My name is Nicole Avritch and I am a senior Graphic Design major. I found this internship though a job search engine such as Monster, Looksharp, and Indeed. I sent in my resume and portfolio and they got back to me with an email asking for a phone interview. This summer I worked at a full-service design studio called FOMO. My direct supervisor was the creative director of FOMO, Pedro Gandarias. Pedro assigned me projects and regularly looked over my progress. I was frequently working on content for their social media site (Instagram) by designing interactive quotes based on the design world. I also worked on designing presentations of their past projects to be featured on their website which they are in the process of updating. I made an animation for one of FOMO’s client Ivanzi and did some hand lettering pieces for another, client Bonvivants. It was a good feeling having the skills worthy enough of client work. The reason I was asked to help with these projects was because I had the proper skillset. This makes me feel more confident as I go out into the real world.
I have learned to get the most out of every experience. For example, there were a lot of opportunities to push myself and deliver more than what was asked. The more questions you ask, the more people you meet, the more projects you can put your hands on, the better designer and business person you will be. These moments and experiences are about making yourself marketable after you graduate. I also realized that a lot can be accomplished in a short amount of time. Pedro and Andrei, the two founders of FOMO, are still in their early 20s. Yet they have started two successful businesses together. I met a girl who is 23, only a year older than myself, who is freelancing full-time and able to support herself in NYC. I always thought I shouldn’t or couldn’t start anything of my own right out of college, but the people I was surrounded by all summer proved that theory wrong.
