Phew… it’s been a bit of an extra long year and a half for us. You may remember Liam headed off to Toronto for college fall of 2019 for video game design. HATED his program (and because of that didn’t do well). Came home at Christmas (end of the 1st semester) and decided not to return. Started job hunting. Then, obviously, COVID. Ended up working full time midnights at a gas station on the highway while he saved money and tried to figure out his life. He’s an artist and couldn’t see himself doing anything not art related, which is totally fine, but not exactly an easy road.
A couple months ago he applied for a full time job as a Junior Graphic Designer. Considering he is only 19 with just a high school diploma and one semester of semi-related college, I thought it was a long shot, at best. He submitted his portfolio and was asked to come in for an interview. Then they asked him to come in for a (paid) four hour practical interview. A couple hours in, the guy who had showed him how to use the program they use came in and said, “Wait.. you added in the curves. I didn’t show you how to do that.” Liam said “But I needed them so I figured it out.” The guy said “come with me” and took him to the HR person to hire him on the spot. He started full time this week. It’s the most niche company I can possibly imagine - they create after-market stickers for collectable toys. It sounds ridiculous, but they’re the biggest in the industry and have been in business for 20 years. He’s working in their second location. The pay, considering his complete lack of experience, is very good, and the intention is to have him work his way up to full designer. And the whole business is full of geeky artsy folks just like him, mostly in their early to mid-20s, all of them dressed exactly like you’d expect a room full of geeky artists to dress. He is loving it.
-------------------------------- "Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson
“Wait.. you added in the curves. I didn’t show you how to do that.” Liam said “But I needed them so I figured it out.” The guy said “come with me” and took him to the HR person to hire him on the spot.
My daughters are on different tracks. One will be graduating from business school in May, and wants to work in HR (Nina has been ENORMOUSLY helpful, so a big thank you to her); the other is putting school on pause and wants to be a dog trainer/behaviorist.
Whatever makes them happy and gives them a lifestyle that they will enjoy. That's all I care about.
