to a job interview at a residential versus a commercial firm.
Draft a cover letter to a fictitious company indicating interest in joining their international division.
Draft a thank‐you note template that you could use after job interviews.
Discuss the necessity of preparing for a job interview, including the importance of doing “homework” about the interviewing firm.
Discuss why and how your apparel and other personal appearance issues can affect a job interview.
Explain the importance of projecting the right image for the job interview through good business etiquette.
Discuss how to handle an interview session when you are no longer interested in the position.
Explain diplomatic responses to illegal or improper questions posed during the job interview.
THE SEARCH IS ON
Job‐hunting has changed. The traditional way of developing a good resume, making lots of copies, and sending them to all conceivable employers just doesn't work anymore. Prospective employees have been finding that the job hunt has become social and more dependent on social media for learning about positions. Employers are more reliant on social media to help make decisions about potential employees.
Relationships and personal connections have become even more important, thus the use of social media in job‐hunting. Sometimes it seems that the successful employee hears about an opening, gets an interview, or even a job in part based on one‐on‐one contacts. The old line of “its who you know” may seem unfair, but it is more common today than ever before. Making those contacts are vital to anyone new to the profession or experienced when seeking a job in interior design. Personal contacts through involvement in professional association chapter activities, attending trade fairs, meeting designers through informational interviews, and other opportunities to meet professional designers cannot be overlooked.
For the student, the job search begins long before graduation. The student must evaluate what part of the profession holds the most interest for her. It is not just a choice between commercial or residential. It also must include an evaluation of skills and interests in the profession. The book Becoming an Interior Designer by this author provides insights and input from interior designers in numerous specialties from all over the country. Sometimes using a book such as Richard Nelson Bolles's What Color Is Your Parachute? is a help in determining career goals more precisely.
TABLE 6‐1. Tips on the job‐search process
| 1. | Have a strategy and plan. Know what you are looking for and what your “bottom line” might be. By bottom line I mean the level of job (junior designer rather than project designer). |
| 2. | Be realistic. Salary and benefits are not going to be as high as you might expect, regardless of the level of your skills. But you also shouldn't sell your skills at a bargain‐basement price. Be prepared to negotiate salary, benefits, hours of work, and other considerations of employment. |
| 3. | Evaluate your skills carefully. If you are deficient in some skill that is important to the type of job you seek, get training at a community college or an online program. |
| 4. | Be prepared. Make sure your portfolio is always in excellent shape and your resume is ready to go. Don't forget that when you attend a professional meeting, you are also interacting with people who may be looking for an employee. Always dress and act the part of the consummate professional in professional situations. |
| 5. | Be prudent with what you post on social media sites. Employers will look you up on Facebook and all the other sites. A fun‐loving photo on your personal page might be great for friends, but can give the wrong impression to a potential employer. |
Professionals also need to reevaluate skills and interests when considering a job change. The material in Chapter 4 concerning making a career change can be of assistance to the professional. They will also gain from reading about goals in Chapter 5.
Table 6‐1 provides some tips on the job‐search process applicable to students as well as professionals. Consider this information as you begin to gather your thoughts about what type of position you seek.
Some Ideas
A great way for students to gain an understanding about different positions is by use of an informational interview. An informational interview is not an actual job interview. It is a one‐on‐one chance to talk to a design firm owner or other professional about her company with the purpose of learning what it is like to work in that specialty. In this case, you are doing the interviewing rather than the other party. There are some important strategies to consider if you want to do an informational interview:
Plan several questions that you want to ask the designer.
Be precise about what you want to know.
Assume that you will have from 15 to 30 minutes for this interview.
Call or send a handwritten note at least a week ahead of time to ask for the meeting. You can make a contact via e‐mail, but the employer is likely to ignore this.
Be prompt, be pleasant, and do not try to turn it into a job interview.
Dress professionally and be respectful.
Don't overstay your time unless the designer seems to be willing to let the clock continue to run.
Don't forget to send a thank‐you card!
College advisers and career counselors can be helpful sources of information regarding different design companies. The faculty member that helps set up internships also has her finger on where potential jobs can be located. Job announcements through university career placement offices can also provide information on job openings. Positions with corporations might be available through this source. Department stores, print media, and the federal government may also interview for design staff through the career placement office.
Students can join student chapters of professional associations, attend the professional chapter meetings at the local level, and perhaps participate on committees. Students can also talk to relatives and friends who might have worked with designers or who know someone in the industry. If you are looking to move to a new city, perhaps your professors can make suggestions. Obviously, the Internet can also be a great help in this situation.
The Internet and social media provide many opportunities for finding possible job openings. You can search the Web sites of interior design firms. Many have links on their Web sites where candidates can obtain information about possible openings and how to apply for those positions.
Social media sites like LinkedIn can also help the job seeker find openings. An important part of using a social site is that your page be professional in content—including
