How to Become an Interior DesignerWritten by Liz Smith
What exactly is involved in becoming an interior designer? It’s probably much more involved than you might think. The following steps will walk you through what it takes to pursue a career in interior designing.What Interior Designers Do Interior designers plan and design spaces and furnish interiors in residential, commercial and public settings. The work can vary from simple projects that involve re-arranging furniture and applying a fresh coat of paint, all way up through full-scale redesigns that require advanced knowledge of structural documents and close work with architects and contractors. Schooling You can earn a certificate, diploma, associate or bachelor’s degree in interior design. Many schools throughout United States offer interior design programs. Coursework varies at each school, but will likely include courses like computer-aided design, color theory, textiles and more. See Through a Designer’s Eyes If you want to be an interior designer, you need to get used to looking at things way designers do. Become aware of trends that are popular in industry, get a feel for what’s out there and what’s in style. Do this by looking through design magazines, attending home shows and even open houses in upscale neighborhoods. Read literature available on styles of design that interest you most, and begin to analyze spaces that you like by breaking them down into their constituent elements - what principles of design are being employed by designer that you find appealing? Begin With Small Steps To get practice, try making some changes around your own home or living space. Volunteer to help friends and family members update interior decorating in their homes. As you work, you will learn that just as important as using your expertise to design a space is making client happy. You need to consult with them to make sure they agree with changes you make. Working first with friends and family will help you gain confidence and communication skills.
| | Danger In The Comfort ZoneWritten by Jay Conners
Danger in Comfort Zone/By J.ConnersI don’t know who said it or where I heard it, but I’m sure it was brought to my attention by a sales trainer somewhere, at some time during my journey through maze of countless sales trainings and seminars that I have attended over years, but it does make perfect sense. There is danger in comfort zone! Ahh yes! The comfort zone, we all know it very well, we have all spent a lot of time there. It is safe place where everything comes so naturally and effortlessly, place where no one can touch us, where we are masters of our own house, and our own craft. The confidence that knowing our paycheck will be automatically deposited into our bank accounts has become as automatic as our daily routines. The danger... So what exactly is “danger” implied in saying “there is danger in comfort zone” The danger is becoming so relaxed in what we do and what we know , that any kind of change in our daily routine becomes frightening, and that limits us from exposing our total potential and getting most out of our work day and our lives. We reach a point in our work life where we say hey, I’ve made it far enough, I’ve paid my do’s, I make good money, I have a nice car, that’s great! You have worked hard and accomplished plenty, you are entitled to every accolade associated with success, but why stop there? A little story... About ten years ago I attended a retirement dinner for a Vice President of a very large corporation, I didn’t know him that well, but it was a big social event, and a lot of my friends were going, so I attended. When given opportunity, I approached this retiree to wish him luck in his retirement and make small talk. Midway through our conversation, I asked him about his career, and titles that he had held, each title was an indication that he had risen through ranks. He said to me, Jay, it’s no big secret. Every six months to a year, I would browse through my companies job postings, seeking out an opportunity to advance. When an opportunity came along, I jumped at chance for an interview, and as it turned out, I was usually only one applying.
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