This past summer, CTeLearning and the Web Professionals Organization helped run the SkillsUSA web design and development competition. Open to contestants nationwide, 2021 marked the first year that the full competition was run entirely online. The competition’s goal was to “evaluate each contestant’s preparation for employment and to recognize outstanding students for excellence and professionalism in the field of web design and development.” The competition was open to teams of two who were interested in pursuing web design and development as a potential career.

Ariana M., along with her teammate Megan B., won the silver medal in the competition. Upon being awarded their medals, the two were offered internship opportunities with CTeLearning. Other event medalists landed internships with industry members on the SkillsUSA events committee. Ariana began her internship in July and worked on various projects to support CTeLearning courses involving animation, web games, web design and development and more.

Ariana worked fully remotely as an intern, collaborating with team members in the midwest and northeast US as well as in the United Kingdom. The internship helped Ariana understand how powerful the idea of “living locally, working globally” truly is in the new remote economy.

We caught up with Ariana to hear more about her experience participating in the competition and her internship.

What did you learn from your experience competing and earning an award at the SkillsUSA web design competition? 

I learned to be confident and believe in myself and to listen to what people have to say about what you created, even if the comment is not the best, so I can better myself and what I am designing.

What was the experience like doing the entire competition online?

I was extremely nervous because I had never done anything like this, but as the day went on I grew more comfortable and was able to do better since my anxiety decreased.

What attracted you to web design?

I took a computer apps class in high school, and the moment I learned about it I was completely hooked and knew that I wanted to go to college for it and make a career out of it.

What has your experience been like working remotely with team members in other states and countries?

It has been good. There are some challenges with getting projects from co-workers that have different time zones as me, but in the end it works out and we get our work completed.

How has earning certifications changed your view of global connectivity and people being able to learn and work remotely from anywhere?

I think as long as you can get your work done and be able to present it to your boss or co-workers, working remotely is fine. I did spend some time learning remotely in college because of COVID-19, and it wasn’t that difficult because I was still able to ask my teachers questions. 

How has earning certifications and the internship experience empowered you as a web design professional?

It showed me that there is always something new to learn because technology is always changing. I also gained insight into what it is like to work remotely and some of the challenges that come with it. 

What would you tell a hiring manager in a job interview about your experience in the SkillsUSA competition? What transferable skills did you gain that make you a more desirable hire? 

I would tell the hiring manager that in 1-2 days I was able to create a functional web page with multiple screens. If I can do that in a couple of days, imagine what I can do in a week. I learned how to make something in a set amount of time, work more effectively in a group, and focus when given a task to complete. 

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