My Grown-Up Job

As of yesterday, I've been a full-time employee for an entire year! (Get at me, 401k.) My official title is "Communications Specialist" which translates into graphic designer, social media manager, website designer/editor, photographer, marketer, event planner, copy editor, occasional copy writer, and sometimes a lot of other things due to the nature of the nonprofit life :)

In my first year in the working world, I...


Designed two issues of the Spectrum
(our magazine with a circulation of over 20,000. Third issue is currently in progress!)





Designed our 2012 annual report (and the 2012 issue of the Camp Chronicle, not pictured)





Designed over 150 graphics for our Facebook page
(the most popular of which was shared 500 times and seen by over 50,000 people)





Grew our number of Facebook fans by 67%

Launched a Pinterest page and an Instagram account for our organization





Designed over three dozen email blasts sent to over a quarter of a million people combined





Designed my first billboard (with a second currently in progress)

Assisted with the massive redesign of our organization's website
 (and contemplated changing careers due to the nightmare of said project)





Helped to plan and execute the largest autism conference in North Carolina

Attended (and photographed) World Autism Awareness Day
at the oldest and largest camp for individuals with autism in the world!




Photographed numerous other fundraising and awareness events
 

I also:
  • Earned the nickname of "Comma Queen" due to my grammatical standards & copy editing skills
  • Developed a love/hate relationship with PMS 361 (the green color used everywhere)
  • Convinced my boss to give me a quarter every time he says "workflow"
  • Gave the Why We're Not the Same as Autism Speaks speech approximately 3 billion times
  • Learned to speak an entirely different language consisting of ABA, LME/MCOs, CQL, MHDDSAS, ASD, HFA, etc.
  • Became so overly-aware/informed about autism that I decided everyone I know is on the spectrum


And... I designed countless brochures, posters, invitations, postcards, T-shirts, banners, signs, flyers, resource guides, advertisements, appeal letters, press release PDFs, grant letters, etc., which is really the bulk of what I do.

One year in the books. One year of doing what I went to college to learn how to do. One year of spending all day, every day in Adobe Creative Suites. One year of working for a nonprofit and knowing that the work I create makes some sort of difference to individuals and families across the state.

To celebrate? A four day weekend! :)


[Other job-related posts: Sketchbook Post: New Job | Design All The Things (1 month recap)]