Pros
• Supportive and hands-on mentorship from the leadership team, especially in areas I had no prior experience in (e.g. copywriting and brand strategy). • A culture that encourages learning by doing—building both technical skills and creative confidence through real client projects. • Freedom to explore and develop my own method and style, while guided by clear strategic frameworks. • Cross-disciplinary collaboration between designers and writers to ensure visual and verbal consistency across client collaterals. • Exposure to key tools like Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, and SEO research to support data-informed content and marketing decisions. • Opportunities to contribute to strategy, including message house frameworks, tone-of-voice development, and e-commerce brand storytelling. • A clear belief in “doing good with design”: Crafting powerful visual narratives that resonate with audiences; Simplifying complex brand language for better internal alignment; Gathering community insights to inform strategic decisions; Using AI-powered tools to improve both content creation and design thinking • The founders believe everyone’s growth is measured using the four pillars (Technical Competency, Strategic Thinking, Personal Development, Social Growth & Influence). During our internal review, this frame was used to measure our growth, progress and speed of learning during my time in APT811. This helped me gain better clarity in areas for improvement. • This belief in design as a force for clarity, connection, and smart decisions is instilled in the team, shaping good creatives and thoughtful, competent communicators.
Cons
• Being a small and lean team, there were times I had to juggle multiple roles. This was challenging at first, but it taught me adaptability and ownership. • The onboarding and training structure was flexible, so I had to learn on the job proactively. • The pace could be very intense during busy periods, especially with overlapping projects. This was shared during the onboarding process, which allowed me to prepare and manage my time and priorities effectively. • Some internal processes were still evolving, which meant navigating some form of ambiguity. Still, they welcomed our input that also allowed me to contribute ideas and shape how things were done.