Office of Career Design

Connecting Creative Practice to Professional Impact

We believe in empowering you to take bold steps in your career, providing you with the tools to explore and embrace opportunities that will enrich both your creative practice and your working life. By graduation, you won’t just hold a degree—you’ll bring real-world experience through hands-on learning such as internships, collaborative projects, and community partnerships. PNCA graduates are adaptable, forward-thinking artists and creative professionals ready to lead, collaborate, and make their mark in the world.

Resources and Support

The Office of Career Design offers a comprehensive range of resources including industry events, workshops, career advising, and access to a vibrant alumni network. Whether you're looking to hone your résumé, perfect your portfolio, or build your professional network, we're here to guide you.

We also partner with local artists, designers, and business leaders who open their doors to PNCA students and alumni for unique learning experiences, such as informational interviews and behind-the-scenes tours. These opportunities allow you to connect with industry professionals and showcase your talents to potential employers. Our robust internship program is another way we help you gain invaluable experience, connecting you with some of the most influential creative minds in Portland and beyond.

A PNCA student talks with an advisor in the Office of Career Design

Workshops and Events

Our workshops cover essential topics like crafting a résumé or artist CV, best practices for cover letters, grant-writing, developing a professional portfolio, and networking. We also focus on entrepreneurial skills, offering intensives on taxes, contracts, copyright, marketing, and accounting for artists. Recent workshops include:

Portfolio to Paycheck
Taxes for Creatives
Marketing and Social Media
Networking for Artists
Interviews: Presenting Your Best Self
Grant Writing & Fellowships
Public Art Commissions
How to Apply: Artist Residencies

We connect students with leading creative professionals through on-campus events and in-class programming. Recent sessions have featured industry leaders from KEEN, Chronicle Books, Museum of Stop Motion Animation, and LAIKA.

A person speaks to a group at a workshop

Launch Your Career

PNCA alumni and students have exhibited in world-class venues including the Venice Biennale, MOMA, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Portland Art Museum.

Recent employers:

Nike
adidas
Adobe
NBC
Google
National Geographic
Wieden+Kennedy
HAPPYLUCKY
Portland Trail Blazers
Oregon Arts Watch
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

A PNCA student hangs artwork in a gallery

Internship Highlight

Argyle:

The Art of Sparkling

The annual Art of Sparkling program, the intersection of science and art, is explored through a creative partnership with Argyle Winery and the Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). The centerpiece of the relationship is the Argyle internship. Each year, three PNCA students visit the Argyle vineyards and winery, then create original works that become the labels for a limited three-bottle set.

A box of Argyle wine with "The Art of Sparkling" label

Real-World Experience with Industry Leaders

For Students:

Finding an Internship

We’re committed to helping you find experiential learning opportunities that align with your career goals. Whether you’re interested in working with artists, advertising firms, animation studios, museums, galleries, or other creative institutions, we’re here to support you in your internship application. Our students have interned with top companies and arts organizations like:

adidas
LAIKA
Nike
Wieden+Kennedy
OMSI
PICA
Portland Art Museum
Seattle Art Museum
Museum of Stop Motion Animation

These opportunities allow you to gain hands-on experience, build your résumé, and make important industry connections. The Office of Career Design is here to help you every step of the way, from finding the right internship to ensuring you get the most out of the experience.

For Employers:

Hire a PNCA Student

Organizations and companies that have hosted our interns and hired our students know they are, above all, creative problem solvers. Our students think like art directors, managing projects from concept to completion while adapting to client and team needs.

How To Partner

Events: Participate in our annual portfolio review in October or attend Focus Week for the Senior Thesis Projects, a perfect opportunity to see our students demonstrate their talents.

Panel Discussion: Share your experience on an industry panel or during a class to help students explore potential career paths and learn about your journey.

Recruit: Hiring? Provide internship, part-time, or full-time roles to our students. From illustration to project management, or graphic design to branding, our students can help you achieve your goals.

If you have questions about hiring a PNCA student or partnering with us, please contact Justine Highsmith, Director of Career Design.

Your Creative Career Team

Director, Office of Career Design
Justine Highsmith
jhighsmith@willamette.edu

Internship Coordinator
Blaire Zeller
bzeller@willamette.edu

Connect with Our

Alumni Network on LinkedIn

Stay connected with our vibrant alumni community by joining PNCA on LinkedIn. It’s a valuable resource for networking, finding job opportunities, and staying engaged with the PNCA family long after you graduate.