Starting an Interior Design Career? FAQs Every Design Student Should Know

Interior Design Business Podcast, Interior Design Career Podcast, Interior Design Business Mentor

Are you studying interior design, preparing to graduate, or hoping to land your first job at a design firm? You might already know how to create a beautiful space, develop a floor plan, or put together a portfolio. But do you know what happens between the first client consultation and the final installation? Do you understand how materials are specified, projects are managed, budgets are handled, and client expectations are met? These practical skills help turn your creative education into a successful interior design career.

In this episode, I’m answering frequently asked questions from interior design students about how I got started, what I love about the profession, and what I’ve learned along the way. I’ll share what I look for when hiring junior designers, which technical and business skills can help you stand out, how to present your portfolio, and whether professional credentials and design associations are worth pursuing. I’ll also explain why communication, networking, curiosity, and a willingness to learn can be just as valuable as your design skills.

If you’re starting out and getting hired feels overwhelming, know that you don’t need to know everything on your first day. You do need to be willing to learn, take responsibility, ask questions, and build experience over time. My goal is to help you understand what the profession actually involves so you can prepare for opportunities, make informed career decisions, and grow into a confident, capable interior designer.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • How to turn your creativity into an interior design career

  • Which technical skills help new designers get hired

  • How to present a portfolio that explains your design decisions

  • Why business skills, communication, and networking matter

  • How to build confidence through experience and continuous learning

Tips & FAQs for Building a Strong Interior Design Career Foundation

Entering the interior design profession involves much more than developing a good eye for color, furniture, and beautiful spaces. When I look at new designers, I’m looking for people who understand that design is both creative and practical.

Here are my recommendations for preparing yourself for your first position and building a strong foundation for your career.

1. Learn the Full Interior Design Project Process

One of the biggest gaps I see in new designers is not understanding the full project process. You might learn space planning, drafting, and design concepts in school, but a real project involves so much more. It starts with the first phone call or consultation and continues through design development, material and product selections, project management, procurement, installation, and completion.

I want you to understand how these stages connect. A beautiful design doesn’t exist in isolation. You need to understand what happens after the client approves your ideas, how products are ordered, how timelines are managed, and how the different trades work together to bring the design to life. Residential interior design, in particular, can require you to wear many different hats, even when you’re working for someone else’s firm.

My recommendation: Learn the complete project workflow as early as possible. When you have an internship or junior designer position, pay attention to what happens outside the creative phase. Ask questions about scheduling, product availability, procurement, installation, and project coordination. The more you understand the full process, the more valuable you’ll become to a design team.

2. Strengthen Your Knowledge of Materials and Specifications

Design school gives you important foundations, including space planning and drafting, but I remember feeling insecure about specifying materials when I was starting out. I didn’t always know which materials were appropriate for particular settings or why I would choose one option over another.

For example, understanding the differences between upholstery fabrics, window-covering fabrics, and contract-grade versus residential-grade materials helps you make more informed decisions. You also need to learn about hard finishes, such as ceramic and porcelain tile, and understand how material performance, durability, and applicable codes affect your selections.

These are skills that develop through hands-on experience.

My recommendation: When you have the opportunity to work with samples, examine different materials, and understand how they perform, take advantage of it. Don’t simply choose a material because it looks beautiful. Learn why it works for the intended application, how it supports the client’s needs, and whether it is suitable for the environment.

I try to give interns time to learn about materials because I know how important that knowledge is. If you’re still in school, start familiarizing yourself with materials and specifications now. If you’re already working, ask experienced designers why they recommend particular products. Building this knowledge will strengthen your technical skills and help you make better design decisions.

3. Develop Business Skills Alongside Your Creative Skills

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my own career has been learning the business side of interior design. I love the creativity and problem-solving involved in transforming a space, but running projects also means managing budgets, timelines, client expectations, contractors, and products that may arrive damaged or become unavailable.

These responsibilities don’t disappear just because you have a great design concept. You need to understand pricing models, procurement, project management, and the economics of a project. Even if you never intend to own your own design firm, these business skills can make you a stronger candidate when applying to work for someone else.

My recommendation: Look for opportunities to learn about construction management, business finances, and how design firms operate. Understand that a project needs to work creatively and practically, including financially. Software knowledge is useful, and many students already graduate with experience using tools common in design firms. However, technical proficiency alone won’t necessarily set you apart.

Communication and business skills can help you grow beyond the entry-level role. Learn to manage details, follow through on responsibilities, and understand how your work contributes to the success of the overall project. These abilities will serve you whether you’re an intern, junior designer, associate designer, or eventually running your own practice.

4. Present a Portfolio That Explains Your Design Decisions

When I review a student’s portfolio, I don’t just want to see attractive drawings or finished concepts. I want to understand the thinking behind the work. What constraints were you given? What were you trying to accomplish? Which platform or software did you use? Why did you choose that particular solution?

Being able to explain your design decisions is an important part of client communication. Your clients aren’t necessarily design experts, so they may not immediately understand why one layout, finish, or furniture arrangement is better suited to their needs than another. It’s your job to help them understand the reasoning behind your recommendations.

The same principle applies when you’re interviewing for a job. Instead of simply presenting a portfolio and expecting the work to speak for itself, explain your thought process. Show how you responded to the brief, solved a problem, and developed a design that met the requirements.

My recommendation: Practice your craft outside school. Design your own home, help friends or family with a space, and look for ways to gain experience. These opportunities can help you develop your skills and give you more examples to discuss when applying for a position.

5. Build Professional Relationships and Show a Growth Mindset

When I think about how I found work before starting my own firm, relationships played a huge part. It was often about who I knew and who connected me with an opportunity, rather than simply submitting an application without any existing connection. My drafting skills were important, but professional relationships helped open doors.

My recommendation: If you’re looking for a job, research the design firms in your area. Look at their websites, study their projects, and consider what makes each firm different. When you contact a potential employer, explain specifically why you’re interested in their work. Perhaps you admire their approach to residential projects, their collaborative culture, or the way they’ve built their team. Give them a genuine reason to see how you might fit.

Don’t overlook your previous work experience, either. Sales, finance, customer service, or experience in another industry may have helped you develop useful skills. Highlight those strengths in your résumé and explain how they could contribute to a design team.

When I hire, I look for curiosity, dependability, kindness, integrity, attention to detail, and a growth mindset. I also value people who take responsibility when they make a mistake. You aren’t expected to know everything as an intern or junior designer. You are expected to ask for help when you need it, be receptive to feedback, and follow through on your commitments.

Building expertise takes time. One of my designers started as an intern, progressed to junior designer, and then became an associate designer while continuing to work toward a senior-level role. That kind of development happens through exposure, experience, initiative, and growing confidence. Be patient with yourself, and keep learning.

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting an Interior Design Career

Do I need professional credentials or membership in a design association?

I took the NCIDQ exam and joined ASID partly because I wanted additional professional credibility when I was starting out. At the time, I was younger than many established designers, and having credentials gave me confidence in presenting myself professionally.

However, my experience with association membership has been mixed. I haven’t found ASID membership essential to my own career, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be valuable in yours. The benefits can depend on your local chapter, the clients in your area, networking opportunities, and access to awards or professional development. I recommend evaluating what an association can actually offer you before committing your time and money.

Should I focus on hourly billing or flat fees?

For my own business, I primarily use hourly billing, with some flat fees for specific consultation services. The right approach depends on the work you’re doing and how your business is structured. If you’re starting out, focus first on understanding how pricing works, how time affects project profitability, and why clear client expectations matter.

How should I follow up when applying for a design job?

I recommend following up rather than assuming that no response means no interest. People get busy, and messages can be overlooked. In my own business, we generally follow up with prospective clients about three times before deciding that a lead has gone cold. As a job applicant, you can apply a similar principle while remaining professional and respectful. If you’re rejected or don’t move forward, ask for feedback when appropriate. You may learn something that helps you prepare for your next opportunity.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Know Everything Yet

Starting an interior design career is a learning process, and you don’t need to have every answer before you begin.

Stay curious, practice your craft, and learn how the entire project comes together, from the first consultation to the final installation.

Strengthen your technical, communication, and business skills, build relationships with other professionals, and learn to explain the reasoning behind your design decisions.

Most importantly, recognize the value of the experience you already have and remain open to new experiences. The more you practice, take initiative, and learn from feedback, the more confident you’ll become. You’re not expected to know everything now, but the more you do it, the better it will get.

Your Next Steps

If you’re serious about building your interior design career or growing your interior design business, you don’t have to figure everything out alone.

My Design Mentor is designed to give you the support, education, and community you need to keep moving forward. Inside, you’ll find 12 learning modules, a book club, special projects, a community of designers for feedback, and monthly one-on-one coaching calls with me where we can focus on the specific challenges you’re facing in your career.

Join My Design Mentor and let’s build your design career together.

bootcamp for interior designers, launch your interior design business bootcamp

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