glimmeringly Year Graduated: 2022
http://asideofbooks.com/2017/06/01/summer-is-coming-that-means-rbms/?relatedposts=1 Current job role / job role you are pursuing: Talent partner: Outreach and Inclusion

1. What did you want to be when you were little?
I wanted to be an artist. I thought it was really fun to get myself all dirty and covered with colours. But I have always been fascinated by animation and I never thought that I would actually be in this industry, as at that point I believed that animation was made by fairies. As I grew up I never went back to questioning how animation is made until I started researching university degrees. When I learnt that there is such a thing as an animation course, it all made sense!

2. What made you choose your degree course and university?
I really enjoy drawing and writing stories and I thought that studying animation would be perfect because it combines both. My reason for choosing NUA is because it has a small community where students get to have a lot of 1 to 1 time with their tutors and get extensive feedback. Besides that, Norwich is small enough that it is not overwhelming, but big enough to always keep me inspired. It is a great place to start if you know that you are scared of big cities but one day you want to move to one.

3. What were the positive / challenging aspects of studying your subject area?
As I have lived my life in Syria prior to my university studies, I had no IT knowledge whatsoever. I never owned or used a computer before, so deciding to specialise in CGI was a big challenge. But nothing is impossible! The university provided me with all sorts of technical support and workshops that made it possible for me to do well on the course.

The positive side of doing such a course is the mind-blowing ability of creating something out of nothing and being able to tell a story with it.

4. What has life been like post graduation? (or post hand-in as you've not yet graduated! 🙂
Amazing!! I moved to London right away to start working at Framestore. I was surprised to find out that the industry is even more amazing than talked about. I feel very inspired and grateful for the opportunity. Also being able to take part in making the industry more diverse and inclusive gives me a purpose and makes the experience more meaningful.

5. What advice would you give to a young creative who is interested in studying a similar subject?
I have met many people my age who were interested in studying the same or a similar subject but ended up studying something else because they were scared of not finding a job or getting paid for their skills in the creative industry. So, my main advice would be don't judge the industry by its stereotypes. Do your research about the average salaries and understand the constant growth of the industry before you judge that is not well paid or it does not have many opportunities as the creative industries are one of the biggest and fastest growing worldwide.

6. Do you have any tips for graduating students studying a similar subject?
Don't let the saying 'the industry is very competitive' put you off trying to improve your skills/portfolio and applying for jobs. The competitiveness should encourage you to push yourself harder to be a better and stronger artist. Working on your portfolio and skills does not end with the end of your degree. It only starts!

Where Can We Find You?
Website: Engy Jarrouj (myportfolio.com)
Social media links: Engy Jarrouj | LinkedIn