Name: Victoria Pater
Title: Visual Design + Branding Specialist
Website/Blog: letusgetfancy.blogspot.com
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I attended Ferris State University for Graphic Design. Their bachelor’s program is housed in the College of Business, so students gain skills that will help prepare them for the real world. I believe we started out with 65 freshmen and graduated with a tight knit class of 15 students. From there I took a job at a small design firm in Lansing. It didn’t turn out to be the kind of workplace I could grow in, so I reevaluated what I wanted out of my career.
Tell us about your current job.
I am currently working as a Visual Designer / Brand Specialist at a forex trading company. We recently went through the re-branding process and are trying to bring both the web and print materials up to par. There is talk of changing up the navigation and creating a better user experience for new and existing clients. We currently have offices in New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Sydney. I hear there are a few more opening up elsewhere this year. Our headquarters is in Grand Rapids, so we handle all the design work. I am extremely interested in the different cultures we market and hope I get the chance to visit and fully explore…you know, so I can better serve them!
What does a typical day look like for you?
coffee > check email/blogs (inspiration!) > update to-do list/set daily goals > get to work (web, newsletter, banner ad, advertisement, training videos) > meet on concepts/progress throughout the day > home > freelance/relax
What kinds of documents do you produce?
I do both web and print, so I worship the Adobe Creative Suite. Last week I put together a terms & conditions document for a trade show in the UK. This week I have website enhancements on my list and an in-house newsletter. My tasks vary, which is a huge bonus.
What communication skills are needed for your job?
The ability to communicate and share your ideas within a group setting is necessary, especially in marketing. We IM each other throughout the day to keep things moving, but are encouraged to get our butts out of our cubes and talk one on one about stuff too.
How did you prepare for your job?
I started by making a list out of the things I wanted in a job. I also tried to figure out what I was best at, what I wanted to learn, and the kind of environment I thought I would thrive in…looking back, it sounds kind of selfish! I went ahead and designed a personal identity based off of that. I marketed myself as a fresh designer and landed a job soon after!
List three of your favorite professional resources/references/tools and tell us why they’re your favorite.
stumbleupon.com
I always stumble across interesting/inspiring sites. I can also forward to friends, who in turn forward sites to me. It is great tool to get the creative juices flowing.
twitter.com
I have a network of people to bounce ideas off of. Basically, I consider this almost instant feedback. I have also met up with my “tweeps” on more than one occasion. Twitter sounds dirty, but is a great networking tool.
Google Reader
I can organize my RSS feeds and quickly read the things I enjoy. I star the stuff I like and refer back to later. It also helps me stay in the loop in the blog world.
How do you stay up-to-date in your field?
READ and socialize. Never stop learning.
How would you define professional writing?
Something I let other people do 
I write what I can, then send a draft over to Shauna for feedback. She is the master, so I let her do her thing!
Do you have any tips to share with other professional designers/writers/editors?
Yes, interact with one another! One of the best things I have ever done was join Amplifx. I moved to Lansing not knowing anyone, but helped develop and launch this non-prof community magazine and got to know a ton of great people. Working with writers is one of my favorite things because they generally know what’s up. Basically, I love creatives. Surround yourself with inspiring people and good things will happen.
Tags: In the Workplace