I recently had the privilege to meet with Amanda Czarnick, a graphic designer at Caliber in Sioux Falls. Through her, I gained insight into the professional media and design world.

I am excited to feature her thoughts as an article in my magazine. She recently graduated from the University of South Dakota with a bachelor’s in arts and graphic design. It was refreshing to talk to someone in a similar age range and see her perspective as someone who just recently entered the professional design world.

“It is a little bit cliché, but it really helped me in my experience: get real-world experience. When I was at the university, I applied for an internship, and then I worked in the marketing department. I was able to work on real projects and see the finished products. I was able to see people wearing my T-shirts. I saw the posters throughout campus. I saw the social posts that I designed. It is neat to see yourself and your designs in the real world.

Apply yourself to see if it’s a good fit. When I was in that position, I learned things that I liked and I learned things that I did not enjoy, but getting real-world experience is helpful, whether that’s through an internship, a part-time job, or job shadowing designers to see their process. It can be a little scary, but once you get into it, it’ll feel more comfortable and more natural to you.” – Amanda.