We asked our summer intern, Karl Zinsmaster, to write a bit about what it’s been like working here. Read below to find out how he got the internship, and what advice he has for his fellow students.

So, I’ve been at Design Glut working on product development and helping with small business responsibilities for almost three months now. I’ve met some interesting people, learned a lot of new presentation techniques and seen how a couple of young designers can make a name for themselves, not to mention a bit of money.

My name is Karl Zinsmaster. I am a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, looking at two semesters left in the furniture design program. In May, I decided to relocate to the East temporarily. I moved here with the plan of seeing what the magical and mysterious New York City had to offer a young designer. I didn’t, however, have much planned out past that.

I started my stay by going to ICFF and Design Week to gather contact information from whoever was interesting. I built a website and a new resume, and without any real clue as to whether or not I would be worth a damn in the eyes of design professionals, I put some feelers out. I contacted everyone in the New York area that I was excited about from Design Week. I trolled the internet for Brooklyn-based industrial and furniture designers, and began trying to make myself visible.

Within a few weeks I had weaseled my way into a number of interviews, and gotten a satisfying amount of feedback. I was talking to people from gigantic companies with corporate jobs (and budgets to match) to solo designers and artists working out of crawl-spaces and concrete sardine cans. Those types were stuffed into old factories, walk-ups and warehouses. Out of the few who I clicked with, Design Glut was the one I was most excited about. Their conceptual philosophy aligned itself well with my own, and they seemed honest and passionate about the work they were doing. After meeting with Kegan and Liz, I decided it was the place for me. (Luckily, they thought so too.)

The best bit of information I’ve picked up here is that it’s not magic that makes you a noteworthy designer. It’s just good ideas, solid skills to begin realizing those ideas, and bullheadedness in promoting something you believe in. My experience in New York has been so far, so good, and all it really took was a bit of confidence and some shots in the dark.