Within the last 4 months I‘ve graduated, moved permanently to Bournemouth, worked at Tesco for two long months, and managed to get my first design job here at Bright Blue Day. It’s not been easy, but I have been doing my best at transitioning from student to adult (with responsibilities). Here’s how I went from an Arts University of Bournemouth student to a Junior designer at Bright Blue Day…
3 quick years
My three amazing years at University were coming to an end and I needed to start thinking about my career after I left. My biggest decision was figuring out if I wanted to stay in Bournemouth or try to move to London. At the time it seemed London was the place to go, with the largest companies, the big city and where everyone seemed to be heading. But for me something didn’t feel right about leaving Bournemouth yet. I have loved being by the coast, it’s not too far from my hometown, and I don’t think I’m ready for the energetic and mad lifestyle of London. For me Bournemouth was the place to stay. The only thing I needed to do was find a job…
Meeting Bright Blue Day
Through Uni we had met many design companies from around the country, and many from Bournemouth. I had a good idea of what Bournemouth companies I liked and what sort of job I wanted. It was a matter of getting in contact and proving myself to them. One of these companies was BBD. I knew a fair bit about them and had a few network events and interaction with them over the years and it was when we had a visit towards the end of my third year from BBD Creative Consultant Ben Friend that I became really interested in what they do and wanted to find out more. I was lucky enough to have a one to one chat with him about my work and also about BBD. He gave me a lot of confidence in my work and also made me very interested in learning more about them. He offered me to visit the studio and meet more of the team and have a further talk about my portfolio. So obviously I jumped at the chance.
Two-week placement
Getting to meet Deputy Creative Director Gav and Creative Director Liam at the studio made me even more excited to start working. I just needed that first opportunity. I felt leaving the meeting that it went really well but now all I could do was wait, hoping something might come from it. Fortunately, something did, and after a very long month at Tesco I was able to start a two-week placement. With a mix of nerves and excitement I couldn’t wait to get into the studio and start working. The two weeks flew by. It was such a great experience and I couldn’t believe how much I had already learnt just from that small amount of time. Everyone was extremely welcoming, and I got to work on various types of projects within the short time I had. By the end, I knew I’d love to work at BBD and that it would be difficult to find something similar. It was difficult to leave knowing Tesco was waiting again, but I had said my appreciations and offered my help if they needed it in the future, and there was not much more I could do.
The job offer, two weeks later…
Two weeks after my internship, I got a welcome phone call, asking if I could come into the studio for a chat. We must have only talked for about 10 minutes, but by the end of it I had been offered a permanent Junior designer role, and about 10 minutes after that I had told everyone I knew. A week later was my first day. I was very nervous but instantly felt welcomed and comfortable, and excited to start working.
Four months on…
A few months on and time has flown by. So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time and have learnt so much already. Been given more responsibility than I thought I would have this early has really helped me progress as a designer. And I have got to work with some great companies and projects. I am very thankful for what Bright Blue Day has already done for me and I am excited to see what’s to come in the future.
My top 5 tips…
- Get your portfolio together…Sooner than Later!
- Be open to all opportunities
- Be confident in your own work
- Be persistent, but not annoying – The person you contact may miss your first email
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions