During his time at Macquarie, Jermaine Issa, a Bachelor of Design (Interaction Design) student at the Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning has contributed to important projects and enhanced his skills in customer experience design.
Jermaine's journey with the multinational financial group began with a summer internship in the Corporate Operations Group's Digital team, where he worked alongside a small customer experience (CX) team of five designers.
"It's been a really fun year," reflects Jermaine.
"For my summer project, I was the creative lead on a visual identity project which was guided by different research methods," he explains.
This project included card sorting exercises to comprehend perceptions of colour, leading to the development of internal websites and tools to enhance the customer experience mindset across Macquarie's workforce.
"I was pleasantly surprised about the depths and intricacies of design practices and the exposure interns receive to projects which can have large impacts!"
His role evolved over time, allowing him to explore different areas of design, including product and service design.
"Now, one year later, I've contributed to our design system and completed research for Macquarie's internal AI products for our workforce," he says.
The range of opportunities available to Jermaine at Macquarie exposed him to various perspectives and skill sets within the team.
"It's been interesting to observe differences in the way people think and their ways of approaching a problem space — there's always the opportunity to teach someone and always an opportunity to learn from others."
Beyond his design work, Jermaine's experience at Macquarie Group offered opportunities to grow personally and professionally.
"I was heavily encouraged to reach out to employees of varying levels to build relationships, which challenged me as I can be quite introverted!" he shares.
"However, in doing so, I found I've come out of my shell a lot more which has allowed me to immerse myself in the culture of my department and opened up pathways to learn and experience a vast array of design projects."
This newfound confidence led to presenting at university events, participating in panels, and even shaving his head for charity, raising over $19,000 with his team.
Reflecting on how this experience has prepared him for life after graduation, Jermaine points to many ways he has benefited from the experience.
"I’ve learnt about collaboration, pitching ideas, how to engage with stakeholders from different teams, working with engineers and considerations around feasibility. Being able to learn and develop my understanding of business practices is something that has greatly prepared me for after graduation," he says.
"I feel a lot more confident to be myself in the workplace, engage with people whose roles I find interesting and open myself up to learn and grow.”
Jermaine's advice to students considering internships is simple: do it!
"Don't worry if you feel like you don’t fit the skills for a role – there are always opportunities to learn and experience new areas within a company beyond your role and there are so many translatable skillsets that you will develop and learn in an internship.
I feel a lot more confident to be myself in the workplace, engage with people whose roles I find interesting and open myself up to learn and grow.
Jermaine Issa
Jermaine encourages students to embrace internships as a learning opportunity and not to become overwhelmed by imposter syndrome.
“We are here to learn, and your team knows that. Ask all the questions and never be scared to ask for help.”
Jermaine also offers one final tip for students looking to build their professional experience – start working on your portfolio early.
"It is a big task but it is something you can chip away at bit by bit as you progress through your degree and something you will need for many creative-based roles when you apply.”