Virtual Career Series for Creatives

January 22, 2024
Link to Recording

Our panel of experts will provide insights on effectively showcasing your work to employers and clients. Discover how to enhance your portfolio/reel, refine your image, and narrate your creative journey. Gain valuable interview tips to leave a lasting impression leading to job opportunities and advancement.

Moderator: Heather Roth, Career Services Coordinator, RIT Office of Career Services and Co-op. RIT Alumna

Panelists:
Billy Candela  Vox Global, Senior Vice President and Creative Director, RIT Alumnus
David Eckstein  FleishmanHillard, SVP Global Director of Creative and Production Operations, RIT Alumnus
Jon Pastura  Fisher-Price, Industrial Designer
Becca Post   Helen + Gertrude, Founder and CEO, RIT Alumna

Tuesday, January 23
Link to Recording

Join us as industry experts shed light on the evolving landscape where artificial intelligence intersects with creative professions. Discover how AI is reshaping job roles, skill requirements, and the creative process itself.

Moderator: Juan Noguera, RIT Industrial Design Assistant Professor

Panelists: 
Kelly Hurlburt  Adobe Firefly, Sr Staff Designer, RIT Alumna
Stan Kaady  Freelance Illustrator/Photographer, RIT Alumnus
Shaun Foster  RIT 3D Digital Design Professor, Program Director, RIT Alumnus
Jason Theodor  Creative Consultant, MoreBetterDifferent.org

February 27, 2023
Link to recording

Our panel of experts will provide tips for being memorable and suggest how best to showcase your work to prospective employers and clients. You will learn how to strengthen your portfolio/reel and polish your image in order to “tell your creative story.”

Moderator:
Keli DiRisio, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design/Interactivity, RIT (RIT Alum)

Panelists:
Chris Chapman; Lead Artist, VFX; NetherRealm Studios (RIT Alum)
Kyleen James, Digital Anthropologist, Elite World Group (RIT Alum)
Taylor Canby, Design Manager, New Balance (RIT Alum)
Josh Klenert, Chief Design Officer, Bakkt (RIT Alum)

February 28, 2023
Link to recording

Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? Would you like to be in charge of your own business? Learn what it takes to be successful on your own as a freelancer or business owner. Find out how to promote your business or services, deal with clients, and navigate the inner workings of being your own boss.

Moderator:
David Long, RIT MAGIC Center Director, RIT (RIT Alum)

Panelists:
Aaron Gordon, Founder and CEO, Optic Sky Productions (RIT Alum)
Greg Cunneyworth, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Makeway Agency (RIT Alum)
Jeremiah Gryczka, Founder and CEO, Mountain House Media (RIT Alum)
Lindsay Connelly, Owner and Digital Marketing Strategist, Linden Digital Marketing (RIT Alum)

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Link to recording

Young Professionals Panel
What is life like after RIT? Hear from recent RIT alumni on how they navigated their path from student to professional. You will learn how best to set yourself up for success and what to expect in the working world.

Moderator:
Nan Burgess-Whitman, Career Services Coordinator, RIT

Panelists:
Abby Dye, Interaction Designer, Digital Hyve (RIT Alum)
Aimee Spisak, UI Designer, SAIC (RIT Alum)
Alex Hazen, Simulation Development Lead, Shadow Health (RIT Alum)
Clare Mahr, Interactive Designer, Threespot (RIT Alum)

February 28, 2022
link to recording

Our panel of experts will tell you how to be memorable – in a good way – and suggest how to showcase your work most effectively to a prospective employer or client. Pick up tips for strengthening your portfolio/reel and polishing your image. Learn how to talk about your creative process and “tell your story”. Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2022.

Moderator: Christye P. Sisson, CRA, MS
RIT Professor and Director, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences

Confirmed Panelists:

Robert Lee | Adidas Vice President Design, Global Creative Director
RIT Illustration BFA '94

Sarah Bono | Disney Media & Entertainment Design Manager-Platform Design
RIT Graphic Design BFA '14

Corey Hankey | Thinkingbox Managing Director
RIT New Media Design BFA '07

February 28, 2022
Link to recording

Career Talk topic presented by Dean Todd Jokl, College of Art and Design. Dr. Todd Jokl became Dean of RIT's College of Art and Design in 2019. He previously served as Dean of the University of New Haven's Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut, where he was a professor and administrator for nearly two decades. He has a Doctorate in Education (EdD), MFA in New Media and Photography, and a BA in Anthropology. This talk kicked off RIT's Creative Industry Days 2022.

March 1, 2022
link to recording

Put your best foot forward! The advice you get from our panelists will help you prepare for your first job or venturing off on your own. Learn how to make a good first impression, text and email professionally, work with "older" generations, receive feedback, ask for what you want, deal with in-person and/or virtual work challenges, build support and a professional network. Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2022.

Moderator: Bruce Leonard, RIT Adjunct Faculty, Industrial Design

Confirmed Panelists:

Kyra Wilson-Houck | Procter & Gamble Design Director
RIT BFA Industrial Design '14
Cathy Pages | Gannett | The USA TODAY NETWORK Director, Product Design & UX
RIT BFA Graphic Design ‘92
Yu (Jason) Liu | Whirlpool Sr. Industrial Designer l
RIT MFA Industrial Design '13

March 3, 2022
Link to recording

Hear from professionals working in different roles within film, animation, and gaming – learn about the ways this broad industry is shifting, growing, and converging. Pick up insider knowledge about how to become an attractive candidate and methods to break into this exciting industry.This panel was part of the RIT Creative Industry Days Career Talks series.

Moderator: David L. Long, Director & Associate Professor, RIT MAGIC Center / MAGIC Spell Studios 

Panelists:
Dallaslyn Lamb | Art/Work Entertainment Literary Manager
RIT Film and Animation BFA ‘16

Andrea Vestrand | PRG Account Executive, US & Canada

Erin Sarofsky | Sarofsky Corp. Executive Creative Director & Owner
RIT Graphic Design BFA '99

Chris Chapman | Netherrealm Studios Lead Artist, VFX
RIT Film and Animation BFA '99

February 26, 2021
Link to recording for this session

Learn by observing a mock job interview. You will get a real-time look at the stages of an interview, typical questions, effective answers, and a chance to debrief from both the interviewer and interviewee's perspective. Moderated by Nan Burgess-Whitman, RIT Career Services Coordinator. Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2021.

Joe Pietruch Forbes Senior Engineering Manager/Platform. RIT Game Design and Development MS, New Media Design BFA alum

Siobhan Gannon RIT Film & Animation Student, 3D Animation/Tech Artist

February 25, 2021
Link to recording for this session

The pandemic has kicked into high gear the practice of working remotely. Interacting with your colleagues, managing work, and good communication can be a challenge. Pick up strategies, tools, and tips to make this way of working enjoyable and effective. Moderated by Barry Strauber, Owner/CEO of RISING, RIT Lecturer, and RAF member. Part of RIT's Creative Industry Day 2021.

Sarah Casale Optic Sky Productions Motion Graphics Artist/Associate Producer/Office Manager/HR Manager, RIT Graphic Design alum. RAF Board Member

Liz Chatterton The Article Group Copywriter. RAF Board Member

Josh Lowery Makeway Director of Operations/Co-Founder. RAF Member

February 24, 2021
Recordings for this Panel:  Podcast/audio version | Interpreter spotlighted version.

Is social accountability important to you? Learn from our panelists how to identify and support organizations that balance purpose and profit. Hear more about a global movement of people using business as a force for good. Moderated by Keli DiRisio, Assistant Professor, RIT School of Design. Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2021.

William Colgrove Threespot (B certified Corp.), Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. RIT Graphic Design alum.

Seth Eshelman Staach (B certified Corp.), Principal & Founder, RIT Industrial and Product Design alum.

Tobi Saulnier 1st Playable Productions (B certified Corp.), CEO.

Kristen Clauss Butler/Till, (B certified Corp.), Finance Director

February 22, 2021
Link to recording for this session (Starts at timestamp 28.00)

Panelists will tell you how to be memorable – in a good way – and suggest how to showcase your work most effectively to a prospective employer or client. Pick up tips for strengthening your portfolio and polishing your image. Get advice about how to do well in an interview or networking situation. Moderated by Gretchen Burruto, Assoc. Dir. Career Services.

Maury Postal Ketchum EVP, Executive Group Creative Director, RIT Graphic Design, Marketing alum

Rick Barrack CBX Founding Partner & Chief Creative Officer, RIT Graphic Design alum

Lauren Shapiro Work & Co Design Director, RIT New Media Design alum

Nishat Akhtar Instrument Associate VP Creative

Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2021.

February 22, 2021
Link to recording for this Kick-Off & Keynote (ends at timestamp 26:15)

Dean Todd Jokl, RIT College of Art and Design
It’s not just majoring in a creative discipline and experience with technology that prepare you for the career journey you are about to embark on (although it helps!).  Ultimately, attitude, resilience, and adaptability are what will set you apart.

RIT College of Art and Design Dean, Dr. Todd Jokl, shares the career journey that has taken him from archaeology excavations in Peru, to the dot.com boom and bubble in San Francisco, to leading one of the premier colleges of art and design in the country, right here at RIT.  “Gaining the experience and education provided in RIT’s creative disciplines sets RIT graduates apart.  Equally important is how our graduates combine their education and skills with personality attributes that differentiate them from the pack and enable them to engage in a rapidly changing (and challenging) world.”

Part of RIT's Creative Industry Days 2021.

October 15, 2020 
Link to recording

Whether you already have a resume you are satisfied with, or you are just starting to draft one, our team of professionals will walk you through what makes a creative resume effective and attention-grabbing. For all College of Art and Design majors, all year levels. Visit our Resume and Cover Letter page for more info, download a handy Resume Checklist.

Rochester Ad Week hosted by the Rochester Advertising Federation
September 21, 2020 
Link to recording 

The path from college to a career today is a long journey of the mind with no map. The transition to a first full-time job has always required a mental shift. The career landscape is changing with dizzying speed. Most new hires get little or no career-planning help from their employers, forcing them to make it up as they go. Join us for an interactive panel discussion with seasoned industry pros as they discuss the “transitional bridge” between college and the professional advertising world and how you, as students with amazing raw talent, can be prepared and not scared about your impending deep dive into the postgraduate Advertising world. Open to all majors. 

Moderator: 
Aaron Gordon, Founder & CEO, Optic Sky Productions (RIT Alumnus)
Panelists:
Becca Post, Founder & CEO, Helen & Gertrude (RIT Alumna)
Jeremy Schwartz, Chief Creative Officer & Founder, Truth Collective
Jen Rampe, Group Creative Director, Vine Creative Studios @ Partners + Napier
Pete VonDerLinn, Chief Creative Officer, Flynn

This R/ADWEEK event was conceived in a joint effort with the Rochester Advertising Federation and RIT School of Communication. If you have ideas for additional events that would be valuable for RIT students, please reach out to president@rafconnect.org.

June 16, 2020 
Link to recording

Chris Petescia, Kessel Run Ventures, Business Owner. RIT Alumnus.
Melissa Warp, RIT Professor, School of Design
Keith Watson, Xerox - Senior Manager User Experience Group. RIT Alumnus

• Selecting work
• importance of storytelling and grammar
• re-working past projects
• how to publish and publicize it

June 23, 2020 
Link to recording

Lara Cardoso Goulart, RIT alumna, Industrial Design -Visiting Lecturer
Mitch Goldstein, Professor Graphic Design, RIT
Ruba Tadros, RIT alumna, Creative Director, Monolith Design Collective
Ricardo Figueroa,  Motion Picture Program Chair, RIT
Mary Golden, Program Chair Interior Design, RIT

• Hidden LinkedIn Tools, how to set up a searchable profile, and the best way to ask for and use a connection.
• Nurturing your network and making it real
• Getting advice, insight -- Informational interviewing. Now may not be the time to ask for a job but a connection that will pay off later.
• What platforms are right for me?
• How do I make myself, and my work, look good
• How social media can supplement my portfolio and make me a competitive job candidate

(recording available soon)

Keli DiRisio  RIT professor Graphic Design, RIT
Josh Owen Co-chair Industrial Design, RIT
Ilana Schwartz  Animator/Director, Graphic Artist at Walt Disney Television, RIT alumna

• Sources of jobs: public and hidden
• Researching and targeting companies or agencies
• Using Social Media to uncover openings – hashtags, keyword searches
• Importance of follow up