that your decision‐making skills keep improving.Understand that reading magazines because you have “nothing to do” is not a positive task. Find something to do!If you make a mistake, don't fret over it and lie. Own up to a mistake and learn so you don't repeat the same mistake.You can't take every Friday off to meet up with friends for a long weekend.The boss is always right even when she is wrong.The boss is not likely to pat employees on the back every time they do something right. “Grades” don't happen on a weekly basis.December 24th is not a holiday. Nor are a lot of other days you may have normally had off.You will get criticized in front of others, and it will not feel pleasant.The boss will probably not give you positive feedback all the time—get over it.
Design professionals expect entry‐level employees to come ready to work—even if that means cleaning up the library from time to time. They expect the entry‐level professional to be a team player, be disciplined, and be well organized. They don't expect you to know everything; they also expect you to ask questions. When you aren't sure, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Doing it correctly means a lot to the senior staff and clients. Aspire to learn all you can about the business, and there will likely be no end to your success.
You may feel that you are entitled to take on large responsibilities and do very important work right off the bat. Get over it. Few new employees who have little previous work experience are going to be allowed to take on projects by themselves, meeting with clients, and doing plans and specifications without supervision. You have to “pay your dues” and learn how the company that hires you does things and expects you to do the work. Their way may be quite different from what you learned in school. It doesn't mean you were taught wrong. It just means there are many ways to do essentially the same tasks. Learn how your company wants work done, and you will have a successful probationary period and possibly a long association with the company.
Table 4‐2 offers a few suggestions about how you can prepare yourself for the transition from student to professional. I am sure your professors will have others.
TABLE 4‐2. Suggestions to assist students in the transition to professional
| Talk to professionals who are doing the work you want to do. People love to talk about what they do and their work. Make appointments and come prepared with about 15 good questions to ask that will help you find out what it is like to work at a particular kind of company or in a particular type of design specialty. |
| Examine your motives and establish goals. Set goals that interest you. Think about what you want to do 2, 5, or 10 years from now. |
| Get involved with a professional association. Visit chapter meetings of the different organizations in your area. Students are always welcome. When you are sure about which one(s) you want to join, get involved. Volunteer for committees. It is a great way to get to know people in the business. |
| Begin to be a professional. One or two days a week—maybe for studio classes—dress professionally, as if you were going to the office. Get used to being dressed up. You will also likely feel more confident on those days. |
| Begin to work like a professional. Use a time management system of some kind. Treat the school day as a workday; that is, start the day at 8:00 AM and work until 5:00 PM. |
| During your internship:Don't play the critic. You are there to learn, not to criticize the company.Don't be lazy or blasé. If you want a good recommendation from this company, cheerfully complete all assigned tasks.Look for things to do or to help out as well.Ask questions. They expect you to ask questions.If you want to work for this company, show that you want to be there by doing all that is asked and then some.When you have nothing to do, look for or ask for something to do. Straighten catalogs or review samples and catalogs.You can learn a lot about current products by cleaning up the library from time to time. |
ON‐THE‐JOB STRATEGIES
Leaving a current job voluntarily is certainly a solution when dissatisfaction occurs. Many designers have suffered through involuntary separation from a job due to the economy or for cause. Certainly, many wish to advance their careers doing what they are doing and/or stay with a particular company.
When you accept a position with a company, do so with the expectation you are going to be there for a while. When you accepted the position, you should have had some idea of what the expectations would be. You should also have been made aware of responsibilities and even how long it might be before you would be given added responsibilities. These kinds of issues are discussed in Chapter 29.
As an entry‐level employee, don't look down your nose at tasks that you feel are beneath you. As far as the company is concerned, you have the knowledge to be hired, but you may not yet understand how they do things. Keep your focus on learning everything you can about doing design in the professional opportunity you have chosen. Keeping your expectations in check will serve you well.
Professionals need to continually examine how they are doing their jobs. Becoming more productive (yes, more productive) and staying interested in enhancing the company's reputation are two important keys to advancing your career. For the professional—whether entry‐level or experienced—simple things like coming in on time, volunteering to complete tasks others don't want to do, not complaining, and giving a positive impression of your company through your behavior are all important.
Long‐term professionals must also look to enhance their careers through newer challenges that don't always involve bringing in new clients. Volunteering to work on committees of professional associations can help you meet influential people at the national level. Agreeing to critique student work or lecture to students adds to your apparent expertise. Being visible in the community by speaking to community groups about design topics of interest to the general public is also a great thing.
Career advancement takes many forms and involves the topics in this book. You have to have an idea of what it is you want to accomplish in the interior design profession so that you can plan how to achieve your goals. Career advancement does not happen by treading water and just taking what comes as it comes. Although good things have happened to many professionals that way, the truly successful have had a vision and a plan.
These brief thoughts and the items in Table 4‐3 are only a small smattering of things that you can do to advance your career.
MAKING A CAREER CHANGE
At some point, many interior design professionals start thinking about making a career change. I have encountered numerous senior designers who have left full‐time practice in order to teach at a university or community college. Other designers seek the possibilities of additional income by obtaining positions as sales reps with manufacturers and vendors. And, frankly, some leave the profession to do something out of the profession.
There are many reasons why someone makes a career change after years in the profession. Some common reasons are:
Lack of respect by boss
Contributions to the firm are not valued TABLE 4‐3. Career advancement strategiesDevelop goals and a plan.Improve your professional skills, especially the technical ones related to execution of interior design projects.Obtain appropriate additional
