Interior Design - Careers Advisory Service - University College ...

Careers Advisory Service 

www.careers.falmouth.ac.uk 

Interior Design L3 

Career Planning and Options 

Laura Brammar 

Employability and Careers Consultant

What we’re going to do 


• Key ideas of career planning 

• Self Awareness: what’s important to you, 

assessing how you want to work 

• Option Generation: What have previous Interior 

Design graduates done? Industry insights 

• Research and Evaluation: jobs in Interior Design 

and beyond, job hunting, postgraduate study, 

travel 

• Action Planning: What to do next, how the 

careers service can help? 

www.careers.falmouth.ac.uk

Where are you in your careers 

thinking? 


• I want to be an X and need to know how to 

apply/get a job 

• I want to explore a few different work 

options 

• I have some idea of what I want out of a job 

• I have no idea what I want to do 



Basics of Careers Planning 

• Self Awareness: what are my career values, 

skills and strengths 

• Option Generation: what do Interior Design 

graduates do? Which roles are ‘available’ to 

me? What other sort of work can I do? 

• Research and Evaluation: how can I find out if 

they suit me? Where do I find out more? 

• Action Planning: How can I make it happen? 



Self Awareness 

Priorities 

What am I like? 

Careers Advisory Service

Option Generation 


What have some previous UCF Interior Design 

Graduates done? 

Junior Interior Designer – Studio Linse, Amsterdam 

Interior Designer – Iroka, Hayle 

Intern – Di Dog, Truro 

Administrator – Porth-en-Alls, Hayle 

Supervisor – Ann’s Cottage, Falmouth 

DLHE Survey 


Option Generation within Int. Design 

Freelance Interior Designer 

Assistant Interior Designer, Architectural 

Practice 


Office Junior, Design Studio 

Design Assistant 


DLHE - Destination of Leavers Survey 

• BA(HONS) GARDEN DESIGN: ARTS & ENVIRONMENT 


• Horticultural Trainee, The Royal Horticultural Society, RHS 

Rosemoor, Great Torrington 

• Horticultural trainee, RHS, Wisley, Surrey, Diploma in Practical 

Horticulture 

• Library Assistant, University College Falmouth, Falmouth 

• Horticulture Diploma, Wisley Royal Horticulture Society 

• Sandwich Operator, Subway, Plymouth 

• Nursery Volunteer, National Trust 

• Cornwall School For Social Entrepreneurs 

• Bar Staff, Fox and Goose, Avon 



DLHE - Destination of Leavers Survey 

BA(HONS) SPATIAL DESIGN: INTERIOR & LANDSCAPE 

• Consultant - Promotions, Self, Ivybridge 

• Designer, JS Design Partnership, Shipley 

• Assistant Production Designer, Event Concept, South 

Bermondsey, London 

• Shop Assistant, Material, Ludlow 

• Freelance designer, Hereford 

• Co-Founder of marketing business, Poetic Studio, 

Tiverton 


Job Profiles on www.prospects.ac.uk 

• Landscape Architect/Designer 

• Interior and Spatial Designer 

• Exhibition Designer 

• Production Designer Film / Theatre / TV 

• Landscape Gardener 

• Landscape Manager 

• Garden Centre Manager 




Garden Design / Spatial Design / 

Interior Design. 

• Some but few vacancies advertised. 

• Reasonable opportunities for self-employment for 

those with excellent design and business skills. 

• Many Spatial / Interior Design graduates find 

employment with Architectural companies. 

• Early years salaries better in public sector. 

• May be opportunities overseas (often Europe & Middle 

East). 

• Work experience can be a very useful starting point. 


Typical Employers 

• Construction Industry 

• Private Practice 

• Garden Centre 

• Environmental Groups 

• Architects/Surveyors 

• Interior/Spatial/Garden Designers 

• Local Authorities 

• Water Companies 

• Other Public Bodies 



Where to find vacancies 


• Horticulture Jobs 

• British Association of Landscape Industries 

• Landscape Design Trust 

• Garden Design Journal 

• Building Design – The Architects Website 

• Local Architects Direct 

• The Architects Journal 

• Design Week 


Where to find vacancies 

• Design Journal 

• Directory of Design Consultants 

• www.yell.com 

• Architectural Review 


• University of the Arts London (UAL) - Creative 

Opportunities 


Internships 


• English Heritage - Gardens and Landscape Team Intern 

• Kew - Horticultural Internship Programme 

• Women's Farm and Garden Association - WRAGS ( 

Women Returners to Amenity Gardening Scheme 

• Internship / work experience check with specific 

companies, there may be information on their website 

or can set something up. e.g. Architectural firms . 


Industry Insight 


• “I would consider several points when selecting a new 

designer. Personality and experience would be the two 

main criteria. I would expect a new member of our team to 

be able to coordinate one or more interior design projects, 

to have the experience of how to structure a new project 

and to feel confident in dealing with suppliers and clients”. 

Luigi Esposito 

Creative director, Casa Forma bespoke interior design and 

architectural projects (www.casaforma.co.uk) 

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2007/may/26/careers.g 

raduates3 


More Industry Insight 


• "Sheer determination helped me to secure my first jobs, and I had to accept low 

pay in those early days. However, I gained valuable experience in retail and 

restaurant design, both of which stood me in good stead for the future.” 

• “After seven years’ experience working for other people, I decided to go it alone 

and set up B3 Designers. This decision was made on the basis of a promise of work 

from one client, which did not materialise in the end. However, I gradually picked 

up other work and earned just enough money to survive”. 

• "The business took around two years to take off. I then secured a couple of big 

contracts, including the restaurant ‘Roka’ and a dental practice. I slowly built the 

business, taking on a couple of other interior designers.” 

Mark Bithrey, Director, B3 Designers, an architectural interior design firm 

http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/industry-insight/article/commercial-interiordesign 


More Industry Insight 


• “Interior designers need to be numerate with 

commercial acumen and excellent judgement”. 

• “Interior designers need expertise with spreadsheets 

and CAD, as well as a knowledge of building 

regulations.” 

• “At a job interview, don’t tell the client you have lots of 

ideas – being a facilitator is more important” 

Dan Hopwood, Residential Interior Designer 

http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/industryinsight/article/residential-interior-design 


Research & Evaluation: 

How to find vacancies 


• networking (the hidden job market) 

– ways in, impending vacancies, the selection procedure, VERY common in this sector, mentor 

links?. 

• speculative applications/ information interviewing 

– plan a strategy, named individual, don’t ask for a job if info. interviewing 

• professional bodies 

– Eg. British Association of Interior Designers - http://www.biid.org.uk/ 

• recruitment agencies (access to specific employers) 

– E.g. Adrem - http://www.adrem.uk.com/jobs/interiors Eden Brown – 

www.edenbrown.com sound them out, submit your CV, keep in touch 

• advertised vacancies (25% of all jobs) 

– E.g. Design Week - http://jobs.designweek.co.uk/jobs/interior/designer/ 

– national, specialist and local press, company websites 


What about life beyond Interior Design? 

60% of Graduate vacancies do not 

specify the degree discipline 

Employers are looking for: 

• A Good degree 

• Work Experience 

• Transferable Skills: 

- Communication skills 

- Research skills 

- Team working skills 

- Ability to meet deadlines 

- Plus motivation and interest 

PROVIDE EVIDENCE ON YOUR CV 



Graduates work in a HUGE range of roles 

• Human resources 

• Public sector managers 

• Retail buyer 

• Training 

• IT 

• Administration (Arts) 

• Marketing 

• Security Services 

• Campaigns Organiser 

• Events Manager 

• Accountancy 

• Finance 

• Teaching 

• …..and many, many more 




Where to find General Graduate Jobs 

• www.prospects.ac.uk – National vacancies 

• www.doctorjob.co.uk – National vacancies 

• Guardian newspaper www.jobs.guardian.co.uk – 

National vacancies 

• www.gradsouthwest.com – graduate level jobs in 

South West 

• www.unlockingcornishpotential.co.uk – graduate 

level jobs based in Cornwall 


Teaching 


• A common request at the Careers Service 

• Why are you interested in teaching? 

• VITAL to get work experience for PGCE course 

• www.gttr.ac.uk 

• Check eligibility for different courses 

• Come and see us for help with personal 

statement 



Post-graduate Study and Funding 

• Be clear on your motives 

• Research all courses thoroughly – www.prospects.ac.uk 

• We can give 1:1 feedback on personal statements 

• Enquire at the institution where you are planning to 

study for funding possibilities 

• Arts & Humanities Research Council www.ahrc.ac.uk 

• Funderfinder – computer package in the careers library 

• Postgraduate Funding Guide 

• Careers Development loan 


Self Employment/Freelance help 

• Business Link –www.businesslink.gov.uk 

• Creative Skills – www.creativeskills.org.uk 

• Unlocking Cornish Potential – UCP 

Graduate Business Start Up Support 

• Princes Trust 

www.princes-trust.org.uk 

• Shell Live-wire 

www.shell-livewire.org 

Artists’ Residencies – www.transartists.org 

www.artquest.org.uk 



Travelling 

• Working Overseas: JET – Japan, British Council 

Schemes – Global, BUNAC – US, Canada, 

Australia, NZ 

• www.anyworkanywhere.com – seasonal jobs 

• Volunteering overseas - http://www.wwv.org.uk/ 

• Come and see us 

• Book a slot now? 



• Don’t panic 

Completely unsure? 

• Doubts at this stage are very common 



• www.prospects.ac.uk – prospects planner 

careers software if you fancy it…… 


Action Planning? 


• Where ever you are in your career planning 

we can help 

• Discuss options, help draft a CV, find 

vacancies, structure applications, mock 

interviews 

• Set yourself some realistic targets 

• Remember you can still use us after 

graduation 


Action Planning 


• start-wide in job hunting – who might want what you’ve 

got to offer? Talk to friends/ careers 

consultants/tutors/www.prospects.ac.uk 

• follow leads from particular companies to sectors 

and vice-versa 

• build networks 

• Maximise your mentor relationship 

• keep a job-hunting file – copies of applications, job 

descriptions, company profiles, networking contacts 

• always have an up-to-date CV 

• don’t keep searching for the ‘perfect job or 

course’ 


Learning how we can help 

• 1:1 careers guidance 

• 1:1 feedback on your CV 

• Interview skills booklets 

• Careers library 


• Book a slot now? 




Where are we at Tremough? 



Contact us on …. 

Call 01326 253735 or ext. 2735 

Or email us on….. 

Laura.brammar@falmouth.ac.uk 

careers@falmouth.ac.uk 

Good Luck!

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