Kanishka's Unstoppable Path to Apple Inc.'s MarCom Team

I was introduced to the packaging industry through a one-week course in my undergraduate Industrial/Product Design program. That single packaging design course really caught my interest and there was no looking back after that. I worked in packaging design and development roles in India where I also got my hands on the graphics, printing and pre-press side of the packaging industry.  Only then, I realized that to be a good designer, it is very important to have technical knowledge as well. Because no design is a good design if it is not manufacturable. 

Doing a master’s degree was always a part of the plan but my work experience in India assured that I want to study Print and Graphic and want to build a career in this industry. In India, printing and packaging has always been a male dominated sector and I wanted to contribute to proving this notion wrong. I researched the best print and packaging courses in the US and the Print and Graphic Media Science MS program really excited me. It was the right blend of literature, theory, hands-on work, software and research so I went ahead and applied for it.

At RIT, I gave my blood and sweat to make an impact. I gave my 150% every day in classes, assignments, research, part time jobs and even in various competitions and conferences. As a result, not only did I score a GPA 4 in my last semester, but also got an opportunity to represent RIT in Taga annual conference 2024 and won Best Technical Research for RIT, attend Dscoop Indy 2024 conference powered by HP as a student panelist from RIT and lead the RIT team in Phoenix Design Challenge 2024 conducted by Flexographic Technical Association and our team won 3 awards Excellence in Research, Excellence in Graphics and excellence in Execution. 

Even with this, getting a co-op was not an easy road for me. With all my confidence I went to the Pack Fair 2024 in February which was RIT’s career fair for the department of Packaging and Graphic Media Science. But I guess that was not the day for me as I did not receive a single interview that day. I was heartbroken and felt lost after that. My family, friends and Professors pulled me up and after that I started continuously applying for co-ops and internships religiously, but I received no responses. I still remember my Professor Bilge Altay’s words, she told me that “If all your doors are closed right now then bigger doors are waiting for you to open.” Then in March, I received an email from Apple that I had been shortlisted for an interview. That was a ray of hope for me and then I started preparing for the interview rounds. I had 2 interview rounds at Apple and 2-3 weeks after my second interview, I got a call from Apple that I have been selected for the role of Marcom Packaging Intern at Apple for the summer. I wouldn’t say that it felt like a dream come true because the opportunity I just received was even bigger and beyond my dreams. It felt unreal. 

At Apple, everything felt surreal and overwhelming at the same time to be a part of such a huge organization. Apart from all the amazing work opportunities that I received, one of the greatest values I learned at Apple was the power of humbleness. People even at the most powerful positions at Apple were as humble as they could be, and I think that is what makes Apple what it is. I was working with the Marcom Packaging Team which deals with print production management, research and development and color management for all the Apple products packaging. My role gave me an opportunity to understand production management, suppliers, and printing innovations at Apple. I got a better understanding of Apple approved print process, finishing techniques and substrates. Also, a bit about their suppliers and supply chain for print production. 

The RIT exposure gave me an in-depth knowledge about all the printing technology and even color management which helped me a lot at Apple because my foundation in print was strong. The courses at RIT cover all the aspects in the printing Industry. The Professors are extremely knowledgeable. For people who want to pursue this field will love RIT and the print industry if they are passionate about the printing and packaging industry. The exposure that I received from Apple definitely counts as a major breakthrough for my career in USA. I have been blessed to be a part of Apple. It still feels unreal!