SapientNitro
The Friday before our Reading Week (AKA uninterrupted work week) began, our class had the opportunity to meet three bearded Web Design alumni from SapientNitro. Brad Huffman, Art Director, Andrew Hodge, Designer, and Aaron Aylward, Jr Designer, came to give us all the details on working at Sapient and what the work world is like after graduation. Their knowledge came to welcoming arms as it is relatively fresh, having all graduated from our program in the last 4 years. With a heavy focus on the culture and core values of SapientNitro, the boys taught us that the perfect fit is essential to the right job.
“Describe yourself as a yoga pose” (Question posed by Dylan)
Brad - Warrior Two
Andrew - Downward Dog
Aaron - Tree
Brad’s LinkedIn reads
"Hey, I’m Brad.
Some people call me ‘Beard’.
Toronto-based designer –
in love with idea generation, branding and design.
Pushing the proverbial envelope is what motivates me.
…Well, that and burritos.
Love burritos. And cats."
Education
Algonquin College - Advertising
Sheridan College - Post Graduate in Web Design
Work History
Beardhuff | 2007 - 2013
The&Partnership | 2015
SapientNitro | 2013 - present
Andrew’s LinkedIn reads
"I’m a web and print designer who gets excited by clean design, clean code, technology and James Bond movies. Most recently I completed the Post-Graduate Certificate Program for Web Design at Sheridan College."
Education
Sheridan College - Graphic Art
Humber College - Graphic Design
Sheridan College - Post Graduate in Web Design
Work History
Royal Lepage | 2013 - 2014
SapientNitro | 2015 - present
Aaron’s LinkedIn reads
"Hi, I'm Aaron and I’m a designer with a passion for web and digital content creation. My roots are in illustration and print design but I'm well versed in many forms of art. I'm also a sushi enthusiast and self proclaimed coffee snob."
Education
Sheridan College - Bachelor’s Degree in Illustration
Sheridan College - Post Graduate in Web Design
Work History
Aylward Design Freelance | 2014 - Present
SapientNitro | 2016 - present
All About SapientNitro
The brainchild of 2 guys from their basement with a few credit cards and an appetite to change the world, SapientNitro began as a dream to have an impact and make a difference. Fast forward to today and the company employs 13,000 people, in 37 offices globally, boasting 20+ years of customer innovation. They work in several different mediums, but are a digitally led company, though the Toronto office is based more in campaign work.
Our Philosophy
Brands need to redefine the way they connect.
Designers as a whole must learn to create worlds, not just ads, sites, and apps. SapientNitro aims to break boundaries where technology and story meet (their mantra according to Andrew), using a storyscape approach. The company created an agency reel to better explain what they do best, watch it now!
Of all the things they could talk about, the SapientNitro team really wanted to boast the amazing office culture. The company is very internally community driven, and makes an effort to support the women on their team through the Women’s Leadership Network, and the LGBTQ community with their PRIDE network. The WLN offers highly valued learning and networking events focused on career development, ongoing discussion forums, and a company wide conversation that celebrates diverse perspectives and leadership styles. The PRIDE network stands for Potential Realized in Diverse Experiences. The network focuses on advocacy and education. Brad himself is a Pride ambassador for Toronto. The company makes a point of reflecting these passions in social work, teaming up with De-Rooted, they used an elevator shaft on their Queen West building to project faces of pride during Pride Week. These initiatives are self-led. As they said, “we’re passionate about this, we love doing stuff and building cool experiences.” In addition to this, SapientNitro participated in Nuit Blanche the year prior. Andrew specifically noted that these were his favourite projects, as they were community driven internally at Sapient.
Beyond advocating social change, the company has a set of core values that determine the day within the Sapient community.
Relationships
Creativity
People Growth
Leadership
Openness
Client-focused Delivery
Sapient stands for connecting people through different roles. They run a Core Value Awards quarterly. They also like to get out of the office together, with the Movember project taking them to a Skate Loft or axe throwing, just to get the conversation going. The jobs there attract a certain person - they’re filling Sapient with like-minded people. The boys said, “It’s almost too good to be true. The weeks fly by because you’re enjoying the work. Your boss is not going to leave you high and dry.” This team environment is something for us students to really look forward to.
From Graduation to SapientNitro
We had the opportunity to hear each hire story and what they like about the company, though it sounds more like each speaker was sought after by Sapient. The company seems to have a clear image of who they need and want on their team and are willing to go after them.
Brad - “I didn’t know much about Sapient, but it was an excellent opportunity that stood out from other offers. [The other offers] felt cold. [Sapient is] friendly, welcoming, warm - the people are passionate. They really foster your growth. Loblaws was the first client I worked on at Sapient.”
Andrew - “This class (Professional Topics) helped me make my decision. I realized that Sapient is more of a friendly atmosphere. I wanted to be able to contribute and do fun things. We have a games night coming up. It’s kind of like the cherry on top that drew me to Sapient. They want to make sure you’re happy with what you’re doing. They do their best to cycle people through a bunch of different work so you’re not bored.”
Aaron - “Sapient had the most friendly people. They were more open about talking and getting to know you, whereas at the grad show, most places were more business oriented. I was drawn to their workspace, the people, and that they wanted to hire me. It was a smooth transition. They do a Safe Start program where they train batches of new employees. It never feels like you’re [in the office] too long”
Getting into Sapient
The key to getting into Sapient lies in your person, along with your skills of course. They look for someone who is a cultural fit, aligning with their core values, and want to know how you would align yourself with their prime focuses. They seek someone who is passionate or interested in getting involved in their initiatives like Movember and Pride. Each person is different but they’re interested in how well you do in the interview. You can go through 1 or 5 interviews. It’s all a matter of how well you fit in or what their open need is. Your portfolio should house your best work, but if there’s something else that you’re super passionate about, put one or some in. Less is more. While we’re in the program, we need to make sure every site that we build counts. Andrew also reminded us, “Don’t be a [jerk]. So many people think they’re hot [stuff], it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the industry, you’re always learning.”
The conclusion of the conversation that week was that the job you take should be something you’re passionate about with people who share the same values as you do. Maybe an agency won’t come running after us like SapientNitro did for them but having drive will help you get where you need to be. They said, “Whatever you’re most passionate about, just drive towards that.” They also shared the value of the Web Design program to them in their positions, and while they don’t really code much, it helps to know the code when designing so that you can communicate with the programmer or developer.
All in all, the Sapient team really taught me that you need to find just that, a team. A good team and a good attitude are the key to a healthy workplace like SapientNitro. Also, make a point of exercising your passions inside and out of the workplace, because that is what makes you who are you and your work what it is. They ended on a note about us, the 2016/2017 Web Design students, as a team.
“You’re all in this together, be there for each other”
If you’d like to know more about the SapientNitro and the team, check out their website. To hear more from the boys, here’s where you can find them:
Want to get in contact directly?
Brad at bhuffman2@sapient.com
Andrew at ahodge@sapient.com
Aaron at aaylward@sapient.com
