A Seat at the Table

Jan. 21

(Brainstorming Ideas)

Something I’ve been doing that’s different from the other interns is setting up weekly meetings with my art director. I asked if I could have one-on-ones and carve out some of his time to better understand my weak points and grow. It’s also been a way for him to understand the general workflow and any issues that come up. I have experience as a project manager, so I knew how to communicate ideas clearly. Everyone else has the opportunity to do this, but I’m the only one who took the initiative to actually schedule it.

It turns out one of my strengths is my ability to brainstorm and collaborate. At the beginning of the internship, our meetings were focused on task division and areas I needed to improve. But things have changed. Tony, my boss, has started to notice larger issues and doesn’t always know how to translate them down to the team. Because of that, our meetings have shifted into more collaborative brainstorming sessions.

Right now, our focus is on how to translate work effort and time into monetary incentives. Basically, how can management justify to their leadership that we deserve higher pay? We’re also trying to figure out better ways to prepare students and interns to enter the workforce.

Not to stand on a soapbox, but the industry is in a bit of a downturn. Most jobs are looking for designers to be like Swiss Army knives, with every skill under the sun. You’re expected to know branding, illustration, motion, UX UI, photography, marketing, and more.

So the questions we’re working through are: How can we elevate the skills learned with the Creative Services team into desirable qualities for employers? How can designers position themselves with confidence in a difficult job market?