At OES, we believe in investing in the future and that starts with our interns. Our interns bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the table, and we value their contributions to our teams. Not only do they gain valuable hands-on experience in their field, but they also have the opportunity to work on real projects and make an impact on our company.
In this blog, we chat with Jordan Giles, a Junior Digital Designer who is currently completing an internship in the Digital Learning Specialist team.
What are you studying at university? How do the responsibilities of your role relate to your studies?
I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Communication Design (Honours), so gaining experience working in a team of graphic designers has given me the opportunity to put the design knowledge I’ve built throughout my course into practice.
What made you choose OES to do your internship?
I’m currently studying at Swinburne University and built into my course is a one-year industry placement. OES is one of the hosts, and that’s where I was offered a position. I am now almost halfway through my placement.
What responsibilities are given to you as an intern?
- Creating bespoke graphics and interactives to be used in courses across all partners.
- Managing incoming briefs for one of our partners, as the design representative for our team.
- Working on internal projects for OES.
What skills have you gained from the experience?
One of the major areas I’ve been able to develop so far is my professional soft skills, such as communicating and collaborating with both other designers and people without a design background. I have also had the experience of working with overseas team members, which has been valuable in building time-management skills.
What are your goals after completing your internship?
I will complete my last semester of university, then see where my career goals lie and what opportunities are available to me.
Have you found that your mentors have been supportive during your internship and towards your future career?
My mentor has been extremely supportive and accommodating in my time so far, as well as the rest of the DLS team. Many of them have come through an industry placement as well so understand what the experience is like.
What do you like the most about working at OES?
One of the standout things about working at OES is how supportive and collaborative the environment is, whether that be sharing workloads or having someone offer to teach another team member a new skill that will elevate the work we put out.
How do you combine your studies with your internship commitments?
As my placement is built in to my course, I have Fridays allocated to me to attend classes and work on coursework and assignments.
What does the future look like for you?
I’m really excited to continue exploring different avenues of design and build on the skills I’m learning at OES and university.
