantly.
Working at the SBDC has allowed me to work independently on creative projects and trust my skills when it comes to designing. I get to showcase my abilities and use my expertise when making things like the SBDC’s Annual Report. This experience has taught me a lot about designing freely and having to think of ideas for the company’s branding. I’ve also learned how the organization relies on me to put my best effort into my work. With this profession, I am determined to do my best with the knowledge of design that I have, and I am hopeful to continue working in creative positions in my future. I love designing and this job has made it clear that I want to remain being an innovative worker in upcoming career opportunities.
I’ve discovered that when being a graphic designer at the SBDC, it is important to stay on brand. With a lot of the projects I do, I must use similar color pallets, logos, design ideas, and fonts to keep the brands consistent. I’ve also discovered that the SBDC does many webinars that are important for their company growth. One of my main tasks is to consistently update the webinar graphics. I’ve recognized the number of webinars this organization organizes to help the community understand topics they need to know for their businesses. It is evident the SBDC is committed to supporting everyone around them and wants what’s best for the community.
One person who has inspired me in the SBDC is Rachel Hazzard. She hired me into the position and worked with me from the start. Rachel has trust in me to make design decisions and has always pushed me to do what I think is best for a project. She inspires me to be confident in myself and my capabilities. I will always appreciate her commitment to me, given this was my first internship in my career. Going into the professional world, I think it is imperative to trust yourself and know you are good at what you do, and Rachel has taught me that.
I think this experience has been more than I thought it would be, but in the best way. At first, I thought an internship would be shadowing someone and following someone’s lead. But for the SBDC, I’ve gotten to personally design many things completely myself, which is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. Some advice I have for students starting their first internship is to be kind to other employees, offer to do any project your boss might have for you to do, and to stay on top of your work. It is essential for your employer to trust you and be confident in you, to be successful.
An overarching idea I’ve gained from working at the Small Business Development Center is taking my college experiences to the professional world and displaying my skill set. I’ve gained self-assurance and the knowledge that it is important to have a consistent company design style. I’ve also gained how to produce things like graphics, flowcharts, event flyers, and the biggest project, a multi-page 2022 company annual report. Overall, this has been a very beneficial first job in my career.
