Stepping Away: Kiera

Posted on: 1 September 2025 by Richard Finch in Class of 2024

Kiera McDonald is a BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics graduate and UpReach Rise participant who now works as a Creative Account/Programme Specialist at NVIDIA.

How did you hear about your role and why did you decide to apply for it?

Whilst I was at University, I took part in lots of social impact programmes that were designed to help young people improve their employability. These were aimed at helping young people get into the corporate world, some of which were specifically centred around social mobility, improving representation by race or gender or simply just focused on access to specific industries. As I didn't know anyone who worked in the corporate world, I wanted to take advantage of all of the opportunities and support available to me.

I found the internship role at NVIDIA through the social mobility charity upReach and their Tech500 program, designed to support applicants aiming to enter the tech industry.

I was passionate about joining the tech industry post-graduation due to my interest in innovation and social impact, and it seemed evident that a lot of global change was being shaped by technological development. As a highly creative person, and with a few years of freelancing under my belt, I applied for the Creative Operations internship to get a broader view of how Creative projects are handled in corporate environments and deepen my understanding of how small ideas can transform into huge projects.

How did you get to where you are now?

I believe a large component of my success in getting the role was that I attempted to reverse engineer the process of securing a graduate role. The social impact programmes I’d been involved with provided career guidance, mentorship, application advice and the chance to explore what I wanted my career to look like.

Many of these programmes also provided networking opportunities with people who helped me figure out what size company may best suit me and refine my CV/portfolio so I was prepared when it came time to apply for roles.

In my second year, I completed a Marketing summer internship that provided me my first experience of the corporate world. I also had been freelancing as a graphic designer since sixth form and was an Adobe Student Brand Ambassador in my final year at university.

I believe having a wide variety of experience, whether corporate, client-facing or self-governed, helped me secure my NVIDIA internship. In addition to this, I tried to remain proactive in seeking all opportunities that were of interest to me whether it was Summer abroad programs, entrepreneurship competitions or volunteering. I think ultimately, they all made me into a well-rounded applicant and deepened my existing interests.

When I joined NVIDIA, I continued this proactiveness, curiosity and willingness to learn which allowed me to convert my internship into a permanent role.

Your favourite experience as part of your current role?

I have loved my time at NVIDIA so far and am really privileged to be part of the team I am in! One of my favourite experiences at the company has been working on the recent GTC Paris. The event was organised in a short space of time but it was amazing and completely surreal to see the whole thing come to life and connect with so many different people from our international team in person.

The most challenging part of your graduate journey?

I think it can be challenging adjusting from university, where goals, deadlines and timelines are clearly defined, to the world of work, where things are much less linear. The upside is that you have a lot of freedom in deciding what direction you would like to go in and the type of projects you would like to work on. Your future becomes much more of your responsibility but this becomes much less challenging when you see that it presents the opportunity to get involved in tonnes of different things.

What's your #1 piece of advice for future grads?

Always be curious! I think there are so many opportunities you can unlock, experiences you can gain and so many people you can meet just by asking questions and demonstrating a willingness to help and support others.

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