The Fall Mentor Program session is CLOSED. We will be unable to take walk-ins the night of the kick-off event. Please add yourself to the waiting list to be contacted when our next Spring 2019 session begins. Thank you.
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Calling all makers, creators, thinkers, writers, designers, leaders: join us. Learn new skills while teaching old ones. Connect with like-minded professionals—and help connect like-minded professionals. Reach your true potential by helping others reach theirs.
What it is
The AIGA Chicago Mentorship Program is a celebrated gathering of creative people from across disciplines and industries to share insights, experiences and resources while making new connections, exchanging inspiration and even collaborating on a project or two.
It’s an amazing way to get more involved in Chicago’s rich creative community and to gain greater access to the wealth of professional opportunities it has to offer.
How it Works
Sessions of the mentor program are held over the course of 10 weeks on Tuesday evenings. The program meets each week, alternating between your individual mentor groups that have an average of 8-10 participants, and our all-group events open to all Fall 2018 participants.
Our all-group sessions include: a font workshop with Chank Diesel of Chank Fonts; a UX content strategy workshop with Cynthia Gelper; a studio tour; a portfolio review at Digitas; and a wrap-up party to celebrate. We will also have a floating mentor, Loren Greiff from a recruiting background to offer tips on job searches and interviews.
The program is $25 for AIGA members, $50 non-members, and $10 for student members. There is also a hidden cost: your time! We ask that you commit your time to the full 10-weeks to make for the best experience for your whole group.
Participants work in groups comprising a spectrum of creative fields and career levels, organized by shared interest. At our kickoff session, you will hear from the mentors and choose your top three group choices, then assigned by order of registration for the event until each group hits capacity. Here are this session’s topics and mentors:
Portfolio Improvement
Looking for a job or just looking to polish up your portfolio? If you need another set of eyes on your work, this is the group for you. We focus on how to give and receive constructive criticism, portfolios, resumes, and cover letters to help you hit the ground running.
Mentors:
CMY-Kickstart Your Design Career
Finishing school? Looking for a career change? Learn the ins and outs of getting your design career off the ground at light speed.
Co-Mentors:
Be a Better Freelancer
This group, led by a working freelancer, helps those currently freelancing build better skills, or those looking to freelance with ways to get started. From pricing to getting yourself out there, you’ll walk away ready to work for yourself.
Mentor:
UX Design Ins and Outs
Interested in learning about User Experience? Or are you a working professional in UX looking to advance your skills? We will have various UX-focused themes from basic UX skills, design thinking and team collaborations to choose from based on your experience level.
Mentors:
Product Design
What is Product Design (UX/UI)? With a hands-on introduction, you'll learn what product designers do, apply some of the tools and methods they use to solve real product problems, and leave with some cool work to show for it.
Mentors:
Design at Scale
Do you want to learn how to think systematically, create a design system, and work with cross-functional teammates? In this group you’ll learn how to build consistent systems and to facilitate collaboration on your teams.
Mentor:
Self-Care for Creatives
Looking to find ways to thrive in the creative industry, both mentally and emotionally? This group will discuss useful methods that can help you overcome creative roadblocks in your personal and professional life.
Mentor:
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
70% of people deal with feeling like a fraud or unworthy of success in their careers. This is especially debilitating as we regularly share our ideas and advocate for our work. In these sessions, we'll focus on how to leverage imposter syndrome to become better designers.
Mentor:
Making the Leap to an Art Director
How does a designer transition into an Art Director role? How is this title different across different companies? This group will help you make that jump successfully.
Mentor:
Collaborate on a Group Project
Work together with a group of designers to make something awesome! Together you’ll write a creative brief, design, and produce a project in either a digital or print medium. This could be a great addition to your portfolio, a great chance to work with a group of designers, make new connections and make a few friends. Bring your ideas and your creative energy. Groups projects are exhibited at session wrap up party.
Mentors:
How to join
Interested in joining us as a mentee? AIGA Chicago’s Mentor Program is open to AIGA members and non-members. Our Fall 2018 Mentor Program will be open for registration in August 28 at 10am, and kicks off on September 11. If you’d like to get involved as a mentor or mentee, let us know! We’ll add your name to the notification list for the next round. You can always keep up with the program via Facebook and Instagram (that’s where we’ll announce the next kick-off date).
Have questions?
Hit up Mentorship Chair, Jen Lemerand, at lemerand@chicago.aiga.org.
Agenda
6:00 to 8:00 PM – Mentor Program Kick-off
Mentor Program Pricing
Student members $10
Members $25
Nonmembers $50
Code of Conduct
By registering to attend this event, you agree to abide by AIGA Chicago Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct may be found here.
Hashtags & Handles
#AIGAChiMentor
#AIGAChicago
@AIGAChicago
Please consider joining AIGA to support our programs and initiatives.
Special thanks to Special thanks to our AIGA Chicago Mentor Program Committee, Jen Lemerand, Leslie Presto, Megan Jackson, and Eric Irving for helping organize this session, to Rule29 for the artwork, to Perkins+Will for hosting our kickoff, and to Designation for sponsoring this program.
