Our
Students

Where do you work?
Blow Media in Harrogate.

What is your role?
I'm a Junior Designer. I work in small, but busy, team which gives me the opportunity to work on a wide range of design briefs.

Did you feel confident about entering the design industry after you graduated?
Yes, definitely! The design industry is very competitive and I was daunted at first but Shillington College gave me a huge amount of confidence in my work. On the course, you learn so much in a relatively short period of time so there's a lot of hard work involved! The lecturers are fantastic, very knowledgeable, always enthusiastic and very committed to you succeeding. I learnt a variety of design processes and the essential skills in the programs to a high standard, which meant I felt ready to go straight into a design job.

What were you doing before the course?
I did a mathematics degree at university then worked as a Business Analyst.

Why did you decide to do the course?
I always try to make the best out of the situations I'm in but the job I was doing just wasn't for me. I took a career break and researched a lot of different careers before I chose graphic design. I couldn't afford the time or money involved in doing another degree and none of those options focused on getting a design job. The Shillington course was perfect for my situation.

What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
Other than the obvious design skills and the confidence it gave me in my abilities, I'd say the friendships I made with my course mates and lecturers. I now have a great network of fellow designers who I can rely on for support and motivation.

Where do you see yourself in 12 months?
I'm at the start of a hopefully lifelong career that I love so, in 12 months' time, I hope to be further developing and refining my skills.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
I've only just started out but I am really enjoying my experience with Blow Media and I'm learning more everyday. A highlight so far was having my logo designs chosen to brand a company – it's a good feeling to see my work in the real world.