Jobs/Internships Spotlight: Amber Sharkey
This week I was lucky enough to interview a recent Marywood graduate about her journey from a less experienced undergraduate student getting her first internship to her current job search and the success she has had throughout the process. Meet Amber Sharkey, a bright and talented professional graphic designer who gives her insight about past internships and her current job search as a fresh new addition to the design world. I started out by immediately asking about her internship experience:
Me: Where did you intern for the first time?
Amber: My first internship was with The Design Collective run by Steven Brower at Maywood University my junior year. As a student who didn’t have access to a car on campus, having this internship available at school benefited me in the long run.
Me: What kind of work did you do? Who did you do it for?
Amber: It was a really hands-on process and it gave me a lot of work for my portfolio. During this internship, I worked with the YMCA of Scranton, the Salvation Army, and other local non-profit organizations.
Me: It’s good to know that design students can get hands-on working experience through internships offered right here at Marywood. So I guess my next question is what did this experience do for you as a designer?
Amber: The internship gave me experience on how to deal with clients, both the good and the bad. I was given a variety of things to design, from print to web. It definitely opened my eyes to how life would be as a designer once I graduated.
Me: Now that you’ve graduated, how is the job search going?
Amber: Currently I am a freelance designer for the Down Syndrome Association of Delaware and continuing to seek out work.
Me: Last but not least, if you had one bit of advice to give to undergraduate students seeking internships, what would it be?
Amber: I would say that you need to have patience. Don’t rush it or force it. I took it slow after graduation, I didn’t want to give my life away to a job yet. I would suggest relaxing a little bit after graduation, you deserve to!
