Recently I got a new part-time gig at this place called 50 Below. They are a growing company located in Duluth that helps other businesses put their products and services online. Basically they provide thousands of websites for people.

At first I was hesitant to work there because they use various templates for all their websites. I wanted to work somewhere where I could learn how to be more ‘creative’. I figured it would be good to just go in for the interview, ask some questions, and get a feel for the place.

The interview went well and I liked the vibe. They offered me the job the next day as a Junior Graphic designer. I accepted the offer and a new chapter began. Here are some of my experiences so far that have been very beneficial to me and that might help you when choosing your next job.

1. Learning from others

My first day I was told to shadow some of the designers there so I could get a feel of what I was going to be doing. I gotta say this was a surprisingly nice learning experience. Watching other designers work can teach you a lot in a short period of time. As you probably know there are tons of little ‘tricks’ in Photoshop that help you streamline your workflow. It is very difficult to learn and utilize them all. Watching some of the other designers, I was able to see different workflow styles and they taught me some things I never knew before. I encourage anyone who has the oppurtunity to watch other people work. Whether it’s screencasts online, video tutorials, or in person, it will be of great help in a short period of time.

2. Friendly people

Everyone there has been really friendly. It’s always very beneficial to meet friendly people that are experienced in your field who are willing to help you. These kinds of people could potentially be a great resource to you as you grow and learn. It’s also nice when you work in an environment that is a positive aspect of your life.

One of my jobs unrelated to design has a lot of staff who are constantly negative. All they ever seem to talk about is complaining about other co workers. They appear to eat, sleep, and breathe negativity and they love to place it onto other people. My new job is a great refreshment from that.

3. Fast paced

One of my favorite things about this job is that you have time limits on everything you do. The faster you work, the better it is for both the company and you. If you produce good work and are doing it very fast, you will be rewarded.

As a freelancer I can’t learn enough about working under pressure and being able to change gears on the fly. This job forces me to do everything fast and keep quality high.

4. You just never know

I went into the job expecting to not really like what I was doing. After my first week of going on my own and actually producing some designs that totally changed. I love it! Right now I’m just doing banners that are about 500×300 or so that go on various sites that sell products. As it turns out there is plenty of room for creativity here and I’m benefitting a lot by working here. Not only has my income gone up, but it’s giving me valuable experience as I am still a student. The downside of course is I lost some free time that I normally used finding work for Zorba but it’s okay. This is worth it for now and when I graduate in September more time will open up.

Final words

Don’t be picky when finding a new job. Try things out first before you judge so fast. Ask if you can shadow for a while before accepting the position. Often times there are aspects of the job that will benefit you for the rest of your life. If it turns out to be a nightmare, you have every right to pack up your things and see what else you can find. Don’t buy this crap about the economy and how there are no jobs. There are tons of jobs.

Your opinion?

So now that you’ve heard my experiences at my new job, care to share any of your new personal work experiences?

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