McKenzie Hedman, soon to be graduate from the Interior Design program, came to Kelowna Centre for Arts and Technology from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to pursue her dreams as an Interior Designer a short two years ago.
Just as McKenzie was finishing up her schooling, she received an exciting job offer that would launch her career in the Interior Design industry. McKenzie repacked her bags and headed back home to work as an Interior Designer for AODBT Architecture & Interior Design in Saskatoon.
McKenzie claims that the most valuable thing she took away from her experience at Centre for Arts and Technology was, “(that) hard work does pay off. Listening to the instructors, especially if still active in the industry was valuable feedback for me. You’re trying to reach that goal of working in the design industry so taking advantage of learning from design professionals was good to experience. If you apply the feedback you get from both the instructors and classmates you’ll get great results. All your work can help you reach your desired goal as most employers don’t just look for experience but applied skills as well”.
McKenzie found that while in school there was a lot of emphasis on working drawings and that that is where a lot of her work experience has taken her. She also enjoyed working in the small classes as it made it easier to concentrate and receive feedback from instructors.
As for advice for future students, “Ask as many questions as you can from the instructors and professionals in the field. Try to also attend as many functions put on by the industry, in this case IDIBC as that is valuable information – networking is key in the industry. Work hard on all your projects as your portfolio becomes a key element in helping you get hired, especially if you have little to no work experience like I did. It is difficult to find a company willing to give you an opportunity so being able to showcase all your talents and skills is essential in trying to prove to them that they should take a chance on you!”
McKenzie’s career future is looking very colorful and dazzling bright. McKenzie is a true testament that focus and determination can really make dreams come true. Congratulations on your fantastic new job!