Changing Careers in Interior Design

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1 I HAVE AN INTERIOR DESIGN DEGREE SO WHERE S MY JOB?

2 Why is this something to discuss? Changed work place environment serial jobs in a career Lack of knowledge of other areas using interior design Expand your horizons earlier Create an openness to new ideas of where to find your next job

3 Things to Do In School Get mentors if one doesn t work, get someone else Volunteer in professional organizations in school Ask alumni of your program for introductions Get in contact with alumni living in area you are living Go with your parents or other family members to social events get comfortable, their connections will assist you, learn more about different types of work

4 After Graduation Keep the mentors, add or replace as you need support not just in interior design - sales, management, businesses Keep volunteering, going to professional meetings/events Personally deliver your resume, ask to speak to the HR person Help sales reps make calls, deliver samples, anything to get into firms and let them meet you Ask designers if they could afford it, where they could use help volunteer if you can afford it, work 2 nd job Do presentation graphics for reps or builders or dealers or designers Take inventory for move management companies, asset management companies and equipment suppliers for restaurants, hotels, medical, and education

5 After Graduation Residential realtors need help getting properties ready or closed Work in industries that use creative people - Wholesale Supplier, Bathroom/Kitchen Hardware, Flooring Contractors, Home Supply, Builders Waterjet Works - interior designer, in addition to me, a graphics designer and architect all creating and helping clients translate their visions Project management, creativity, problem solving those are skills for any profession

6 Changes in Today s Workplace More contract positions hired for specific jobs Fewer positions in design and architecture firms Boomer s and middle managers laid off in last 6 years More experienced designers not being hired Hiring freezes in certain segments Doing more with less staff much more

7 Advantages of New Economy Learn more quickly about where your interests lie Design, Technical, Project Management, Marketing Get more design experience quickly Technical skills can get you the first job Marketing/sales skills can help get that first job

8 Resume Facts & Fiction Resume worthless without connections There are so many resumes that come into a firm daily, they are like junk mail Each resume must be targeted to the specific company, look at their website, talk to people about them and match your skills to their needs/project types Use social media to find some connection in a firm

9 Resume and Connections Ask everybody for connections; tell everyone that you are looking for a job no time to be shy! Family members, neighbors, church friends/parents, friends parents, Starbucks, gym, reps, etc. Look around and you will find connections It is not 6 of separation any longer! It s not what you know, but who you know

10 Importance of Mentors Open doors quicker Saves you time Helps you direct your interests to find your passion May see something you that you don t even know is there Don t select someone just because they are a designer, look at their skills and abilities to complement you Mentors become friends over the years, they continue to be the confidant, tell you things you need to hear, but may not want to hear

11 My Mentors Director of Marketing at Gresham Smith Nashville, Tennessee, Tampa, Florida Saw sales and relationship building capabilities Retired Chairman, CEO Central and Southwest Electric Utility Saw project management skill, creativity and attention to detail Former VP at UT Southwestern Medical Center Center Saw relationship of my facilities strategic planning to capacity/financial planning President of Performance Management Company

12 My Design Mentor Neville Lewis Designer Stage: Industrial Designer Interior Designer

13 Neville Lewis Artist, Teacher Stage, NY School of Visual Arts 20yr Just retired to devote to painting full time

14 Linda Bishop Listen, trust; learn as much as you can and trust that the universe will support you if you give it a chance Elementary teacher went to interior design school to find her calling Worked at FKP and WHR in Houston as designer and furniture designers for Carolina, jumped and moved to Doha, Qatar Not a good fit, quit in a foreign country. Client hired her and she stayed for 2 years through her contract. Met Haworth VP for Asia Pacific there and he asked her to design healthcare furniture for Asia Currently lives in Shanghai, travels the globe for Haworth and her own pursuits which include 200 level yoga teacher certification earned in the Himalayan foothills! Her furniture will launched in July in Brisbane, Australia She works as healthcare interior designer for Chinese architecture firm and finishing her book!

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16 Linda 2.0

17 Jason Buckner Talented designer, can do it all! Lauck Group, HKS, BOKA Powell Rose quickly to project leader at all firms Technical and Design Go To Person Large Corporate Clients Wanted more family time Now a regional manager for lighting company and said that he would probably not work for anyone but himself if he went back to design

18 Louise Nicholson Carter Commercial Furniture Dealer - Designer & Director of Interior Design - 5 years ID for small corporate interior design firms 6 years Started Interior Design firm with partners 3 years Worked for healthcare architecture firm as director of interiors 17 Years Started Art Consulting firm with partner 17 years ago Skyline Art See her here at MetroCon

19 Laura McDonald Stewart Civil Engineer Interior Design Degree 7 year itch Started web magazine Plinth and Chintz Event Planner MetroCon is one of her projects Web Based Marketing Writing Volunteered with Professional Organizations Students, Chapter Support Teams, National ASID Board member

20 Kelly Spivey Interior design degree Worked at Hospital and learned equipment while doing design Equipment planner for FKP Shen Milson Wilke Now VP of Technology for Gene Burton Associates, a national healthcare equipment planning company

21 Sonya Odell - Varied Career 1. High School florist, retail, ceramics, bakery 2. Undergraduate - modular home designer, score keeper in the athletic department couldn t type but could letter! 3. Post graduation - agent specializing in housing for poor 4. Graduate school large store interior design department 5. Director of Interior Design/Associate Principal 6. Executive VP for Real Estate Design/Development 7. Managing Principal for Neville Lewis Associates 8. Coal Mining company on the side 9. Corporate Services for Electric Utility 10. Health System Planning for Academic Medical Center 11. Interior Design Manager for (2) National Architectural Firms 12. Business Development Consultant, Sales, Strategic Planning

22 Sonya Odell Jobs found me! Found my passion early Still working as a consultant in strategic relations and business development Have a loom and like fiber art, like to travel, like theater and to volunteer because it makes me feel good and I meet so many people

23 NCIDQ IDFX is the new section for new graduates that tests on what you learned in college take it soon before you forget all what you learned! There are (3) parts now, the first section was simply divided into the knowledge designers learn in college which is the IDFX (fundamental) and the knowledge gained through experience is tested in the IDPX (professional) and the Practicum Design Project

24 Study Group Advantages Best friends for life Shared experiences Introductions Job leads Jobs you do not want

25 Many Jobs in Your Life Jump In, Learn, Enjoy! Your interior design degree and your personal skills have qualified you for many jobs beyond the traditional interior design work. Access your skills for self-discovery of what you will enjoy find your passion! As the firms are interviewing you, you are interviewing them Bad jobs provide great learning opportunities Constantly evaluate your place in a firm and see where you can grow/benefit the firm. If you want to learn something, ask team member to show you, builds relations Don t pass up the opportunity to learn to be better.

26 Always Be Visible Sonya Odell, FASID, RID, AAHID Waterjet Works National Strategic Relations Keep a personal too so you can be found as you change employers, update Linked In contact sonya@sonyaodell.com

27 Alphabet Soup LEED AAHID - American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers CAPS - Certified Aging in Place Specialist PMI -Project Management SEGD Environmental Graphics IDSA Industrial Design Society of America Furniture Design Ergonomic Lighting Design Other countries interior design associations/credentials