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A Guide To Graduate Interior Design Jobs

About Interior Design Jobs For Graduates
Is this you? You love to rearrange furniture in your room, decorate your walls in innovative ways, play with fabrics and match colours. And then, once you have done all that, your friends are just filled with praise at what you have created. They, too, wish they could be like you.

Perhaps you are someone who just can’t resist walking into someone else’s home and mentally rearranging their furniture or creating a whole new space.

If you are this person, then graduate interior design jobs could be right up your street. These days, more and more graduates are citing job satisfaction as their main criteria in the jobs they are applying for. If you have a zest for creating new spaces and a passion for property, too, what could be better than an interior design career?

Of course, there’s much more to interior design than a bit of paint and fabric. You can set yourself up as an interior decorator to that type of job. The role of interior designer is now much respected. Graduate interior designer jobs will see you not only furnishing rooms but also working closely with architects and other construction professionals right from the beginning of a project.

As well as being creative, you will also have technical skills; producing drawings and using software to aid your designs. You will also need to be able to communicate your designs to the construction team on site, making sure they reach deadlines. Graduate interior design jobs can be long hours, challenging and also hugely rewarding, especially once you see the end result and your clients are over the moon with your efforts.
What Are The Different Types Of Interior Design Jobs For Graduates?
So you might be asking yourself, what are the best interior design jobs out there. Well, there are different types of interior design careers you can follow and, if job satisfaction is your aim, then you need to work with your strengths and aim to find work in the type of properties where your passion lies.

Having said that, competition for jobs can be fierce. In the fşrst instance, make sure you are reading for a degree that is going to equip you with relevant skills. A degree in interior design, 3D design or graphic design, for example.

In other careers and professions, graduates can apply for places on graduate schemes but interior design graduate schemes are not very common. If you are looking to get graduate interior design jobs in the future, you need to be proactive whilst you are at university. Apply for interior design placements - some degree subjects may have placements as part of the course - or junior interior design jobs during summer holidays or other breaks.

Getting that foot in the door and landing that first trainee interior design job is all about networking. Get your face known, build up contacts, do speculative applications as well as applying for advertised roles, ask about interior design work experience opportunities. Use all of this to build up your portfolio so that you can demonstrate your creative skills to future employers.

Graduate interior design jobs could be in:
  • In house interior design jobs in construction - You could be working for a construction company that builds new homes or renovates existing buildings, converting them into apartments or office space. These types of companies often have their own builders, architects, interior designers and marketing teams working in house.
  • Graduate interior design jobs in retail and commercial properties - Designing large scale or intimate retail spaces for national companies or smaller retail outlets.
  • Graduate interior design jobs in restaurant, hotel and leisure industries - Creating spaces that match the theme and values of national and international chains of hotels, restaurants and leisure centres.
  • Graduate interior design jobs on theatre and film sets - If you want your name up in lights - or at least on the credits in small writing - you could always use your interior design career to design sets.
  • Freelance graduate interior design jobs - If you are looking for a creative career that gives you the opportunity to work for yourself then you could consider freelance interior design jobs. This could be an option if you have experience doing interior design assistant jobs or more senior roles and have built up a portfolio so that people know you have experience. You could be working for private clients, designing a roor or even a whole home.
What Do Employers Look For In Their Candidates?
So, you know that it’s a competitive world out there when it comes to applying for graduate interior design jobs. What can you do to get ahead of that competition and make yourself stand out as the best choice for employers? Knowing what potential employers are looking for can help you in your application. Here are a few tips:
  • Portfolio: First of all, it might seem obvious, but is your portfolio at its absolute best? Does it demonstrate your work from trainee interior design jobs or interior design placements you might have done? Can you add other examples of your work to it and - being honest with yourself - is there any work in there that perhaps doesn’t need to be? Put yourself in the employer’s shoes and ask yourself if everything in your portfolio is beneficial.
  • Knowledge of the role: Graduate interior design jobs are more than just a demonstration of your creative flare. You need to be able to show some business acumen, too. How do you cost your projects and put timescales to them. How do you manage those from other areas of the construction sector to make sure your interior design project is completed on time?
  • Are you a good people person? Creative design jobs need you to be able to communicate well. While you might be dreaming of creating the perfect space for the perfect client - well, some clients might not be as easy to please as others. Can you demonstrate that you are able to work with all types of people - sometimes creating spaces that match your client’s requirements...even if you might not agree with their taste? As mentioned in the point above, can you also demonstrate how you communicate with others in the industry who are working on the same project?
  • Individuality and creativity: When you are applying for graduate interior design jobs can you demonstrate that you have a real individual creative talent and you have an eye on upcoming trends? If you are designing a space for someone, it needs to look cutting edge for the years to come; not just a few months. Are you on top of developments within the industry because you read publications, follow relevant people on social media or attend trade fairs and exhibitions?
  • Organisations and extra qualifications: Being a member of relevant organisations such as CSD (Chartered Society of Designers) and BIID (British Institute of Interior Design) shows you are committed to your work. Also, as well as your degree, have you got any other relevant qualifications from extra courses you may have taken. CAD (Computer Aided Design), Photoshop or graphic design, for example?
What Salary Can I Expect?
With creative roles such as interior design, job satisfaction plays a huge role in reasons why people want to follow this career. Of course, you want to be paid for your work so what can you expect as your graduate interior design jobs salary?

At first, your initial interior design jobs salary might not compare favourably with those of many other graduate jobs out there but the good news is, as you develop your career and build up experience, there is much scope for increasing your salary. Senior interior design jobs can offer very attractive sums and, if you build a good reputation for yourself and work alone, you should be able to command your own fees.
How Can I Progress My Interior Design Career?
Some interior design jobs will see you eventually moving through a company and progressing to more senior roles. Postgraduate courses are available for those who want to further their knowledge in particular areas of interior design. Freelance interior jobs are common once you have built up experience and contacts.
Apply For Graduate Interior Design Jobs In The UK
So, do you think you have got what it takes to carve out a successful interior design career? If so, take a look at the list of current vacancies for graduate interior design jobs and see if there is anything to suit you.

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