Join us to learn what it’s like in the day of a Digital Designer within Government and what that transition from studying to full-time work looked like for Alesha. From going beet red in her portfolio review and practicing on her friends, Alesha was able to land her first internship that also helped further her final project.

Alesha shares how important the connections she made were to helping her later down the track and how they continue to help her in her career.

We touch on:
– How internships can HELP your study
– The importance of reaching out and building mutual relationships

– Different interview styles and tips
– What it’s like transitioning from studying to full-time work.

You can find Alesha and her work below:
@leshieiscool

www.aleshagarton.com

Want to reach out to us? Get in contact:
www.openlab.ac.nz
@openlabnz
[email protected]

Sophia is a true go-getter, working for us in her 3rd year, nailing an internship in her 4th year and becoming a product designer with Trade Me after leaving University.

She is a passionate vegan, illustrator, networker and soon to be freelancer in London. We discuss the importance of networking and how Summer of tech and mentoring helped her along the way.

Some key points are:
– What it's like working in different design jobs
– Summer of tech internships
– Portfolio and interviews tips

– Tech mentorships

You can find Sophia and her work below:
@Sophia.explores

@soph_eats_plants
www.sophiabishopdesign.com

Additional reference: 
Summer of Tech has been connecting New Zealand university students with paid tech internships since 2006. 
https://summeroftech.co.nz/



Winter Mentor Wellington is a mentor matching program for everyone who works in IT.
https://wintermentor.com

Get in contact:
www.openlab.ac.nz
@openlabnz
[email protected]

Taking the leap from the well-known to the unfamiliar can be an emotional struggle and landing a long-term internship in Government is only the start. We interview Christina who is in the middle of working out who she is as a designer while finding the confidence in establishing her place and voice within a newly formed team.

We touch on:
– Being an ambassador on the value of design thinking

– Power Posing
– Learning new work habits and productivity
– Designing in government 


You can find Christina and her work below:
@Christina.kw

christinakirkwilson.com

Amy Cuddy Ted talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/transcript?language=en

Get in contact:
www.openlab.ac.nz
@openlabnz
[email protected]

Everyone wants to know what happens when you finally leave university to find a job and in this episode we go deep into the nitty gritty details of this whole process.

We interview Dylan, a Massey Grad who worked with us in his fourth year and has been on quite the journey finding a full-time design job. We go into how he did it, what jobs are out there and how to nail your first of many interviews.

We touch on:
– What to talk about in interviews
– The challenges
– What boosted Dylan’s confidence and got him the job

You can find Dylan and his work below:
@dylan_healy
dylanhealydesign.com

Want to reach out to us? Get in contact:
www.openlab.ac.nz
@openlabnz
[email protected]

We introduce who Open Lab is and where we are placed within the design industry. Discussing how we work in a unique, safe and collaborative environment, both with the expertise we have on projects and the state of art facilities we have at our finger tips. Introducing your co-hosts Connah and Michael, who share their own stories and how Open Lab provides value through internships, interview coaching and portfolio reviews.

Connah

@lifeofcon_

@connahhazelwood
thelifeofcon.com

Michael 

@mycooldesign

@lemon.and.green
mycooldesign.co.nz