Meet our September Client of the Month: Pedro Nuñez!
Pedro Nuñez is a 21-year-old designer from Venezuela who moved to Quebec two years ago. He started his job-searching journey after quitting his position as a fast-food worker. Despite his desire to pursue his passions; the weight of navigating a new country, living alone and perfecting two languages took away his motivation for career planning. After hitting a roadblock due to burnout, Pedro decided to take a risk and focus all of his energy into shifting gears to the Graphic Design industry. Of course, the first step wasn’t necessarily art-related, but rather, to improve his employability skills.
YES: When did you start your employment journey and what were some of your goals when you started?
Pedro: I started looking for employment in November 2023, with the main goal of simply improving my quality of life. Securing stability in a long-term position with better work-life balance was of utmost-importance for my mental health. I always wanted to get into the creative field, so working in a place where I could nurture my creative skills and learn new things was equally high on my checklist.
YES: What stage are you at now? What have been your greatest achievements?
Pedro: I am currently employed as a designer at Presentation Matters, where I mostly do motion graphics! It’s been exciting to collaborate with a team of creatives with different skills, taste, and experience. I learn something new from every interaction, and the workplace has been welcoming and supporting, which I appreciate a lot.
In just a couple of months, I’ve learnt and familiarized myself with the Adobe Creative Suite, building on existing knowledge and complementing my art-related skills. I’m proud to be able to tackle new creative challenges now, both at work and in my personal projects.
YES: What were/are your biggest struggles?
Pedro: I struggle a lot with self-confidence, so it takes me twice the amount of effort to jump into new opportunities if I’m not overly-prepared. That, combined with the vulnerability I feel when speaking foreign languages, kept me away from putting myself out there and pursuing my passions. There’s a long road ahead, but I’m slowly changing that mentality and appreciating the successes and unsuccess’s of facing new and exciting challenges in life.
YES: What was the problem you were experiencing before you came into YES?
Pedro: Before joining CREATE, it had taken me a long time to jump out of a period of burnout, and even longer to decide what to do next. I didn’t feel capable of securing a job in a creative field, so my job-search started extremely bumpy and disorganized. The proposal of the program, that of allowing aspiring artists to learn and get real work experience without any demanding expectations, made a world of difference for me and replaced stress with motivation in my mind.
YES: What did you find as a result of using our services? What was the best thing about it?
Pedro: I feel like navigating the job market (of any industry) alone can be complicated, if not demotivating, so I think YES Montreal’s services are extremely valuable. For one, I gained a lot of confidence in my CV-building and interview skills, which were the things I was the most hesitant about before starting to job hunt. Learning about the province’s work culture, managing stress and overall work etiquette was also important to me.
Above everything, I am also super thankful for the opportunity I got to have real-life experience in the industry, and seeing my accomplishments and those of my fellow cohort members also boosted my confidence and motivation throughout the whole program!
YES: How do you feel about the service you have received from YES?
Pedro: I couldn’t be more thankful for them! I obtained so many new skills and I learned a ton from the CREATE team and the other participants. On top of the diverse workshops and guests we got to know throughout the last couple of months, I also appreciated the sense of community that formed around YES and their genuine care for our success. I’m proud of where I am right now and I feel better prepared to continue my personal growth.
YES: Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?
Pedro: I’m still amazed that a program like CREATE exists. I dearly hope that more people can benefit from it and YES’ services in the future. I want to thank Amina for her perseverance, attention and care throughout every challenge and Molly for welcoming me into the program.
I’ll cherish my time here for a long time, and I’m incredibly grateful for the wonderful people I got to share the experience with and their support from beginning to end. The program gave me the little push and direction I needed and getting to see the other cohort participants bloom and express their creativity in their own unique ways was beyond fulfilling for me. Thank you!
For more information about our CREATE Program, click here.
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