Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce
The Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce is a business association of over 500 members, from sole proprietorships to large international companies, and local non-profit organizations. Through a full calendar of events and programs, the Chamber supports business and community growth and provides legislative, educational, and marketing opportunities to its members.
2020-2021
My Journey with Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce
From being taken on as a Graphic Design Intern back in December of 2020 until May 2021, I acquired connections and adapted my graphic skills to fit the needs of the business and commerce industry.
Being a Graphic Design Intern at the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce, located in Wallingford, Connecticut, I felt that I was fully immersed and involved in the business and graphics world that I desire to go into as well as creating relationships in the industry that I plan to use further down the line in my career.
Although I thought I already knew a lot about Adobe programs and design in general, that was only half of what was needed to complete the work for the Chamber. I had to learn email blast programs as well as programs to design a brochure to correct dimensions, etc. Every day at the Chamber was a learning experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.
Even though the industry and this business specifically are always on a deadline, it's important to not rush things and take things slow to make sure nothing gets forgotten or misplaced. Even though the internship wasn't in my preferred field, I enjoyed every aspect of it as well as learned new programs that I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise, making me truly believe that I have chosen the right path of career for myself.
Creating designs for recruiting new and current members of the Chamber allowed me to step into the field and have the ability to make a change in the business world. Being in person for this internship gave me the chance to listen in on weekly meetings, acquire new skills, especially with the printer as well as receive direct feedback on my work from industry professionals face to face.
The on-hand experience was what I needed to decide that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life and my career. Using my skills to design brochures, email blasts, website sliders, and billboards made me realize that graphic designers are needed everywhere, not just in the entertainment and media industries.
Unfortunately, I was the only graphic designer in the Chamber. This didn’t help with brainstorming and curating the ideas necessary to build up the designs for the marketing pieces being used and distributed across the state. I didn’t get much design feedback or overall knowledge when I was unsure what to do next and needed advice in the art department. During this entire process, I learned to find answers to what I needed in unexpected areas to get the job done and get the work turned in on time for the company.
Although the designs weren’t critiqued before distribution, these opportunities allowed me to create different mediums that I was unfamiliar with, such as brochures, billboards, posters, and email signatures. I got the opportunity to produce a life-sized billboard that was eventually displayed off the highway in Wallingford for the last event that I was a part of before my internship ended.
I was forced out of my comfort zone due to the industry that the internship was in. I was unaware of the commerce and business industries in general and unaware of the specific graphics work I would be producing for the clients of the chamber, but at the end of the internship, I had multiple projects in that I have learned new skills and tricks from, which I will incorporate in future projects.
