Searching for a Job is a Full-Time Job

You ever heard that phrase before? Well I hadn't, and I'm learning the unfortunate truth that it is. I'd love to sit around for the next few months pretending that all I have to do is go back to classes next year, but alas...the threat of unemployment looms.

Luckily for me, my final semester is structured in such a way that I'm required to think about the job hunt and how I want to present myself in that search. For the past few weeks, I've been googling the words "architecture firms hiring in city" with few hits, most of which bring up job descriptions that require 5+ years of experience - a very disheartening qualification. If anything, I've learned if I'm going to get a job in a design or architecture firm, I'm going to need to be the one showing interest in the firm, not the other way around. Obvious? Yes. But any job I get probably won't be posted directly on a firm's site.

Regardless, I've been spending some time developing an application package for myself - this includes the standard cover letter, resume, maybe a letter of recommendation, and for me, portfolio samples. If you're like my parents at all, you might be surprised to see how involved, and creative this process might be. Writing the, gulp, cover letter is still a major pain in the butt, and the resume is no walk in the park, but imagine making it something that's going to stand out in a field of creatives.

There's a lot of whacky stuff out there, but let's be real, I'm not one of those people. The package design I chose to go with is relatively simple, but I think it really represents me. For my application package, I chose to use simple fonts and little bursts of color - specifically a bright green that I love. Plus, the inner envelope is made of this awesome wood-grain textured paper. See below:

So...would you call me for an interview? :D Let's hope hiring managers will!

Until next time,

Guys, I'm Famous!!

...Just kidding. But I was featured in an article in my school's student run paper, The Daily Orange.

Check it out here!

Best,

Life is too Short for Bad Coffee...or Design

I've always been a coffee person.

Ever since my grandparents started me on decaf, probably way before I should have been drinking coffee at all, I've loved the taste, warmth, and smell of a good cup o' joe. Long gone are the days of adding a gallon of flavored creamer and a pound of sugar, though. Ever since starting my job at Cafe Kubal in June of 2012, I've learned to love my coffee black and my espresso sweet. (No, not with sugar you ninny...just with superbly roasted espresso beans of course! Pssh) 

Of all the jobs I've had, this one is by far the most enjoyable, exciting, and rewarding. What's better than crafting a perfect cappuccino or smelling fresh-brewed coffee all day?

On top of over a year and a half of being able to rock it behind the bar, I recently started down another exciting avenue within the company. Knowing my background in interior design - it is, after all, what I'm studying at Syracuse - my boss came to me when it was time to redesign the SU cafe. Of course I was thrilled, and the various projects have since been completed. Check out the before and after!

New grab-n-go display refrigerator with merchandise display shelves and new, 

wall-mounted menu boards and lighting.

Baked goods display case was lowered to be flush with the existing counter. 

Hanging menu boards were removed to allow for more visual access between baristas and customers.

New lighting was installed and brick was painted to help reflect light into the space. 

New commercial grade chairs were specified to stand up to wear and tear of a busy cafe environment.

This week, I just finished working on fitting a cafe design into an existing space within a local medical center. It's been quite the challenge, with everything currently an awful shade of mauve, a focus on economy, and only 150 square feet to work with. But with some quick tricks, an eye for detail, and a knack for space planning, I managed to pull together a little design in just a few, short weeks. See it below:

What's more exciting is the cafe just opened its doors this morning. If you're ever in the Camillus area, check it out! And of course, I'll have photos of the space itself soon!

Take care!

Announcement!

Hey all! 

In the midst of everything I've got going on I finally have a working version of an online portfolio up. Granted, it's not finished, and it's likely to change as I improve existing projects, refine ones I have yet to put up, and design new spaces. I'm also planning on uploading scans from my sketchbook(s) so be sure to check it out every now and again.

See it here!

Thanks 

Catching Up

With just one week until I take flight and make my way to the UK, it's been quite the...experience getting all my affairs in order. Making sure I have all the necessary documents ready, all my bills and bank accounts taken care of, and just generally my head firmly on my shoulders has been a lot to juggle. On top of that, I've been working on an updated portfolio of my strongest work. Basically, it's been the week for lists on lists on lists.

Trying to update my portfolio has been especially challenging. For obvious reasons, I'm trying to get that done before I leave next Monday. A week is honestly plenty of time to put together a sample portfolio, but it's been difficult for me to weed out what projects have been more successful than the others. Obviously, I'm proud of all the work I've done, but they sure don't say "kill your darlings" for nothin'.

After hours - literally - of thinking about this, I finally narrowed it down to about five projects that I'm SUPER confident showcase my skills without eliminating variety in my portfolio. Now the real challenge is to show those projects in a way that really sells me as a designer. That means, dun dun DUN, more editing...

Fitting my projects in one or two pages maximum has been, truthfully, a pain in the you-know-what. Giving enough context so the viewer understands the project without being a complete overload is a delicate balance I'm still trying to figure out. Hopefully, with a some perseverance and a little bit of luck, I'll get it all together and sent out to a few firms before my little Eurotrip. 

Until Next Time!

Life as an Intern

Big news! Today was my first time as an official intern for a local design firm. I was super excited (and a tad bit nervous) but it turned out to be great. The woman I work with runs her own business and has a ton of experience in residential design. So far it's great and I'm feeling really privileged to be able to have hands-on experience in the field. I've already been able to dabble in specifications as well as some sight measurements. This coming week I'll be putting my AutoCAD skills to good use and I can't wait! Overall, I'm really starting to look forward to this summer.

Maybe this is the naive design student in me speaking, but specifying products isn't so bad.