career goals and strategy.

when i first applied to kcal, i had to write an essay about why i wanted to go to school there, and what i meant to do with that education. i already knew that graphic design was where i was going, so my answer had nothing to do with "finding my way," or "expressing my inner emotions." for that essay, totally naïve of where i was ultimately headed, i wrote about how designers make culture. i was talking about advertising and packaging, selling and persuading and convincing. you know, all the stuff the "bad guys" do. once here, i started doubting that. everybody hates it. nobody wants to "sell their souls" and do advertising. we all want to be our own boss, or be a cool cat at a small firm, or do community or advocacy design, or something new and inventive. it turns out i have really enjoyed the advocacy and non-profit work i've done. but now we're here, looking out over the horizon of the rest of our lives, and we've gotta start making these tough decisions… and i think i want to sell my soul. because here's the thing… if all the smartest and most compassionate designers go elsewhere, then who do you think is left to do those bad-guy jobs? i think i still want to work where culture is born, making the ideas and images and narratives that surround people in their day to day to the point that they become innate. moreover, i hope that by being there, and being a clever and caring person, and a good communicator, maybe i can help, in some small way, the "bad guys" not be so evil.

strategy-wise, i'm looking at ad agency internships for the summer and beyond. i feel like i'm in somewhat of a unique position because i'm not just going to be applying as a graphic designer. through my experience at kcal, i have learned how to read design, and i can push it, and improve it, and incisively speak about it, but i don't think my making alone is as impressive a selling point as my communicating, collaborating, writing, and coordinating. for this reason, i want to look, not only into jobs as a designer, but as a copywriter, a researcher, a strategist, and an account manager. this last in particular seems promising to me, in that i have an interest in acting as a liaison between clients and creatives, understanding what is needed and what is wanted and how to plan for an implementation. i hope, as naïve as i continue to be about what the future holds, that i've got my eye on a reachable goal. i know myself to be a very devoted worker with a lot to offer; i've just gotta find my way in.