To start to process toward becoming a professional who can take on interior design jobs you must realize that it is more than just being someone that has good taste. There is a lot of education that you will need to get yourself. You must have knowledge of industry standards like flammability, building codes, and toxicity levels. Additionally, since you may be working on design jobs for new construction you will need to be able to talk with other construction professionals like architects and contractors in addition being confident in deciphering blueprints. Perhaps most importantly you must have a good flair for customer service. You are going to be working with clients one on one, and ensuring that they are happy with the results is truly what is going to grow your business.
One of the best places to get that education is to pursue a bachelor's degree from a fully accredited educational institution. Specifically you want a college or university that has been certified by FIDER, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research. You can visit FIDER's website for a full list of accredited institutions.
In addition to your regular curriculum you will want to be sure that you take some CAD courses. CAD is a computer design program that you will use on your interior design jobs. This program helps you to map out interior spaces which allow you to give actual pictures to your clients to help them visualize the final products. Additionally, you are going to want to secure a design internship as part of your academic training. Not only will this give you valuable real world experience that you can carry with you to design jobs in the future, but you may actually even make some industry contacts that can help you find a job in the future.
The individual state requirements are different for interior designers. Before you begin to solicit interior design jobs you will want to get in touch with your licensing board to learn about their particular requirements. To become a fully certified interior decorator you will need to take the NCIDQ exam. This is required to get a license in most states, but even if your state does not require it you will want to take it. Most professional groups require it as part of their admissions process, and you will want to be a member of these to help you find interior design jobs in the future.
