Megan (Heath) Zietlow ' 21，跨学科研究

在你的职业生涯中，最初是什么让你感兴趣？ 你是如何辨别自己的使命的？

这是一个循序渐进的过程。 I never had a sudden moment of realization, but instead I discovered it slowly over the first two years of Covenant. I came into Covenant as a business major, switched to psychology, and then ended up in interdisciplinary studies (IDS). It wasn't until I switched to IDS at the start of my junior year that I realized my interest in marketing. I added it as a concentration and really enjoyed the marketing classes, specifically the creative/visual side.

After we were sent home for COVID, I had lots of free time to take on hobbies, so I began to play around with design software and watch YouTube tutorials. This is when my realization that I wanted to be a graphic designer hit. 我非常喜欢设计。 My senior year at Covenant, I was able to take Brand Design and Motion Design courses and participate in an internship. All of the experiences and decisions slowly led me to realize my passion to be a designer. Various friends and family needed logos or websites, so at first, I did them for free. From word of mouth and connections, this slowly turned into intermittent paid design work during my last year at Covenant. 我喜欢在不同的项目和不同的客户工作的能力。

从威尼斯人平台毕业后，你的职业道路是怎样的？

毕业后，那年夏天我做了两次实习。 Once these ended, I took a full time position at Material Handling Inc. as a marketing associate. After a year in this role, I realized that my favorite parts were the design/creative aspects, so I took a new job at a startup called Zoe Angling Group as a graphic designer. I loved this job and would have stayed for much longer, but it ended up suddenly going out of business at the end of 2022. 我站在十字路口； I could find another full-time position or I could finally make the leap and try freelance design. I had no idea how long I would be able to do freelance or how I would go about getting clients, but I decided to give it a go. Since then, I have consistently grown my client base through word of mouth, Linkedin, social media marketing, and email outreach. I don't see myself going back to work for a company anytime soon!

现在回顾一下，威尼斯人平台是如何为你的职业生涯或研究生项目做准备的？

《威尼斯人平台》教会了我如何自己学习，如何批判性地思考。 Both of these are essential in the world of freelance. The faculty have supported me in my career by giving me advice, helping me network, and referring me for jobs. Specifically, Dr. Arwen Matos-Wood and Leda Goodman were both so helpful in navigating post-grad career changes and challenges. They helped me create a professional resume, connected me with other professionals, and were the initial reason I have several of the clients that I do today.

你的信仰如何影响你的职业生涯？

在工作中，我的信仰决定了我接待哪些客户，以及我如何与他们打交道。 I take on clients whose companies’ vision/mission align with my personal values. My faith holds me to a high integrity and standard of excellence as a business owner.

There can be many demands and stressful times when trying to manage your own business, but I am thankful that because of my faith I have balance and a clear level of priorities. As a wife and new mom, these two roles always come before business owner because I believe that God has first called me to those positions and second to be a designer.

你会给那些正在考虑威尼斯人平台的学生什么建议？

I would say if you are looking for a faith-transforming experience, close relationship with professors, lots of outdoors activities, and an education that teaches how to critically think, then Covenant is the place for you.

If you are considering working in a freelance capacity, my advice would be to utilize LinkedIn. Maintain a professional profile and then connect with lots of different people, especially those local to where you live. Don't hesitate to reach out to them and ask to grab coffee and learn about their work. A single conversation over coffee aimed at simply getting to know the other person is so amazing for expanding your network and setting yourself up for helpful connections in the future. I would also suggest utilizing internships! I did three internships, and they were so helpful in preparing me for the workplace.

你为什么选择约恩？

I transferred to Covenant after my freshman year was spent at another school where I was cycling collegiately while also traveling around the world as a professional cyclist. Although it was the opportunity of a lifetime and I am so thankful for the chance to travel and race at the highest level, I had spent all four years of high school competing at the cost of Christian community. After my freshman year, I realized that this wasn't something I wanted to do anymore. I chose Covenant because I knew I would be surrounded by Christian community and be encouraged to seek out close Christian friends. 当我第一次参观圣约的时候，感觉就像家一样。 I made the final decision to transfer to Covenant very quickly thereafter.

你在圣威尼斯人平台的时光里有哪些美好的回忆或最喜欢的故事？

One of the things I appreciate the most about Covenant is how much the professors care about the students and want to get to know them personally. During my senior year, marketing professor Dr. Arwen Matos-Wood supervised my capstone project and we worked very closely together for over a semester. During that time, I learned a lot of valuable things from her, but even more helpful is the existing relationship that we still have. We still grab coffee occasionally, and she has been such a support to me professionally.