Transitioning: From College into a Career

What was college like and how does it compare to my career after graduation?

I went to Ferris State University for a hair over 4 years. I have shared some of the best times of my life there. I grew up in Grand Rapids so Big Rapids allowed me to move away from home without being too far. I was starting my new path in life, education to become a Graphic Designer.

And there it was the College of Business

While I was excited to be "on my own" and live with my high school best friend, I really was serious about my education. Freshman year you start with the basics, no computer. Yes no computer. Instead you learn more about design as a process and how to communicate through visuals of all kinds. Sophomore year, which seemed like forever, we finally got to work on the computer. Still had the hand work as well but now we could see it coming together. At the end of that year you go through a portfolio review. This is HUGE! It defines you as a designer. It is really the beginning of your design career. If you pass you go on to the Bachelor program, if not then you get to start over in some other degree and hope most the credits transfer. It is because of this Ferris puts out some of the best designers in Michigan. Once you make it through, the last two years are nothing but hard work and long hours. The classes are run like an internship, much like a job. You have to dress business casual, present your work and you cannot be late! Or be a no show. You are now a responsible adult. By the time you graduate Ferris with a degree in Graphic Design you truly are a Graphic Designer.

That was the GRDE program in a nutshell. How does that prep for your career? How does that compare to the working world?

Again, I will tout Ferris in the ability to make the senior year like a job. The professors actually advise you to use one of the classes as work experience on your résumé. Because it is work. During this class every student is assigned to work in groups on a project with actual clients. You have meetings, use email as communication or conference calls directly with the client and participate in presentations. You work as a team under a deadline and meet it. You learn to take cristism and apply it as requested. This is one way Ferris shaped me into the designer I am. The ability to listen to the critques and form an opinion of how that could work. It made me learn to ask questions. Like, how can I take what the clients wants and still keep the integrity of the brand? How can I change the design to suite the new needs? Do I have to start over? Without this I would not have the gut to handle my job.

Of course, that was an amazing experience that I know was a major benefit to my career, its not a real job. A career is so much more than a college course can teach you. The deadlines are realer than real. There are no excuses. You have to be available when the client is. You have to listen. You have to be nice. These are obvious. One thing I think that is different than college in my career is the people you meet. Work is fun! You meet new people all the time. You face new challenges often. You create relationships with co-workers and learn so much from each other. You now see first hand how your career as a designers has a place in the business world.

One of my first projects in my career was creating a theme for the NeoCon showroom based on the Market Manager's idea. We had to listen to his wants then make it happen. Once a theme was selected we now had to work as a team to apply it to wall graphics, brochure, signage and SWAG. It was so much fun. Now I got to work with the vendors and suppliers myself. I had to work within a budget. I got to go to printers, approve colors, choose items to purchase. It was now real. Lots of pressure. This was not like college.

After the files were out and we met the deadline the fun began. We drove to Chicago and got to see all our hard work everywhere in the showroom. The walls had the graphics on them, the tables had brochures laid out, employees were handing out SWAG. It was so cool. College cannot prepare you for a reward like that. And that's another part of a career that's so different, the rewards. Now the rewards are not a GPA or Dean's list. They are seeing your work, hearing great job or getting a handshake. A whole new world of accomplishments.