2024 Update: This photo and blurb were originally released in fall 2017 when I began my first job in finance and started a whole new journey in my life in New York. Prior to this moment, I bounced back and forth as a freelancer for various companies doing graphic design for apparel, sports, and electronics from 2010-2017. As of 2024, I’m currently a graphic designer and video editor for another large bank in Manhattan, and have worked for several other large banks between Goldman Sachs and my current job. The reason why I made such a big deal about this job was because I come from a poor working class family and have no formal education, so prior to this job, I could only get graphics jobs as a freelancer for small companies. Getting hired at this job completely changed my career and life trajectory.
I am officially a graphic designer for Goldman Sachs, through the UK company Williams Lea Tag! As of this week, I’m currently working in New York’s Financial District, across the street from the World Trade Center and within view of the Statue of Liberty! This is a major milestone in my professional career, following a previous year of hardship and uncertainty. Although I’ve been consistently employed as a graphic artist since early 2010 when I migrated from Pennsylvania, the majority of my jobs have been small businesses, short-term gigs, and freelance assignments with little growth potential.
In early 2017, my position at a small office in Brooklyn ended as the company’s sales declined, and during the rest of this year I worked sporadically as a freelancer. While gradually working on my stop-motion animation LEGO Alice in Wonderland video over the summer, I wasn’t able to find a new permanent role as a graphic designer, and had many doubts. Up until last month, I gave serious consideration into moving back to Pennsylvania and starting a photography business rather than constantly sending my resume out in this competitive market. It wasn’t until late September that Williams Lea Tag considered to move forward with my application, where I passed several rounds of interviews and assessment tests to ultimately become accepted for this role at Goldman Sachs.
Now that I work in a major Fortune 500 financial institution, this opens up a lot of doors for the future and completely alters the course of my career potential.