Our Kickstarters: What We Did Before
In recent months, Eve Waldron Design has been proud to support the UK Government Kickstart Scheme, aimed at helping 16-24 year olds get their foot on the career ladder and gain work experience while earning. Although the scheme ended this month, we still have many of these new young workers with us, both in person at the studio and remote working from across the UK. As they have become key members of our thriving team, we'd like to take the opportunity to let them introduce themselves and talk about their experiences so far, as well as what lead them to finding their Kickstart roles.
Amber - Customer Service and Marketing
When I was 18, I went interrailing through Europe visiting 10 major cities in the space of 35 days. It was the first time that I’d been away for longer than a week or two without my family and I caught the travel bug hard. I wanted to see as much of the world as possible. I started off making my savings working as a waitress, but taking smaller trips across Europe didn’t keep me satisfied for long. When I was 20, I decided to take the leap and do yoga teacher training in Kathmandu, Nepal. I wasn’t ready for the adventure to end so I just kept going through Asia until eventually, I reached Melbourne, Australia and kitted up there for 2 years. In Australia, my love of novelty got me far as my visa only allowed me to stay with a company for a maximum duration of 6 months. I was able to try out lots of different types of work from more hospitality to agriculture to fundraising for NGO’s, which ended up being my favourite.
Ultimately, my visa did have to come to end and by that time I was ready to take a break from travelling and come home. I’d always had a keen interest in Architecture as a young person and doing Psychology in school gave me a deeper interest into the way that space can affect, encourage, and support us. At the root of it all, I value the importance of appreciating and cultivating beauty. Having a slightly eclectic CV wasn’t going to be a massive advantage so I was excited to find out there was kickstart scheme that could give me a nudge in the right direction and landed me such a brilliant opportunity. The great thing about working in interior design is that there are so many facets to it that it almost feels infinite. Working at Eve Waldron Design is an absolute pleasure as I am in a constant state of learning and progressing with an inspiring group of individuals. It really is an exciting time for me.
Tom - Architectural Visualiser and Web Management
Having graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Architecture, I wanted to branch out and experience other elements of design work before deciding whether I wanted to continue in the field. I specialise in hand drawing and rendering, so I looked for a role where I could apply this while developing other skills – particularly in website design and management. I applied to the Kickstart scheme to look for an entry into these careers, where I found a position with Eve Waldron Design. After a Teams interview with Eve where I talked through my portfolio, I visited the Office and met her in person along with some other members of the team. I especially enjoyed the studio-like environment that came with all the material swatches and samples.
So far, I’ve been working on several projects – building interior models in SketchUp to generate views for rendering, and assisting with the maintenance of the website with a focus on furniture pricing. I’m thankful for the chance to develop my skill in new areas and look forward to continuing to do so.
Elise - Junior Interior Designer and Marketing
Prior to joining Eve Waldron Design, I studied Interior Design at Edinburgh University’s College of Art. Whilst the mandatory courses focused solely on interior design, I enrolled in other design related courses including product design and technical based courses. I graduated mid-2021 and quickly began a short-term job in a local furniture store. However, it was proving difficult to get a design job when my contract ended.I signed on to the Job Centre and managed to land a Kickstart role with Eve Waldron Design.
Once I sent over the relevant documents and portfolio samples, I participated in a video interview with Eve who described the business, projects, and day-to-day schedule for staff. Based in Glasgow, I work remotely for Eve Waldron Design as a Junior Interior Designer. Having only experienced designing commercial and educational interiors, I was interested in the company as most of the projects are in the residential category. My main tasks have been to market the company, edit the website and research similar brands/showrooms to compare with what is sold on ewop. I am satisfied with my role as Junior Interior Designer and believe that my 6-month placement at Eve Waldron Design will lead to long-term employment within the design industry.
Shannon - Graphic Design
Before I joined Eve Waldron design as a Graphic Designer, I studied Visual Communication at London Metropolitan University’s School of Art, Architecture & Design. At the time, my practice was focused on illustration and publishing, but having graduated during the first lockdown in 2020 I found myself feeling burnt out and unable to find many job opportunities that worked for me. I signed on to the Job Centre and eventually found a Kickstart role with Eve Waldron Design.
During the interview process, Eve herself brought up lots of design projects she was hoping to get off the ground in 2022 and I was excited by the prospect of assisting in any of them. After a video interview and two in-person meetings at the office with Eve and other members of the team, I started working here in February. So far I’ve turned my hand to design processes I’ve not tried before and quickly found my confidence with encouragement from my co-workers, who I hope feel supported in return. So far, I’m really happy in my role, and hope my placement with EWD will lead to greater things.
Sara - Graphic / Web Design
I’m Sara, an illustration graduate from the West of Scotland. Before starting my position at Eve Waldron Design, I had just left my degree course and was looking out for an exciting opportunity to create a foundation for my future career and to get real industry experience that had been harder to find since the pandemic. Applying to the Kickstart Graphic Designer position at Eve Waldron, felt like the right first step. I saw the opportunity to work on interesting and fast-moving projects, expand my portfolio of work and get some real insight into industry practices.
Since taking the Kickstart role I’ve had the chance to really challenge myself, gaining self- confidence and learning new skills that I can take on to future positions. I’ve worked on a variety of projects, seeing new ways I could apply my skills. Getting to be part of the team at Eve Waldron Design has been great, even while working remotely, everyone really comes together to create a well-connected, supportive environment. The Kickstart role has had real support for personal growth and will set me off on the right foot in competitive hiring market. I’m really glad that I applied for this role and think overall it’s given me more scope for where I want to go in future and the skills to get there.