It’s great to see what our students go on to do once they’ve finished their course, which is why we loved catching up with Ellie, a past Graphic Design student. Ellie studied Art and Design for a year and quickly found her love for Graphic Design which she then studied at Level 3. Read Ellie’s story to find out why she thinks MK College helped her to get into a career that she loved and her advice to anyone looking to develop a career within the Creative Arts.
Meet Ellie
“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school, as I knew I didn’t want to go for Sixth Form because it didn’t seem like the right path for me. Studying at Milton Keynes College let me focus on the courses that I enjoyed and ended up loving, and that I quickly saw a future career in. The skills I have today were all learnt through both of my courses, and are too long to even list. All I can say is that my mindset and perspective changed entirely after studying here, and for the better.
My favourite memory of studying Graphic Design at MK College was definitely my tutors, as they always made sure that we enjoyed ourselves and had fun as we were learning. I was excited just going to class as I knew that they were the ones teaching me – they were more like friends than just tutors and made you want to learn more. It was even more enjoyable when I was learning the valuable skills I still use today with the best tutors I could have ever asked for. My tutors supported me with everything I did, whether I struggled with some deadlines, something new to learn, or even simple things such as having a bad day. They made sure that they motivated me to do the best I possibly could and it ended up working and paid off in the end.
Because of this, I ended up getting the “Star of the Future” award just after I finished my Graphic Design course, which then motivated me even more as they saw potential in me that I didn’t see myself.
After I finished College, I had unconditional offers for Graphic Design at Nottingham Trent, Northampton and Leicester Universities! But going to uni didn’t feel right for me, as I wanted to go straight into the industry I fell in love with. I knew then that I wanted to involve my Graphics with Digital Marketing, so I started looking for Digital Marketing Apprenticeships. During the first COVID lockdown, I focused on looking for an apprenticeship in Digital Marketing and after 2-3 months, I had an interview at Buckingham Ford for a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship, and I have now been there since December and it’s been absolutely amazing.
I am learning the ins and outs of Digital Marketing and even include my Graphics work in any way that I can, as they love my creative eye – I create banners, leaflets, advertisements and many more things for the dealership. I have even redesigned the logo for Bicester Ford – who we work with, which are now known as Bicester Motor Company. The logo is now on courtesy cars, the building and on social media, I managed to complete the redesign within the first couple of weeks working there, which is something I’m really proud of.
I also still do my own Graphics edits for my own portfolio for fun, and even do freelance work. I can definitely say that MK College helped further my career as I would not have the job that I have today if it wasn’t for the courses I studied. Without the skills I learned there, I am not too sure where I would be today and what I would be doing.
If I can give any advice to anybody who wants to join the Arts Industry, all I can say is this – if you feel as if it’s the right path for you like I did, then do it. There are a LOT of opportunities out there within the Arts Industry where you can do amazing things. I go to a 9am – 5:30pm job that I ADORE and I even get excited to go to work. Do something you love, then it will feel as if you’re not working at all.”
You can view more of Ellie’s work on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. If Ellie’s story has inspired you to get into a career in Graphic Design, take a look at our courses now and apply!
https://mkcollege.ac.uk/courses/art-design/graphic-design-advanced/
