Students benefit from Black Hills AAF Student Summit

 Students emerged from the day more confident in their job seeking skills.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be able to have my work critiqued by a very successful designer. The resume prep and the portfolio critique definitely opened my eyes and helped me realize what the real world will be like when I am ready to go find a job in the graphic design field,” said Holli Schmitz of Valentine, Nebraska.

Online tools and communities available for students’ career advancement were also explored.

“I did not know that the job search process had changed so much. It is still all about the connections and LinkedIn has become a very important tool when looking for a job and getting hired,” said Emily Linegar of Chadron.

Alex Coon of Bayard, Nebraska, said he learned how important it is important to be media active so companies can find you.

A session named "Getting Along with the Printer" helped Ashley Young of Gordon, Nebraska, understand techniques that will help her communicate successfully with the printers producing her future projects.

For Troy Fields of Halsey, Nebraska, the portfolio review was the best part of the day.

“I gained so much knowledge about what goes in portfolios, how to appropriately arrange what you have, and how to be overly confident in my work. Overall this event was incredibly eye- opening,” Fields said.