Tracy Perkins

Graphic Design and Brand Development

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belray

With A Little Help From My Friends

After feeling totally unproductive yesterday I got a phone call that turned the day into one of my most promising in terms of employment in months.Yukiko called to let me know that there was an opening at Snapfish for the Creative Marketing Manager position and was curious if I was interested. Considering that marketing that leans more toward advertising is my strength and what I have primarily worked in I was more than interested. My time with Unitrans and Bel-Ray both revolved around marketing and advertising with a dash of design. The design background helps me to better understand who I am marketing to and how I can go about reaching them most effectively. 

I have to say that I am incredibly greatful to Yukiko for the referral. More than once she has helped me find out about jobs and has always been a huge encouragement and support when it comes to me finding something other than Starbucks to work at. It just goes to show that you should be greatful for your friends and them looking out for you.
Later in the evening when Jake got home, he had a listing of open positions at Eleven, Inc. that they were hiring for. Eleven Inc., being the advertising company that his company, Ntropic, partners with from time to time. So even more good news on the job front. Especially since Jake knows people at Eleven Inc.

So now less than a day later I have an interview set up for tomorrow and a bunch of job leads to follow up on. Wish me luck!

Bel-Ray Brings It

Finally, after putting up with all of the non-design, spreadsheet printing and other things I finally have control over a complete design project for Bel-Ray. I’m getting to make all of the press releases, VIP invitations and posters for the big AMA Supercross race happening here in SF at the end of the month. I’m stoked! That and it has been so long since I actually designed anything my ideas and work flow are a bit rusty. (Bad Tracy, bad!) However, with some time and caffeine fueled inspiration I have come up with a design that I think is pretty cool. Now we’ll just have to see if everyone else like it. I know I’m supposed to incorporate the “Bel-Ray Hell-Ya” logo into it, but it’s so hard to use. Anyways, enjoy my initial design. We’ll see if it stays this way or gets changed around.

Returning To The Hunt

The time has come. I need to find a new job. Bel-Ray is closing its office here in the City and I’m over Starbucks. So with Yukiko’s encourgement, I have been spending my spare time applying for jobs. (A side note—I love Yukiko as a roommate for encouraging me to do what I know I should do. For instance, last week she got me to stop being lazy and paint for the fist time in months.)

Some of jobs I applied for included a graphic designer at a bio-tech firm here in Emeryville all the way to working as an exhibition designer doing signage for the California Academy of Sciences (This one would be so cool!) So I’m excited. I also managed to finally make a package with my resume and some samples of my work that can easily be sent out.

All in all, I think I’m going to be able to make my new goal of getting a new job by the end of the year.

How’s My Internship? Call 1-800-AWESOME

It’s now been almost a month since I was hired by Bel-Ray Company, Inc. to be their graphic design intern and thus far I’m loving it. My office is small—there are only four of us—and it is out in Petrero Hill where things just seem a bit more chill than other parts of the city. I love that I still get excited coming into the city everyday for work. So far I’ve been working on a variety of projects ranging from wall charts to help the sales guys explain the product to decorative posters for the Bel-Ray display in a dirt bike shop in Illinois. One of the bigger and more exciting things I am looking forward to doing is arranging and setting up festivities in Las Vegas for the AMA Supermoto finale in November. All in all I think taking this internship was a good move on my part.

Mission: BelRay Internship—Accomplished

I finally made my first major step to becoming a creative professional: I landed a design internship with BelRay Company, Inc. They are the leader in high performance lubrication technology, and while I know that could possibly sound kinda dirty, they deal with motorcycles, marine equipment, and heavy machinery for manufacturing and mining. And as party of my internship I might have to go to trade shows and motorcycle races. So I’m stoked.

And seeing as this in an internship (it’s only 10-15 hours per week), I plan on continuing to work at Starbucks for the duration of the internship. However, if they want to hire me full time then I’m totally there. I really like Anna and Scott with whom I interviewed yesterday and that makes me glad as I’ll be working primarily with them.

Pending a pre-employment drug test and other hiring paperwork, I should be starting next Thursday.. And since I’m still living in Oakley, I’m going to have to commute for a few weeks until Yukiko and I move to Emeryville. Gah, I’m so excited!