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Tips

Top 10 Tips | How to land a job in the interiors industry

Michelle Burke sharing career tips for the interiors industry

At Sydney Design School, our students graduate career ready, equipped not only with creative skills and standout portfolios, but also with the confidence and industry know-how to take the next step. From your very first day, our dynamic Careers and Industry Manager, Michelle Burke, is by your side. She is passionate about helping students discover their strengths, make valuable connections and map out a clear path towards the interiors career of their dreams.

With years of experience and an incredible network across the design industry, Michelle knows exactly what it takes to stand out in a competitive market. In this post, she shares her top 10 insider tips to help you land that all important first role and set yourself up for success in the interiors industry.

1 |  Know the industry and network

Spend time learning about the interior design industry. Who are the key suppliers? Which studios are winning awards? Who inspires you? Where do you see yourself fitting in? Research studios and projects and then visit the spaces they have designed – experience their work first hand! Attend trade shows, suppliers’ product launches, visit showrooms and attend industry awards and speaker events. While you’re there be genuine and friendly and chat to people without an agenda. You never know who you’ll meet and what connections you’ll make.

2 |  Embrace social media and be engaged

Social media, and in particular Instagram, is a fantastic platform to immerse yourself in local and international interior design. You can make important connections via your social media presence. Curate your feed with the things that inspire you and reflect your aesthetic (be sure to always credit the source of photos) and engage in a thoughtful way with your peers, the industry and suppliers.

3 |  Learn from those who’ve gone before you

Connect with Sydney Design School alumni and create a dialog. Everyone had to start somewhere and people often enjoy sharing stories and tips. Be sure to attend the careers events we hold at the School where you can hear our alumni speak. Be engaged. Ask questions!

4 |  Work on yourself while you study

A strong sense of self and a good dose of self confidence goes a long way. If this is something you need to work on, there’s no better time than while you’re doing your course. Take this opportunity to collaborate with others and become confident in communicating ideas and presenting your work. These are both important skills in the interiors industry – design teams expect graduates to have the confidence to share their ideas.

5 |  Perfect your portfolio

Only show your best work and don’t be tempted to include things just to fill up space. Start and finish with your best projects – that way you’ll make a great first impression and finish on a memorable high note. Importantly, let your work speak for itself. Be wary of using fancy fonts, too many colours, or tricky design features. Err on the side of simple design and let your work be the star.

6 |  Create an impactful resume

The importance of your resume can’t be overstated as it’s usually the first impression a prospective employer will have of you. Put in the time and effort to perfect your message – be relevant, refreshing and effective. This is something that I’m on hand to help you with. Make the design clean and simple – and proofread, proofread, proofread! Then ask someone else to proofread for you.

7 |  Let your personality shine

The interiors industry is one that values creativity and diversity, so ensure your personality and individuality shine in all you do! Professionalism is important but so is ‘personality presence’. Always consider what impression you’re projecting – during your time studying, in your portfolio and resume, on social media and even the way you write emails.

8 |  Get real world experience

Internships and work experience opportunities are undoubtedly the best way to learn about different jobs. In addition to invaluable on the job experience, you’ll be creating connections and gaining something impressive to add to your resume – and it can often lead to a job offer on graduation. As a Sydney Design School student these opportunities are something that I’m always working on generating for you.

9 |  Be proactive and ask questions

You can miss some fantastic opportunities purely because you’re afraid to put yourself out there and ask questions. ‘Would you consider hosting me as an intern?’, ‘Would I be able to pop in to drop off my resume?’ or ‘How did you score such a great job at this firm?’ are all simple but valuable ways to start conversations that could progress your future career.

10 |  Make the most of careers support

When you study with us you can take advantage of my expertise and support as a dedicated Careers Coach. I’ll email job and internship opportunities to you at least once a week and I’m always happy to meet with you to discuss your career path and help with your resume. It’s a competitive industry so the extra support from myself and our Educators is an invaluable and unique resource.

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