Experience
Do everything you possibly can to land yourself an internship or junior role. These can be competitive so you’ll have to be active and imaginative. Experience in the field is beneficial for two main reasons. First, it lets you learn more about the industry before you tie yourself down. It will give you an opportunity to dip your toes into different specialist areas, like residential, commercial and public interior design.
Second, gaining some experience will finally enable you to begin building a professional portfolio. You will carry this with you to the next stage in your career- so get creative and make it count.
Portfolio
A successful career in interior design will depend on your ability to collect evidence of your work in your early days and use it to propel yourself forward. Do some pro bono work to help build your portfolio. If friends or family are looking to redecorate or renovate their homes, offer to step in and help. Record your work by taking before and after photos, which you can display as evidence of your design capabilities in the future.
Remember, your portfolio represents your professional self. Keep it updated with fresh material so it accurately reflects your own developments. Each role you undertake should be recorded within your portfolio. Photos should be accompanied with written explanations to support your decisions and strategic thinking.
Specialize
Work experience and networking should have given you a good idea of what it’s like to work in different areas of the industry. Remember that ‘passion’ is an important quality for interior designers. So think about what it is that you care about. Is it lighting, timber, textiles or staging? Perhaps you find residential interior design more inspiring than commercial?
Once decided, immerse yourself in that area and learn as much as possible. Clients are attracted to specialist designers and will search for them depending on the specialist advice, knowledge and skill they require.
