Graduate 3.0

On May 7th, 2009 Cg6 Inc. hosted the third annual graphic design graduate conference, a night for creative portfolio review, held at the Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto.  Present were 36 marketing and communications agencies, as well as over 100 recent graduates from all over Ontario.

Graduate 3.0 has been around since November 2008 with a goal to establish a two-way conversation between agencies and graduates.  Although the room was filled with nerves and tension amongst the talent, the graduates relaxed as soon as they realized the calm and easygoing nature of the event – for example, the graduates were forbidden from wearing nametags to encourage the confidence necessary in approaching each agency.  The main goal was the placement of as many graduates as possible into internship programs.  As Lauryn Zuk, one of the graduates in attendance, put it, “After four years of being fed institutional knowledge I, like the others, was there hoping to find someone or something to ignite my future, help pay off student debt and get me out from under my parents’ roof.”

As the night went on and people became more comfortable, it became difficult to establish the difference between agency representatives and graduates – no doubt the copious amount of beer assisted with this transition.  After a while, even the shyest of nervous graduates were boldly and fearlessly approaching agency representatives, each with a stacked portfolio in one hand, a beer in the other and his heart on his sleeve.  “For such a bourgeoning industry,” Zuk noted, “it was refreshing to see such an old fashioned networking event.”

Attending the event as an agency representative, I had the privilege of conversing with most of the attending graduates.  In fact, I felt that after about an hour I was being hunted by those who had not yet shown me their portfolios.  I felt their eager eyes on me with each movement, realizing that these graduates were determined to do what they love for the rest of their lives.  They were well prepared and proud of their work, but not above the opportunity that an unpaid internship could provide.  This eagerness made evident the difficult economic situation, but also proved, much to my delight, that there are still people out there fighting with all their might to make their dreams come true.