Ian MacMillan felt as though he’d been banging his head against the wall trying to chart a career path, until he stepped back, actually focused on that wall, and found his answer. “I was in my room trying to decide what to do for school, then I spun around in my computer chair and looked at the design I’d painted on my walls. I then realized that almost everything I did had lots of design elements in it, it was influencing a lot of my life, so that’s what drove me to the Centre for Arts and Technology.” It was an epiphany that wouldn’t disappoint.
MacMillan graduated from the Graphic Design & Web Development program at the Fredericton campus of the Centre for Arts and Technology in April, 2013. Armed with the latest skills in the field from the Centre’s first-class instructors, the 23 year old wasted no time getting out there.
“I finished school on a Thursday and went right to work on Monday,” MacMillan chuckled.
He’d landed a gig with an automotive distributor out of Keswick, but bigger opportunities weren’t long knocking.
Within six months, his work caught the eye of Fredericton web-based company GreenNexxus, which designs employee sustainability platforms for companies the world over, including Bacardi, the NBA, and Kimberly-Clark. GreenNexxus booked him for an interview, and the very same day, MacMillan got a call for another opportunity with one of the Atlantic region’s largest employers. After a few meetings and negotiations with each party, MacMillan joined GreenNexxus as its lead designer in October, 2013.
MacMillan says the secret to his success is simple: sell yourself. And he learned how while studying at the Centre for Arts and Technology. “You have to change the perception from being ‘I’m a good worker,’ to being ‘I’m a skilled professional,’” he said. “And the Centre’s professional development courses teach you that, and show you how to do it in reality.”
Centre for Arts and Technology is hosting an Animation & Graphic Design Open House on Saturday, May 3rd from 2 – 4pm at 130 Carleton Street (2nd floor). Guests will have the opportunity to meet and connect with our instructors, and obtain information about funding and graduate success. Those in attendance will also get to learn more about the industry’s software and equipment. For more information or to register, please call 1.877.369.1888.