Looking back over my two weeks at Springetts a number of things strike me.
I have no doubts about my organisational skills, punctuality and the ability to carry out routine tasks. I'm able to muck in and don't consider any activities to be beneath me. I obviously learnt a bit about the business and the way it operates, I brushed up on a few Mac/application skills and got to use exotic equipment like the Xyron machine.
However, there were times during the placement where I could certainly have been a little more proactive in terms of eliciting work and advice from those around me. Although I believe that I have an ability to relate to and get along with a diverse range of people, in some situations I can become more reserved. Perhaps there were times when my personality didn't shine through because of this and I was happy for it to be so because, after all, I was only there for two weeks, everyone was busy, and what did it matter. But I can't really afford to think like that. I can't be sure what each opportunity might lead and employers/clients are more likely to engage someone who adds a little bit of spark to the proceedings. Therefore I need to 'be myself', sell me and relax a bit more. I can certainly see how a longer four week placement, as first suggested, would help here. I also think that the layout of the studio work space did not help in this respect; computer towers and screens being arranged in such a way that it did not allow face to face contact.
I need to push myself to organise a variety of such placements because they do offer an insight into whether it's a suitable working environment for you personally. At the moment I'm not entirely sure of the direction that I see my career developing. Further varied experience of this type might help me to crystalize thoughts.
I could see myself working within and enjoying the general environment at Springetts but I'm not so sure about a daily diet of branding. It would be good to experience life in a smaller more diverse studio where the daily, or at least week to week fare, is a little more varied.
Considering my design work as a whole, I have been happiest where I have largely been in overall control and where I am engaged in more illustrative decorative tasks e.g. the Sanna Annukka, Penguin, and Christmas card briefs.
