Since 2016, Constructive has operated a paid apprenticeship program that is a core plank in our commitment to increasing opportunity, learning, and growth for young people eager to build careers in social impact strategy and design. Our “DEI-first” apprenticeships span disciplines and place high emphasis on cultivating careers for BIPOC professionals looking for mentoring, skill-building, and exposure to the experiences that classroom settings can’t offer.
Mentoring, building up the skills and experiences of young professionals, and trusting relationships are essential to career growth and to team success. And as has been well-documented, doing this well during the pandemic has been a challenge for many companies. Remote work has hurt Generation Z because they are given far fewer of the opportunities they deserve to engage in the ways we need to learn and grow. It’s harder to observe and learn by osmosis when you’re not in the room where it happens.
It’s against this backdrop that we’ve been really fortunate to have a structured apprenticeship program in place that gives our team opportunities to mentor—and our apprentices plenty more to learn, grow, and contribute. So, how did we do?
With 2021 in the books, we interviewed our most recent apprenticeship cohort—three outstanding individuals—so that they could share their reflections on what the year meant to them. What were their experiences, where are they headed in 2022, and how has their time with Constructive set them up for the future? Here’s what Molly Fowkes, Queenie Sukhadia, and Felitasari (Tata) Rekso have to say about their year working with Constructive.
Who Are Constructive’s 2021 Apprentices?
Molly joined Constructive as a UX Design Apprentice after graduating with a B.S. in Product Design from Stanford University and an M.A. in User Experience Design from Loughborough University. She loves trail running, film photography, and binge-watching seasons of the Amazing Race.
Queenie joined Constructive as a Content Strategy Apprentice with a BA in English and Psychology from Dartmouth and an MA in English from Georgetown. She is currently pursuing a PhD in English at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and she is also a fiction writer herself, having published a collection of short stories called A City of Sungazers in 2017.
Tata joined Constructive as a Branding and Design Apprentice after graduating this past Spring from Parsons School of Design with a BFA in Communication Design. In addition to also dabbling in illustration, Tata loves drinking tea, photography and gaming.
What attracted you to joining Constructive?
Just like our team, Molly, Queenie, and Tata have very different histories, experience, and aspirations. And within this spectrum of differences, there’s a common theme that binds us— a mission, higher purpose, and values that were a common thread for our apprentices.
Molly: “I was really attracted to Constructive’s mission and their commitment to social impact. I’ve often found that companies’ actions don’t align with what they say they’re doing, but with Constructive, this group is really committed to solely working with clients in the social impact space, which was really exciting to me. As part of the apprenticeship program, I valued the emphasis on the learning within the role; and moreover, greatly appreciated that fellow employees went out of their way to teach me and our apprentices.”
Queenie: “One of the big things that attracted me to Constructive was its mission and the kind of work that we do. That aligned very well with what I wanted to learn more about and with the background I came from. I was already thinking about social justice and equity questions more broadly through my graduate work and I was really interested in content strategy. Constructive represented the nexus of all of those things for me, which is why I felt it would be a great place to apprentice at.”
Tata: “I was really interested in Constructive because of the causes we work for—it was pretty cool to find a design agency that focuses on social impact and nonprofits. I had also been participating in non-profit, student-run organizations, so Constructive’s goals connected with me. As for the apprenticeship, I was interested in it because I didn’t really have much work experience, and wanted the mentorship and guidance aspect so I could grow into a better and more well-rounded designer.”
What are the most valuable things you gained or learned as a Constructive Apprentice?
Because they worked in different disciplines, Molly, Queenie, and Tata each worked in different teams and on different parts of our process. They also worked together, growing alongside each other throughout the year. The result was a combination of personal and professional growth that provided opportunities to put theory into practice.
Molly: “Coming out of school, I had all these skills that I hadn’t applied to or utilized within a work setting. Having the opportunity to start in UX Design, then transition into strategy, and apply much of what I learned in an academic setting to a work setting was really rewarding. When you graduate, you hopefully feel confident in what you’ve learned, but it’s difficult to know whether or not those skills will fully translate when starting out as a young professional. Seeing that I could apply my skills was both validating and exciting.”
Queenie: “Speaking specifically as someone who is getting a doctoral degree, one of the big things for me was seeing an impact. I do a lot of theoretical work and I engage with these concepts in a very abstract way in my program, but at Constructive I could put these things into action and see the results of that which was huge for me. I also learned about all these different functions that go into social impact design and how they come together. For instance, thinking about design and how different stakeholders may engage with a website or a specific narrative that an organization is putting forward; then combining that thinking with thoughts about how content is arranged and ideas are communicated through that website. Seeing how it all comes together to make an impact was really valuable to me.”
Tata: “During my apprenticeship, the Constructive team didn’t treat me like a separate entity because I was just an apprentice, instead I was treated like a full-time member of the team, which helped me to learn a lot. It was really hands-on, and I got to work on a bunch of projects, offer support and work on marketing. I learned how to design faster while also maintaining the quality. I also got to refine my design taste and skill through ongoing feedback from Karla and the rest of the design team, which was also really great and insightful.”
What was a stand-out moment during your apprenticeship?
Molly, Queenie, and Tata were tasked with various client project involvements and internal work during their time with us, and each new involvement meant a chance to be exposed to something new or deepen understanding. Among all of their work, Molly, Queenie, and Tata all remember a moment that stood out to them as a highlight of their learning experience— what some might consider an “aha! moment”.
Molly: “I think the first project I had an opportunity to work on was supporting the Child Mind Institute website redesign, which definitely stands out for me. When I came on, the project was in the wireframing process, and the scope and timeline of the work were far more ambitious than anything I had previously experienced. Reflecting on where we started with those initial wireframes, to working with Doug to build them out—and then to see where it is now and how happy the client is with the work we produced for them is really rewarding.”
Queenie: “Two things stand out in my mind. I think one was learning about content strategy from members of the team. I was really immersed in that work and I walked away with so much. And then also just learning about the field of narrative framing and asset framing. I had worked with narratives but I didn’t know that narrative framing was its own entire research discipline. Really diving into that topic as part of our work was fascinating. I had to think about the different ways in which people think and will be called to action, and I really enjoyed that part of my apprenticeship.”
Tata: “I think being given a lot of responsibility on a project working alongside Karla was definitely a standout moment for me. I designed the cover and all the inner pages for the Institute of Coaching Leading with Humanity Report. It was a great way for me to learn how to create a design based on a client’s needs and feedback, which I rarely had done before. Also just seeing all the different skill sets people on our team possess and how they work together was really inspiring throughout my whole apprenticeship.”
What stood out for you about the culture at Constructive?
The pandemic has created both challenges and opportunities for building culture for every company. Culture is something we’ve always been intentional about—and something we’ve leaned into even more the last two years to keep us connected. From what we heard from Molly, Queenie, and Tata, it sounds like the culture we all create together is doing that and more.
Molly: “One thing that I immediately noticed is that not only is Constructive’s team productive and efficient, there is also a genuine interest in getting to know one another. In our weekly Design Team standups, it always feels like there’s a prioritization of people’s mental health and general well-being—especially with regard to inquiring how people are actually doing in the pandemic. There’s a level of care and interest at Constructive that I would guess doesn’t exist in a lot of other workplaces. That was a wonderful surprise.”
Queenie: “I would describe Constructive’s culture as very collaborative, very explicitly equity oriented, and very focused on lifting each other up and lifting up our clients. I always felt supported during my time at Constructive, like I could reach out and talk to people and they would always be willing to work together and lend me a hand. I think Constructive’s culture really fed into my enjoyment of my time with Constructive.”
Tata: “I think Constructive’s culture is very tight-knit, open and unique. That was surprising to see in a fully remote company, like we’ve had to be. I don’t really know how Constructive does it, but I think the team-based approach, strong communication, and also just the genuine interest in getting to know one another, makes Constructive a really enjoyable place to work and to grow in.”
What’s next for you now that you’ve completed your apprenticeship?
Over the years, apprentices have started long-term careers with Constructive and others have used their experience to move into new and exciting things. And while we’d love to be able to have every one continue to grow with and contribute to our team, one of the best rewards is knowing that our apprentices feel well set-up to take their careers and lives in the direction they want to.
Molly: “I’ve always been really interested in the healthcare space, and next I will be joining a company called Blue Note Therapeutics who focus on mental health in cancer patients, specifically cancer related distress. They’ve created digital prescribed therapeutics specific to cancer related distress, and they’re doing really cool work here so I’m excited to join them.”
Queenie: “I’m currently working on finishing up my dissertation and I’m hoping that will be done by the end of the summer. And then I’m joining Linkedin as a content designer. So I’ll be bringing a lot of those same principles of thinking about how people read and interact with content and how to communicate with words in clear and succinct ways into this new role.”
Tata: “I’m currently packing for my trip back home, and I’m moving back to Jakarta, Indonesia! I’m also in the process of honing my CV and portfolio, and applying to jobs right now, hopefully I will get a job with a similar setting as Constructive.”
What’s your advice for other Constructive Apprentices?
With their time with us now finished, and a new class of Constructive apprentices on the horizon, Molly, Queenie, and Tata offered some advice to the next group of young professionals that we’re eager to welcome into Constructive in 2022.
Molly: “I think the advice I would give is to just ask a lot of questions and take advantage of Constructive’s commitment to teach each other and learn from each other. I know that reaching out to people can feel intimidating because you don’t want to feel like you’re bothering someone, especially in a remote setting. But my experience was that everyone is beyond willing to help out and answer any questions. Time flies by in this role, so I’d definitely focus on taking advantage of every opportunity to learn from those around you.”
Queenie: “Something a team member had me do right when I joined was write down my goals for the apprenticeship which I think really helped me. I identified what I wanted to learn and what I was most excited about. That way we could both find ways to nurture the desires and skills that I wanted to build on. So the advice I would have is to be very clear and explicit about what you want to learn and take away from the experience. That way you can incorporate those things into your time at Constructive.”
Tata: “I would say just be really open to all the projects given to you during your time at Constructive, even if it seems like something you haven’t had much experience in or aren’t necessarily good at. You can always speak up and ask for help, so don’t be afraid to ask questions! And definitely stay engaged with the team and participate in everything Constructive offers too to take full advantage of your time here.”
What did we learn from our 2021 apprentices?
Of course, apprenticeships are a two-way street and the best mentorships help both people grow. For 2021, we so appreciated the commitment and resilience of our apprentices as they start their careers in truly challenging times. How you show up matters in this world, and Molly, Queenie, and Tata showed up like caring professionals and great teammates like people with far more years of experience under their belts than their resumés indicate. That deepened our trust to give each more opportunities to stretch. That’s really rewarding when your goal is to build skills, provide meaningful opportunities to contribute, and advance career trajectories.
We also really appreciated how eager and committed to learning Molly, Queenie, and Tata were. That makes mentoring rewarding because it reinforces what each of us has to share–whether it’s a specific skill or just a professional experience—and that small things we now take for granted are valuable learning for someone else.
And the difference in age between our younger team members and our older ones provides something even more special—the opportunity to connect across generations. It may sound a bit corny, but for a few of us with a bit more gray hair, working closely with Generation Z gives us perspective it would be hard to get any other way. Not only does it add to our own experience and perspective, it gives us an opportunity to see where things are headed. And if we are to continue on our mission to design for progress and a better planet, then we need as much of that as we can get.
A big, heartfelt thank you to Molly, Queenie, and Tata for being an important part of our culture, our work, and our mission. You’ll be missed, but we know we’ll be in touch! And everyone at Constructive is excited to see where your lives and careers take you!
If you would like to learn more about our current open apprenticeship opportunities or just let us know you’d be interested in the future, check out our UX Design Apprentice and Web Development Apprentice openings. Or email us at [email protected] and we’ll save your information for when we have an opportunity that’s a fit for you.
