"I really needed a change. I realized that I was writing the same emails, having the same conversations, and dealing with all of the same frustrations every day at my current job. I was seeking a career path that would allow for me to merge all of my passions and interests to make a larger impact.”
Hamy Pham had always worked at the intersection of art and operations.
Inspired to create, Pham pursued her Bachelor of Fine Arts in commercial photography, and then dove into the world of professional photography. Pham hustled to earn her stripes and build a name for herself, pitching in wherever she saw a need: setting up lighting for photo shoots, retouching images, and performing administrative tasks—eventually becoming the point-person for the coordination and final production of all deliverables at her agency.
It wasn’t about just going to learn a bunch of hard skills, then trying to find a job—any job—[based] on those hard skills alone. You’re asked to not just consider a job after Startup Institute, but a career, and then are provided with a network to jump-start that career—one that you care about.
But, Pham was an artist. Her work on the operations side of the photography business was missing a key creative element. She wanted to be the maker, and she wanted to make a bigger impact. Exploring new options for her career, UI/UX struck her as a way to meld her eye for clean and engaging compositions with the functional understanding she’d developed working behind-the-scenes on creative procedures and workflows.
She saw the digital world as an opportunity to expand her reach and touch more lives, and Startup Institute was her entry-point into that world.
Pham came to Startup Institute in search of a job she loved. It took time, but she remained focused on that goal and refused to settle. She thrust herself into Boston’s UX design community—speaking to as many people as possible to learn about their companies and careers.
She was very selective about accepting a job offer, but Pham eventually found the design thinking and mentorship she craved in Fresh Tilled Soil. Two years later, Pham still serves as a UI/UX designer at the company.