My Experience with Pulse

Working at Pulse has been some of the most fun I’ve had, which is something you don’t really expect people to say about their job. 

I remember wanting to work at Pulse after my first time encountering Issue 004, three years ago. I looked through the magazine, and as an amateur graphic designer who had just started studying, I couldn’t help but admire the work that went into it, hoping that one day I too could create something like it. 

However, I could not apply as I did not have any room in my schedule for a job and was not confident in my abilities at that time. 

Years later, I picked up Issue 007, one of my favorites, and it reignited my desire to join. 

I eventually received a notification through Handshake informing me that there was a position open at Pulse for Graphic Design Editor. 

I was honestly still not confident in my work, and did not have a resume, yet I felt like I could not pass up this opportunity. I quickly made a resume and slapped some random images of my work into a document hoping that it would be enough to showcase my strengths. 

I had doubts that I would even hear back, but to my surprise, the employers wanted to conduct an interview which is something I had not been able to land before. 

Although I was happy, that feeling did not last. 

The day of my interview came and I still had not received an invitation for my online interview. My immediate conclusion was that they changed their mind, and I thought that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. 

I really wanted the job so I gave the office a call. 

Turns out, I was the only one who did not receive the invitation due to an error, so I had to have my interview rescheduled. 

After I finally did get interviewed, I felt like I did well, yet I was unsure of how I compared to other potential hires. I still remember how excited I felt when I received an email less than an hour later offering me the job.

I am so glad I took the opportunity to apply for this job. Although it was rough at first as I had no prior work experience, I eventually got the hang of things and was better able to show what I was capable of. 

I was fortunate enough to have my editor-in-chief at that time help me out and guide me through how Pulse operates as a team. Although I hardly spoke to people if it wasn’t work related when I was first hired, being surrounded by coworkers who I got along with was also extremely nice as I did not feel out of place or unwanted. 

Another plus of this job was that I was also able to learn and improve my skills. Although the whole reason I am a graphic design major is to learn the craft, I feel like there is only so much I can learn in a school environment. I really needed a job to gain the skills required in a workplace.

I do wish I could stay an extra semester as I have not been here long. This Fall 2024 semester, we received a lot of new hires who I am still getting to know better. 

Maybe it is because I did not talk at all when I first started this job, but this semester I have felt the most comfortable around people and I really enjoyed the atmosphere everyone created in our office. 

At the time of writing this, I have no idea where I am going to end up working, but I can only hope that it can match the feeling I have when I am in the Pulse office surrounded by others who made the time working here a fun one.