Magazines: You are expected to buy at least 1-2 interior magazines per month.
Optional tools: Cutting Mat, Pinking shears (for cutting fabric, available from Hickeys), Letraset.
Note: Trend prediction magazines (such as Collezioni) can be purchased from R.D. Franks in London www.rdfranks.com 10% Student discount with your ID card.
Tips for Design Graduates:
The Bottom line - Interior design firms are in the business of getting work and getting the work out. They want to know how you are going to help them do that if they hire you.They know you have a degree/diploma in interior design and want to work as an interior designer. They want to find out
Will you make a good employee for their firm?
How do you stand apart from all the other new designers?
Here’s what they say are their top considerations are when hiring a new designer
(in order of most frequently mentioned).
Positive
Outgoing personality
Communication skills (written, verbal, grammar, spelling, presentation)
Technical design skills (knowledge of scale, proportion, color, balance, harmony,
rendering, sketching, drafting and computer)
Other skills and attributes:
Professionalism (knowledge of business practices, promptness, professional dress)
Good fit for the firm (team player, flexible, independent and good people skills)
Good work ethic (hard-working, motivated, initiative, multitasker and goal
oriented)
Lifelong learner
Personal style
Creative talent
Passion and enthusiasm for design field
Experience (work and internships)
Education
Portfolio
Sincerity, honesty, ethical and moral character
Critical thinking skills (intelligence, knowledge, problem solving, quick thinker)
Confidence
Organizational skills
Goals
Computer skills (Word, Excel, AutoCAD)
Humor
Curriculum Vitae
What employers would like to see more of in job candidates:
Ability to write a clear, concise cover letter
Business management skills (budgets, deadlines, interacting with clients
and marketing)
Experience
Confidence
Realistic expectations
Professional appearance and work ethic
Knowledge of code requirements
Drawing skills
AutoCAD skills
Space planning
Passion for the industry
Ability to sell
Realistic salary expectations
Respect and loyalty
Humility
Well-rounded liberal arts education (history, geography, art and
social sciences)
Keep all points as noted above in mind, work hard,
continue to learn and be patient...good things come
to those who wait!
MORE GOOD TIPS FOR DESIGN GRADUATES
Having attended the event held by The Interiors Association on Tuesday 17th February in the Odeon Bar, Harcourt Street I will relay the information discussed and shared amongst design graduates in the hope of helping you cope with these challenging times!
Topics Discussed
Current state of the Industry
Maximising possibilities of getting a full-time job
Starting Up
Pricing a Job
Salary’s for Interior Design Graduates
Bearing in mind the topics as above the first thing that was discussed was the current state of the design industry in Ireland and it was noted that half of all architectural practices in Ireland are no longer trading and there has been 41% job loss in Ireland. This is a big hit for the industry; even the most highly regarded practices have been affected. What does this mean for design graduates: well obviously it means less opportunity for gaining much needed experience in the real world with consultancies and practices; however we cannot lose faith completely and hopefully the following tips should help you to see beyond the negativity and allow you to excel in the face of adversary.
Thinking of Emigrating
In recent times many people have opted for places like Dubai and the United Emirates as destinations that were crying out for architects and designers; however it seems as though these countries are now full to capacity and are not recommended as places where work is plentiful. Australia is also in a recession and has very limited opportunites in terms of design and Canada is getting close to being full.
Countries that appear to offer more opportunities are Norway, Russia, Kuwait, Singapore, Muldova, Turkey and Switzerland; generally countries with oil tend to be good choices.
Looking for work
Here is a list of websites that offer work in the areas of design:
www.riai.ie
www.designstaff.ie
www.monster.ie
www.thearchitectureroom.com
www.theinteriorsassociation.ie
www.nixers.com
www.freelancers.net
www.idi-design.ie
Other ways to find work in the design industry is through word of mouth, attending relevant events and making yourself known in the right circles and add to this a synopsis of what you can offer a company as a designer; sell yourself!
The Curriculum Vitae
A list of tips to ensure that your curriculum vita stands out from the rest and makes a good impression:
Advertise yourself by creating a clever brochure using eye pleasing graphics
Highlight what you can do and write it from the reader’s perspective
Describe work experience in terms of skills gained
Show relevant images
Get the name of the employer and use it on the cover letter
Follow this up with a phone call
Ensure there are no spelling mistakes or typing errors
The Portfolio
A list of tips to ensure your portfolio is up to standard:
Include work appropriate to the job being applied for, for example show only residential work if the job is with a
company that specialises in Residential Interiors.
Present one example of each skill for example client brief, mood boards, sample boards, layout plan, elevation drawing, detail drawings, specification documents etc.
Over the comings years it was noted that hand drawn visuals may become more important
Learn to use visualisation packages like Sketch Up; it takes one day to learn this package!
Ensure the work presented is superb and of a very high standard
Consider the option of having a digital or online portfolio also
Ensure there are no spelling mistakes or typing errors
The Interview
A list of tips to ensure the interview goes well:
Ensure you offer the interviewer a genuine and strong handshake
Remember that the first minutes of an interview is the most important for making an impact
Create a small token of your work to leave with them when you leave, for example a small postcard of thumbnails
Ensure your reputation maintains a good standard across all boards, facebook can be accessed by many people!
Dress Smartly
Remember that interviewers tend to like people like themselves
Prepare an answer to the question: Why should I hire you? and answer it clearly in your mind
Make a list of your traits in relation to how you work, create a script and practice saying it
Prepare an answer to the question: what are your Strengths and Weaknesses
An example of such a question might be: How would you deal with a difficult person
Ask questions about the company, show genuine interest
Send a Thank you card
Request feedback as this shows an ability to learn and progress
What Employers Want
Some of the following traits have already been addressed in the article above titled: “ Tips for Design Graduates”
Traits
Motivation
Flexibility
Confidence/Assertiveness
Initiative
Efficiency
Problem Solver
Team Player
Positive
Punctual
Reliability
Resourcefulness
Honest
Enthusiasm
Good work ethic
Dedication
Passion
Conscientiousness
Innovativeness
Serendipity (an element of luck about them)
Skills
Autocad Skills
Construction detailing
Know where to find design related information, for example building regulations etc.
Visualisation skills
Commercial law knowledge, for example who are quantity surveyors, structural engineers and their responsibilities
Knowledge of suppliers
Software – Autocad, Sketch Up, Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Photoshop etc.
Good communication skills
The Future
The following are tips on how to proceed as a designer under the current climate and the Interiors Association noted that there is at least another 10 months of the downturn to go and that we are looking at anywhere between 2-6 years before the industry recovers fully:
Be flexible
Gain broader experience
Enhance your competition skills and try to gain awards
Try your hand at part-time work or freelancing work
Note that the standard of graduates in Ireland is low therefore raise your standards to gain advantage
Stay in education as long as you can
There may be an increase in lecturing jobs, consider this as a career
The design industry has been one of the first hit therefore we may be the first out
Salaries
The average salary amongst experienced designers in Ireland is currently €40,000
The average salary amongst experienced designers in London is currently £37,000
The range of salaries is €18,000 - €60,000
Pricing a Job for Freelancers
€80 - €150 per hour
Charge approximately for 20no. hours per week
Allow 20no. hours per week for generating new business
Include the following for expenses, fixed and variable expenses, expected salary, PRSI, costs of wining and dining
in trying to get new contracts
To follow up on any of the above log on to www.theinteriorsassociation.ie and check out their forum.
BACK TO EDUCATION ALLOWANCE (BTEA) – Republic of Ireland
1. What is the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA)?
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is a scheme for unemployed people, lone parents and people with disabilities who are getting certain payments from the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
The allowance can be paid to people who wish to do or take approved second or third level courses of education. BTEA is not an unemployment payment. Participants get a standard rate of payment which is not means tested. If you are signing for unemployment 'credits' only, you may apply to take part in the scheme.
2. What are the study options?
There are two study options under the scheme:
Second Level Option
Third Level Option.
For more information you can use the following link: www.welfare.ie
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