Salt Lake Comic Con (SLCom) has achieved great success during its first two productions, and while most locals who participate in the event are fans, Salt Lake Community College student Sione Ferrer found a different path: He landed a job with the largest convention in Utah’s history.
Facebook fans are well aware of SLCom’s presence on the social network because of their offers for free passes, but the company rarely offers a job instead of a pass.
“Going back to school gave me more skills; it made me more well-rounded,” says 34-year-old student Sione Ferrer. “That’s what gave me the confidence to even apply for that job.”
When SLCom posted on Facebook that they were looking for graphic designers, Ferrer threw his name into the mix and ultimately came out on top.
Ferrer sent in his application and portfolio in on a Friday, close to the deadline for applicants, and received a call the following Monday asking for an interview.
“[The interview] was like nothing I’ve ever had before – it didn’t feel like an interview,” says Ferrer. “They were really impressed with my layout, my color schemes and everything. It was exactly what they wanted.”
Ferrer almost didn’t get the job once it was offered because he wanted to finish his schooling first. SLCom wanted Ferrer right off the bat working full-time, but Ferrer offered to come onboard after the semester ended.
Ferrer has been a student at SLCC since 2012, and will be graduating at the end of the 2014 spring semester.
Ferrer left the interview after he was told that his situation would need to be discussed with the managers of SLCom. The same night of the interview, Ferrer received a phone call letting him know that SLCom was ready to take him part-time until the end of the semester, when he would be hired on full-time.
Ferrer was put to work straight away; his responsibilities included redesigning their poster, Facebook and website layouts.
“It pretty much took up every time I had that wasn’t school,” says Ferrer. “I’m good at managing my time and I’m good at what I do, so I’m used to working late.”
A hard worker, Ferrer is also a design enthusiast and his previous design work portfolio includes clients like Lumpy’s in Downtown and Highland, Absolute MMA, and various mixtape covers.
“One of the questions they asked me in the interview was if I was into comic books or stuff like that,” says Ferrer. “I said ‘no, I’m not, I just like artwork and layout,’ and I guess that’s what made me standout. To me, what it is doesn’t matter as long as it looks good.”
