How a uni graduate swapped economics for a career in graphic design. Meet Chiara.
A design career wasn’t the original plan for Chiara Turchi, an economics graduate who climbed her way up to Head of Creative Operations at 9H Digital. After switching from freelance to her first full-time position in design, Chiara decided she needed a course that would help her strengthen her skills to pursue a career she loved. This is how it happened.
My university education had nothing to do with my passion for graphic design. I began to feel that studying economics and business wasn’t giving me what I wanted so I decided to use any free time I had to learn graphic design and give myself another career option. The idea of working in economics or accounting became less and less appealing, and I wanted a job that would open up different possibilities and give me variety, so I took the decision to let that go, even though I had spent five years completing my studies. Design struck me as a good career path that came with opportunities, and ultimately, it was something that would make me happy and that I would enjoy doing every day. So plan B became my plan A.
I was a self-taught designer, learning from YouTube tutorials, blogs, and experimenting on my own, until I started doing freelance work and eventually found a full-time position in Malta. While I had some exposure to graphic design, I’d learned whatever I needed to learn to complete my freelance projects, so it became clear to me that there were some gaps in my skills. As a native Italian, I was hesitant about learning in English but that turned out to be no problem at all – if anything, it helped me get the technical jargon and improve my language skills too!
Working with more experienced designers confirmed I needed to cover my foundations in a practical way, and that’s exactly what I gained from studying with ICE Malta. I wanted to make sure I learned how to do things properly, cover all bases, and prove myself. To be honest, I was learning graphic design during a very busy period in my life, but knowing that the course was only 10 weeks long made it possible. The whole learning experience was very enjoyable, even though it was sandwiched between a busy 8-hour workday and my evening volley training. And being able to split my course fees into monthly payments made it financially easier on me, especially since I was new to the job.
Even before ICE Malta, I’d chosen an online study programme because I wanted the flexibility, but there’s a big difference between my university studies and my experience at ICE Malta. The reason is that the educator at ICE Malta created a good vibe and an engaging learning environment. My graphic design tutor made things fun, kept us motivated, and established relationships with us. I often communicated and collaborated with other students too. This makes the experience personal, like you belong to a community. It’s the same feeling that I now have in my current position. We’re mainly a remote team, but being online doesn’t mean you miss out on creating meaningful connections with your colleagues.
I began to feel that my university education wasn’t giving me what I wanted. Design struck me as a good career path that came with opportunities. It was something that would make me happy & that I would enjoy doing every day.
CHIARA TURCHI
Head of Creative Operations
