Enter The Intern

September is here and so is my internship. So far, I felt that my internship is pretty much impromptu. Things did not go the way I planned at all. Yes, partially it's my fault but for the rest of it, I think the world just genuinely hates me. As you may read in my previous journal entries in August (the first update), I said that I am going for internship some time soon but there is a story behind all of that and how it got me where I intern at today.

At the end of last semester, well, actually mid-last semester, I got the chance talked to Natalija from Piktochart about interning at her company during the Behance Portfolio Review Georgetown which she helped co-organized. I have met her previously before at an event similar to wREGA's Jack in The Box Georgetown which was held at Piktochart's office. I have also attended the Global Game Jam event in Penang earlier this year which was also held at the same venue. Piktochart is an amazing company. If you don't know what they do, they develop an info graphic app. Pretty much like PowerPoint but more flexibility. Apart from that, the company's office itself is pretty cool. Trust me, I spent a night there for Global Game Jam. It's the closest thing to Google's office in my opinion. The environment is pretty laid back. It didn't event feel like you're in a office. There is no cubicle here. There is a view out the window for everyone regardless of where you're stationed in the office. After about a week into my semester break, I applied for my internship at Piktochart. There was hardly any interview at this point. Just a test to see whether or not I can come up with a good design using their app. A test in which I failed. No surprise there for me actually. I have already explained my doubts as a designer in last month's update. I took the declination pretty well but what I didn't take very well was the sudden realization that I now have less than a week left to find a place to intern at. The whole process of me sending and replying emails to and from Piktochart took me a couple of weeks. I did in fact sent out other emails to other companies and firms regarding an internship the same time as I asked Piktochart but unfortunately for me, no one else replied my emails except Piktochart which to me, at the time, seems the only possible employer (the other companies didn't put direct contact number on their job listings profiles).

So there I was, a week away from when I am to start my internship with no where to go. To make matters worse, my parents had just paid the fees needed for this semester so I can go for my internship (don't ask why I need to pay to go for internship) on the same morning I received the decline from Piktochart's design team. For once in along time, I lost my cool. Stress tolerance ain't tolerant anything at this point. I became desperate. Reached out to every other job listing websites both known and unknown. Called my seniors who graduated colleges a life time ago for pointers. Messaged anyone I knew who worked in the industry to see if they can help a brother out. And that person turns out to be...

Chun Woei

Yes. My former lecturer. He is absolutely the last person I would go to if I needed help with anything regarding design. Especially if it concerns with internship. I don't really ever want to bother this guy, the one guy who practically knows everybody in the industry. I don't like finding myself relying on this guy's connection and influence. I feel like a leech. Regardless, I was desperate and holy crap. The amount of weight lifted off my chest that morning when he replied to my message regarding my predicament. I was so relieved. Also, I was actually really happy to be working with him. He's cool. He's always the one lecturer who is on your list of "Cool lecturers" and he is on top of that list. Despite being known in the industry (he's a pretty big deal. no pun intended), he is the chillest person I knew.

Right now, I'm already working on a project with him for my internship. Even better, the project is for one of my favorite client and friends, S.I.C.K. I have worked with this band before (also, I am genuinely a fan of their music) and I have known them ever since I moved to Penang. Outside of the internship, I am also working with their drummer, Kevin Liew, who has recently formed a new band called "Write Me Dead". Kevin was previously in a band called "Past-Times and Tragedies". I'm helping him design his first album for Write Me Dead and I've already gotten his approval for it (I've managed to meet up with him and the rest of S.I.C.K recently and hanged out).

I'll end my journal entry here for now. More updates to come for this month.

You can ask me anything on my Tumblr. I'm more active there than on dA.

the-other-user.tumblr.com/ask