When I left University back in May this year (honestly feel like years ago) I had hoped that one of my placements would offer me the chance to stay on and be a permanent member of the team, which sadly (but always luckily) that never happened. After two months of living in London and working for Pattern Textiles, I had grown in confidence, explored London, cried, laughed, learnt and overall my abilities to design repeats on Photoshop improved greatly. Two weeks at home followed, which I mostly spent designing using my new skills and knowledge after which I went off on my second placement to George @ Asda. A short, but tiring two week learning curve that opened my eyes to the world of clothing and print in a head office environment. I took part in a variety of meetings, designed my own mini collection to present to the team and once again grew in confidence.
After that it was back home and back to what life was like before (and during) University with my old sales role at New Look waiting for me. I applied for countless jobs, received numerous rejections and began to wonder how long it would be until anyone would at least give me an interview.
Out of nowhere I had some incredible luck come my way with not one, but two interviews. The first being for Dunelm Mill as a Quality Assurance in curtains, a job I was unsure about wanting but knew it was a start in the industry I would take to get where I wanted to be. After my interview, with a CV and reference in hand, I decided to walk to a company I have wanted to work for previously and knew was around the area I was in. Somehow confidence took over, I handed in my CV and so the bait begun.
Two days later, I was told I didn't get the job at Dunelm Mill, but had got an interview for the company I handed my CV in to, Knitmania UK. So, a week later I had my second interview and what I thought would not be my last. Somehow, I had managed to convince someone to give me a job after a portfolio interview and within a five days I had left New Look and starred my career with the new label of Junior Print Designer.
I feel so lucky to have left University and within 6 months got a fantastic job working with a brilliant and supporting team who have welcomed me in and answered all my questions. Between the two weeks of leaving George and getting on the career ladder, something in my mindset has change and I now approach things with a new found and slowly gained confidence and positive attitude. I was determined to never stop until I got a job within printed textiles not matter how many rejections I got and so the quote above is, in this case, quite true.
