i interviewed at places like the martin agency, the stienrich group, circuit city, many places. i remember interviewing at the stienrich group and they told me to work on my portfolio and come back and they’d consider me. i didn’t bring any graphic design tools with me so i went to the art deptartment art store and bought some supplies. then for about 3 days i went to the public library downtown branch and set up shop. they had these huge drafting tables just like in the art dept at college. i would set up shop there in the morning work on my portfolio, then pack up for lunch (i didn’t want my stuff stolen), go to lunch come back and set back up again to work on my portfolio…it was pretty tedious but i was determined. i had alot of strange looks while i was there…some of the library staff was helpful and some felt like it was an invasion into there space. i used the large windows as a light table, hoping not to trip the alarms. i moved furniture around to fit my needs, but i always moved everything back where i found it.
after all of this hard work, i got several more interviews, but no offers. i had spoken with the program director of the boy scout council (remember i’m an eagle scout) here in richmond and got an interview with the president of marketing for signet bank which has 5 eagle scout sons, that was my ticket in. all of that hard work had paid off from when i was young. once in the interview i told them about my story of my travels and determination to live in richmond and be a graphic designer. they were impressed. and they asked would you do it all again and i said yes…without a doubt.
while waiting to hear back from all of my interviews i worked a little internship in lynchburg va at an ad agency. i had no more interviews left to do so i figured if this guy is going to let me work for him for enough money to cover my hotel room, why not. i had nothing else to do anyway, the market was dry. once in lynchburg, i got a hotel room at this place outside of town which was a little vacation spot. my first night there, i was watching tv all by my lonesome and was thinking “what the hell am i doing here?” and i thought well i won’t be here if i didn’t want to be. hum, that was enough reason for me…because i was chasing my dream. i was willing to do what ever it took. so, i spent the week in lynchburg working at the agency. on the last day of my internship i got a call from signet bank wanting a second interview with me. this was my big break. in the interview with signet bank, they asked were i had been since my first interview and i told them and they where impressed once again and i got the job.