My name is Zack Guerra and I am a graduate of the ACU Art & Design department and junior designer at Canales & Co.. My experience in the design world is a fairly unique one compared to most. First, I got my first (and only) internship without my boss ever seeing any of my work. Second, when I came on as an intern after graduation in 2014, Canales & Co. did not exist. My boss, Jose Canales, was a freelancer, so my job consisted of helping him manage day-to-day needs and basic design tasks. These two facets of my experience helped shape who I am now, and – I believe – could help any student leaving school and entering the workforce.

As I mentioned earlier, I was hired without my future boss ever seeing my work. That’s not because I was so amazing he already knew my name and work. That’s because I was an idiot and didn’t have a portfolio. My boss and I will joke about that from time to time, and I sometimes wonder how I got the job. One day, when Jose was feeling more sentimental, he told me he hired me because of the way I talked to him. He said that while it helps to be a good designer and have knowledge of the programs, programs can be taught – being read more…