Hear straight from our graduates.
Applying to Shillington was the best decision I’ve ever made and I only wish I’d done it sooner!
Senior Graphic Designer, Origin Energy
Erin Gale
What were you up to before Shillington? Why did you decide to study design?
Before Shillington I was working in an Art Gallery & Museum. Prior to that I was a media planner and buyer in an advertising agency.
It took me four years to work up the courage to apply to Shillington. I’d stumbled across the course in a Frankie magazine advert when I was working on a media buy for one of my clients back in 2012. Shillington seemed like the perfect fit for me as I had already spent four and a half years at university studying advertising and creative writing, and another long university course just wasn’t for me.
I wanted a technical design course where I could learn practical and world class skills from day one. Shillington had a great reputation and I had friends who had studied with Shillington in Brisbane and loved it. What inspired me the most to apply though was the prospect of starting the course a complete novice and walking out work ready in three months (full-time). If I was going to change my career I wanted to be 100% devoted to it, and I wanted it to happen now. I couldn’t afford for the course to take a long time. Applying to Shillington was the best decision I’ve ever made and I only wish I’d done it sooner!
You recently landed a job as a Creative Graphic Designer at Target. Tell us how you landed the role!
I had just finished a nine month contract at PwC as a Graphic Designer when the role at Target appeared on LinkedIn. I had been working freelance and contracting for nearly a year and I was looking for something more stable. I’d always loved branding so working in-house at a great local brand was going to be the best fit for me. I applied, and a couple of days later I had my first interview with their team in Geelong. A week later I had a second interview with their Head of Creative, and half an hour after leaving my second interview, I had an offer to join the team! I was stoked.
My current portfolio is a mixture of real world work and Shillington projects, and I’ve felt confident with it from day one. I update it regularly and make sure that I am personalising each version I send out to each potential new client or employer. The course really helps you to develop your ideas, push them into new and unique places and then present them confidently. This is a skill I still use everyday to sell my work to others.
Why do you love working as a designer?
I love creating work that has meaning, purpose, and tells a story. It’s really that simple. I have always been a storyteller, even in my previous roles in advertising and the arts, and I really get a kick out of bringing stories to life no matter how big or small they are. I also love that design is so versatile. I like to keep my skills well rounded across all types of design, so I don’t stick to one medium or concentrate on just one area. If I did, I’d get bored. I love that I can spend my day working on a variety of print, packaging or large format ideas, and then with my freelance work I can work on a new logo or website design. The versatility keeps me on my toes and pushes me to be a better designer.
Visit Erin’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Applying to Shillington was the best decision I’ve ever made and I only wish I’d done it sooner!
Senior Graphic Designer, Origin Energy
Erin Gale
What were you up to before Shillington? Why did you decide to study design?
Before Shillington I was working in an Art Gallery & Museum. Prior to that I was a media planner and buyer in an advertising agency.
It took me four years to work up the courage to apply to Shillington. I’d stumbled across the course in a Frankie magazine advert when I was working on a media buy for one of my clients back in 2012. Shillington seemed like the perfect fit for me as I had already spent four and a half years at university studying advertising and creative writing, and another long university course just wasn’t for me.
I wanted a technical design course where I could learn practical and world class skills from day one. Shillington had a great reputation and I had friends who had studied with Shillington in Brisbane and loved it. What inspired me the most to apply though was the prospect of starting the course a complete novice and walking out work ready in three months (full-time). If I was going to change my career I wanted to be 100% devoted to it, and I wanted it to happen now. I couldn’t afford for the course to take a long time. Applying to Shillington was the best decision I’ve ever made and I only wish I’d done it sooner!
You recently landed a job as a Creative Graphic Designer at Target. Tell us how you landed the role!
I had just finished a nine month contract at PwC as a Graphic Designer when the role at Target appeared on LinkedIn. I had been working freelance and contracting for nearly a year and I was looking for something more stable. I’d always loved branding so working in-house at a great local brand was going to be the best fit for me. I applied, and a couple of days later I had my first interview with their team in Geelong. A week later I had a second interview with their Head of Creative, and half an hour after leaving my second interview, I had an offer to join the team! I was stoked.
My current portfolio is a mixture of real world work and Shillington projects, and I’ve felt confident with it from day one. I update it regularly and make sure that I am personalising each version I send out to each potential new client or employer. The course really helps you to develop your ideas, push them into new and unique places and then present them confidently. This is a skill I still use everyday to sell my work to others.
Why do you love working as a designer?
I love creating work that has meaning, purpose, and tells a story. It’s really that simple. I have always been a storyteller, even in my previous roles in advertising and the arts, and I really get a kick out of bringing stories to life no matter how big or small they are. I also love that design is so versatile. I like to keep my skills well rounded across all types of design, so I don’t stick to one medium or concentrate on just one area. If I did, I’d get bored. I love that I can spend my day working on a variety of print, packaging or large format ideas, and then with my freelance work I can work on a new logo or website design. The versatility keeps me on my toes and pushes me to be a better designer.
Visit Erin’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
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