Senior Success: Chloe Blottman Is an Interior Designer at M Moser Associates
Chloe Blottman, who is graduating this semester with a Bachelor of Arts in interior design, found a job at M Moser Associates thanks to her networking skills and career readiness.
Blottman, from Roseland, first landed an internship at M Moser's Manhattan office in September 2019 as part of the company's 1,000-person team spread over four continents. She was the fourth consecutive NJIT student in that role, as previous students continuously referred their peers from NJIT’s Hillier College of Architecture and Design.
"I wouldn't be where I am right now if it wasn't for networking," she said.
Beginning in June, Blottman’s internship will become a full-time position, thanks to her early opportunity. As a designer in the firm, she will be exposed to various tasks and responsibilities.
"I've been assigned to multiple projects. I'll assist with what's called redlining. That’s when an architect or designer makes edits to a construction document set and I’m responsible for updating the drawings,” Blottman explained.
Her role also includes suggesting new ideas for client presentations, ordering samples and organizing the firm's materials library.
She will also be included on teams working with prestigious clients. "Usually interns don't get that opportunity, I'll call it a privilege,” Blottman said. Her favorite project so far was assisting in an astronomy concept for the workplace design of a major technology company.
Learning new technologies and creative methods were central to Blottman's experience in Hillier College of Architecture and Design. The college has a reputation for graduating students with both technical and creative skills who are ready to jump into client work, making them sought after in both internship positions and as employees.
"As a freshman student, I arrived to NJIT with zero experience in Photoshop, Illustrator and 3D programs, but due to the course work and collaborative studio environment, I've acquired an invaluable set of skills that I will continue to apply in my professional career," she stated, citing program head David Brothers as a major influence. "[Brothers] kind of taps into our subconscious and encourages us to take chances and be bold."
Learning from him was "such a fulfilling experience. ... He has truly helped me discover my creative tendencies and continue to push my boundaries," she said.
During her NJIT career so far, Blottman made the dean's list six times. She earned four accolades: Second Year Interior Designer of Distinction, 2018; Design Showcase Featured Work, 2018; International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Student Design Showcase Honorable Mention, 2019; and NJIT Design Showcase Best Interior Design Project, 2019.
She also received a 2019 School of Art+Design Travel Scholarship to compete in the IIDA Student Design meeting and served as co-president in the student chapter of the International Interior Design Association.
"NJIT has provided me with the opportunity to meet and connect with such a diverse group of individuals whose career paths will hopefully overlap with my own," Blottman observed. "I will genuinely miss being immersed into a creative studio environment where visions flourish and students are continually inspired by one another."