"This course broke a glass ceiling that I had for myself."

Contents

1. Initial Goals and Expectations
2. Course Effectiveness
3. Skills and Knowledge Acquired
4. Professional Impact
5. Future Goals

SECTION 1: INITIAL GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

What specific goals or objectives did you have in mind when you enrolled in this course?

Grow my skills as a design leader. I wanted to learn how to think about projects from a broader perspective and how to pull together creatives to realize a vision.

What were your expectations for this course in terms of professional development or career advancement?

The hope was that taking this course would give me fuel when asking for a promotion. I was already talking to the leaders at my company about wanting to take on more responsibility but this was putting my words to action and showing them I was taking steps to grow my skills.

SECTION 2: COURSE EFFECTIVENESS

On a scale from 1 to 5, how well did the course help you achieve your initial goals?

4

Can you provide specific examples of how the course content or activities aligned with your initial goals?

Learning how to build a brand deck to showcase a concept is something I've put into practice in my day to day. Previously I was sharing rough concepts to get approval. This has helped me gain buy-in earlier and has given more confidence to stakeholders.

SECTION 3: SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED

What specific skills or knowledge did you gain from this course that directly contributed to achieving your goals?

Learning to push mockups to the next level has helped elevate my project decks.

How have you applied these skills or knowledge in your work or other professional situations?

I am currently building out branding for a big event my company is putting on in Hawaii, and I am creating a deck using the format I learned in the course.

SECTION 4: PROFESSIONAL IMPACT

Since completing the course, have you noticed any improvements in your job performance?

Not specifically in my performance.

Have you noticed any changes in your confidence levels?

No specific changes in my confidence, although as I mentioned previously I think taking this course gave me some confidence in continuing to push for a promotion.

Have you noticed any improvements in your career prospects?

At the end of 2023 I was promoted from a Senior Graphic Designer role to Head of Creative at my company and given a small creative team.

Can you share examples of how these changes are related to your initial goals?

Along with an overall desire to always be growing my skills, this promotion was pretty much my primary goal when taking this course. It paid off.

SECTION 5: FUTURE GOALS

How has this course influenced or shaped your future professional goals?

As I continue to grow in my career, I've learned that leaders only got to where they are because they wanted it and asked for it. Having the skills is obviously the baseline but as long as you are doing good work and generally being a good person, the sky is the limit. You just have to want it and keep fighting for yourself.

Are there any additional skills or knowledge you would like to acquire to further pursue your goals?

Now that I'm managing a team, I think I need to learn more about supporting and motivating them to do the best work possible. Fortunately I have a good team, and a small team, but I'm realizing this is an important aspect.