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“I am currently a graphic design director for a major streaming service. I started a little over a year ago, and my entire team works remotely. I was first introduced to graphic design while attending both a trade school and a traditional high school simultaneously (I initially attended trade school to learn how to Car Paint).After graduating high school I earned a BA in Graphic Design.A little over a year after graduating from college I moved to New York City and started working in merchandise and apparel for Broadway shows and bands/musicians, earning $40k in year (I worked on shows like evil and with musicians like Linkin Park and Britney Spears during her Vegas residency).
“She was fired after almost four years (no raises) because my boss was grossly unqualified for her job and constantly feared she might be replaced. She ended up firing another designer, me and her art director because of her insecurities. The only reason I stayed that long is that i really enjoyed the work.luckily when i was fired i was already in the process of interviewing for a new job at another company.i switched to a mobile advertising agency for the next four and a half years starting at $50,000 a year while working with companies like disney And Adidas and Honda, but I got tired of repeating the role, and I hated dealing with customers directly and managing meetings.
By the end of my term, I was making $79,000 a year with a decent bonus at the end of each year (the percentage was based on the entire company’s earnings, usually resulting in about $8,000 after taxes). But, I eventually ended up quitting with no prospects or leads, but to work on my technology and portfolio as a whole. After six months or more of working on my own, I was able to get the attention of several high-profile companies, and made it to the latest round of interviews with multiple companies like Condé Nast, Rockstar Games, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
I was lucky enough to pay off my gamble, and received multiple offers, but ended up accepting the position in broadcasting due to my love of movies, television, and entertainment in general. I now make $125,000 a year plus 10% in bonuses and have already received a raise within the first year. In one year, after 10 years in NYC, I uprooted and moved to Los Angeles and love it until now. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: While it may not always be easy, always bet on yourself.”
-unknown