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Here is the next installment in our "A Week In The Life Of" series!

Hello! What is your name and where are you from?

Hello, my name is Emma and I'm from Scarborough.

Where do you work and what is your job?

I am a Graduate Interior Designer for a business called Principle Global. 

Please can you tell us a little more about where you work and the industry it is in?

I work in the Interior design team of a global brand implementation company, we focus on ensuring the brand's identity is clear throughout all sites I work in the commercial design industry our main at the moment clients are in the automotive industry

What is a typical day like in your job?

Typical days vary depending on what stage we are at within a project, a day in the early stage would be researching the company, understanding our brief, and coming up with a design concept that would meet and exceed the client's expectations. A day towards the end of the project could include drawing plans in CAD and creating a 3D model as well as creating visuals, all this would also be compiled into a document that is both nice to look at and full of technical information.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy working with a team to find a design solution whether that is for a concept to present to a client or to re-designing the clients current space to fit in their new requirements.

Did you go to college or university? If so, what did you study and where?

I studied Art and Design at Yorkshire Coast College and then went on to study Interior Architecture and Design at Leeds Beckett University.

Why did you choose to study this subject/s?

I chose to study art and Design at college as despite not being particularly interested in art I knew that was the path I needed to take to become a designer of some sort. During my time at college, I learnt more about what I liked and disliked. I was always debating Architecture or Interior design, After doing more research I found the perfect course for me, Interior Architecture and design.

Does your degree relate to your job? If so, how?

Yes, all skills I learned on my course are used directly in my work, whether that is creating a concept, drawing technical plans, creating high-quality visual proposals, and presenting to clients all this was covered in my course at university.

How has the COVID-19 lockdown affected your job?

Unfortunately, some clients pressed pause on work, meaning a loss for the company however for the interior team there was a lot of pressure to keep the workflow going as we supported the whole business during the pandemic. The interior design sector will be very important in the near future as businesses look to us to provide workplace designs and planning that allows workers to return to workplaces safely.

Did you have to do an internship before your job?

Internships can be hard to come by however invaluable if you can get one, I however did not as I had to work part-time as well as studying.

What would be your one piece of advice for someone who is looking into the job sector you work in?

Knowing what career you want when you are young is not easy, for me, I realised what I wanted to do after thinking about my childhood, for example one thing that helped this become clear was that when I used to play with my dolls house I wouldn’t play with the dolls I would take them out and rearrange the house. I would also always be rearranging my own bedroom. Once I remembered this it seemed so clear. Take your time and research, there is a larger range of careers than you think.

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