Eric Moss
For the past 8 weeks, we’ve had the privilege of having a new face in the office. No, we’re not talking about Elissa. Or Webster. Meet Tyler, our placement student.
Tyler is a student in the Graphic Design program at Sault College. He’s in his third and final year in the program and was placed at our office for 16 days total this semester. Tyler worked on quite a few projects for us, including a couple of logo design projects, advertisements, and quickly became the resident expert in content entry. He also willingly accepted our request to subject himself to learning the basics of HTML and CSS—something he powered through without a single frown!
I asked Tyler a few questions about his time at Cavera:
What have you learned?
“I’ve learned a few things here at Cavera. I’ve expanded my knowledge of Photoshop and have stolen a few design tricks from Eric’s brain that I’ve already been able to put to use in my own projects. I’ve also learned a little more about coding websites (HTML/CSS). But the most important thing I’ve learned is that Jeff should not wear short shorts*.”
*Let’s clarify: We’re talking about Halloween costumes here, not office attire.
How did this change your perspective on working in the industry? How is it different from working at school?
“This placement really reassured me of picking this field to go into, there was a time where I was doubting myself, and my own abilites and thinking about dropping out, but actually being here and doing the real work has made me enjoy it again.”
Did it change how you view the web development or marketing industry?
“I don’t think it necessarily changed my view, but I feel like I have a better appreciation for the work that goes into creating websites and marketing.”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
“(Sappy Answer Alert) Five years, I see myself, hopefully, in a place like this. Not necessarily web and marketing, but more the environment. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and it was like a big family. It was work, but it was fun work, and I don’t think there was a day where everyone was frustrated, or upset, it was always smiles and laughter. I looked forward to coming in every day (How many people can say that?). I hope I can keep in touch! And I will miss them all (cue tears).”
As a graduate of the Graphic Design program myself, I know the value of placement. In addition to learning from an experienced designer, it teaches students practical knowledge about the industry, working with clients, and provides you an understanding of a job other than your own. Students often only have experience working alongside designers. Working in an office environment allows them to interact with people who think differently than themselves, challenging them to rationalize and communicate more clearly.
At Cavera, we try to take an active role at both Sault College and Algoma University. We realize that there is a wealth of talent to be discovered and developed. Over the summer, we had a student who was taking Computer Science at Algoma U. As a programmer, he quickly learned the ins and outs of our job and proved himself to be a huge help on our web development projects.
These opportunities are helpful to us but we sincerely hope that they are of value to the students who we have the privilege of working alongside. Today’s innovation leaders are largely young people and we want to be at the forefront of that locally. We are involved in our communities and are taking part in initiatives to improve the education of local students.
Thanks for your time with us Tyler! Like you said, we hope you’ll keep in touch!
