Читать книгу Professional Practice for Interior Designers - Christine M. Piotrowski - Страница 93

The transition from student to professional is not easy for most individuals. The last semester of school can be a nerve‐wracking time. Projects are generally complex, the quality of work must be very high, and grades become even more important. Added to that stress is the development of portfolios, job searching, and internships.

After graduation and on the first job, designers are excited to finally use the skills they spent so many years honing in classes. They also feel more comfortable attending professional association meetings as a professional.

For most, an internship will be a great transition from student to practitioner. As was talked about in Chapter 2, an internship helps students see how all the coursework they have taken relates to the work done in the “real world.” That is why it is so important to work with your faculty advisor to seek out the best internship for your goals. Remember though that an internship is not an automatic entry at a job, but it certainly is a stepping‐stone.

Your first job becomes the groundwork for your career. This is not to say that your first job represents what you will always do in interior design. If you ask any professional who has been working for 15 years or more about his or her career path, you will find that a career in interior design is never a straight path. It zigs and zags and even may throw you a few curves. Students adamantly interested in one type of design work find that after some time on the job, their interests are really somewhere else. And that is okay. Just be sure you are making a change that is truly appropriate for you.

Naturally, how work works is different in different companies. Some firms are relatively relaxed and informal, whereas others might have a formal structure that makes it feel like working in the corporate world. How work works in a particular firm will in all likelihood be a key component of training during the first few days on the job.

Your first job is where you will learn to work in interior design:

 You will learn methods of doing a project not covered in school. This is because each professional has a personal way of working.

 You will begin to make business and industry contacts as you socialize with professionals in your area.

 You will become very familiar with certain product lines and craftspeople that you can confidently recommend to clients.

 Attending and participating in professional meetings will help you gain confidence in dealing with people you do not know.

 You will learn how to dress, how to “talk,” and how to act like an interior design professional.

Because it is your first job, do not be cavalier about the experience. Some managers and owners today report that younger designers are too cavalier about changing jobs too often. Most of you will learn very quickly that you must park your egos at the door, because you will be directed, reprimanded, and pushed to learn by bosses, other designers, and even clients. This is not school, and this first job in interior design is probably not like any other job you have ever had.

Just because you graduated from a wonderful, accredited school (or anywhere else, for that matter) does not mean that you know more than your boss. Information that many have found helpful is in Table 4‐1.

Though truthful, the preceding comments may seem a little harsh—or possibly condescending—as well. The work environment is not school, and your time is not your own but the company's. Maybe you will be lucky and have a boss who mentors and congratulates more than criticizes. Sometimes it might seem like it but that tough mentoring by the boss will be just as valuable as the mentoring that is more congratulatory than harsh.

TABLE 4‐1. On‐the‐job policies and truths

They really mean you are to be there at 8:00 AM every day.One hour for lunch means one hour.Talking and texting to friends on the phone is not allowed. Keep your personal life outside the office.Many project decisions are made within minutes, not days or weeks.Observe how others work, ask thoughtful questions, and listen a lot so that your decision‐making skills keep improving.Understand that reading magazines because you have “nothing to do” is not a positive task. Find something to do!If you make a mistake, don't fret over it and lie. Own up to a mistake and learn so you don't repeat the same mistake.You can't take every Friday off to meet up with friends for a long weekend.The boss is always right even when she is wrong.The boss is not likely to pat employees on the back every time they do something right. “Grades” don't happen on a weekly basis.December 24th is not a holiday. Nor are a lot of other days you may have normally had off.You will get criticized in front of others, and it will not feel pleasant.The boss will probably not give you positive feedback all the time—get over it.

Design professionals expect entry‐level employees to come ready to work—even if that means cleaning up the library from time to time. They expect the entry‐level professional to be a team player, be disciplined, and be well organized. They don't expect you to know everything; they also expect you to ask questions. When you aren't sure, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Doing it correctly means a lot to the senior staff and clients. Aspire to learn all you can about the business, and there will likely be no end to your success.

You may feel that you are entitled to take on large responsibilities and do very important work right off the bat. Get over it. Few new employees who have little previous work experience are going to be allowed to take on projects by themselves, meeting with clients, and doing plans and specifications without supervision. You have to “pay your dues” and learn how the company that hires you does things and expects you to do the work. Their way may be quite different from what you learned in school. It doesn't mean you were taught wrong. It just means there are many ways to do essentially the same tasks. Learn how your company wants work done, and you will have a successful probationary period and possibly a long association with the company.

Table 4‐2 offers a few suggestions about how you can prepare yourself for the transition from student to professional. I am sure your professors will have others.

TABLE 4‐2. Suggestions to assist students in the transition to professional

Talk to professionals who are doing the work you want to do. People love to talk about what they do and their work. Make appointments and come prepared with about 15 good questions to ask that will help you find out what it is like to work at a particular kind of company or in a particular type of design specialty.

Examine your motives and establish goals. Set goals that interest you. Think about what you want to do 2, 5, or 10 years from now.

Get involved with a professional association. Visit chapter meetings of the different organizations in your area. Students are always welcome. When you are sure about which one(s) you want to join, get involved. Volunteer for committees. It is a great way to get to know people in the business.

Begin to be a professional. One or two days a week—maybe for studio classes—dress professionally, as if you were going to the office. Get used to being dressed up. You will also likely feel more confident on those days.

Begin to work like a professional. Use a time management system of some kind. Treat the school day as a workday; that is, start the day at 8:00 AM and work until 5:00 PM.

During your internship:Don't play the critic. You are there to learn, not to criticize the company.Don't be lazy or blasé. If you want a good recommendation from this company, cheerfully complete all assigned tasks.Look for things to do or to help out as well.Ask questions. They expect you to ask questions.If you want to work for this company, show that you want to be there by doing all that is asked and then some.When you have nothing to do, look for or ask for something to do. Straighten catalogs or review samples and catalogs.You can learn a lot about current products by cleaning up the library from time to time.