Do you love working with color? Does the idea of arranging furniture fill you with joy and purpose? Are you excited to choose home décor? If you answered yes to these, an interior decorating career could be perfect for you. When it comes to succeeding in this multi-billion dollar industry, there are many techniques and skills to be learned, and enrolling in an interior decorating course is an excellent first step.
But don’t be fooled – an interior decorating course won’t just teach you the essentials. It will also provide you with a certification, opportunities for growth, and the knowledge you’ll need to eventually start your own business! An interior decorating course is really your ticket to a rich and rewarding career!
A professional certification
First and foremost, you’ll receive a professional, interior decorating certificate upon completion of your course. The course itself will provide you with the skills, knowledge and experience you’ll need to take the industry by storm, but it’s your certification that will ultimately show potential clients and employers what you’re made of. That and your interior decorating portfolio, of course!
An International Design and Decorating Professional (IDDP) Certificate, which is acquired through the completion of an interior decorating course, will clearly demonstrate that you have successfully completed professional interior decorator training, and that you’re capable of creating beautiful and comfortable homes. Not only can you tell potential clients and employers that you completed an interior decorating course (which is a huge accomplishment!), you can display your professional certification, which is a visual testament to your hard work and dedication.
Access to associations and conferences
We know that you wouldn’t enroll in a course without first doing your research into its benefits and eventual career possibilities. You want to make the right choice! However, you may not even be aware of just how many perks are associated with an interior decorating course, so let us fill you in!
First of all, this certification will open some seriously important doors for you, including giving you access to design associations. Here are some that you could be eligible to join as a graduate of an interior decorating course:
- The Decorators & Designers Association of Canada is a professional, not-for-profit association representing home decorators, designers and design-related businesses across Canada. They offer memberships that provide members with access to job boards, a business listing, and the opportunity to attend conferences and networking events.
- The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) provides support to all professional real estate stagers in the United States and Canada, and all home staging and design professionals are eligible for memberships! Members receive marketing assistance, peer-to-peer support, newsletters, and access to business resources.
- Wherever you live, there is bound to be a local, national, or international association to help you connect with other professionals, access helpful resources, and of course, keep learning. All of this is yours to enjoy with an interior decorating course!
In addition to associations, you’ll also have the chance to travel around the world for specialized workshops and conferences, such as the following:
- San Francisco Design Week, one of the most influential events available to home designers and held in June of each year, is where the best of the industry come together. We can guarantee you’ll leave this conference with new ideas and knowledge about how interior decorators think!
- The Haven Conference, held annually in July, is a unique event catered to home decorators and focused on life and home improvement. You can expect to meet thought leaders in your industry, established bloggers, and improve your online presence as a result.
- The title of ultimate design conference belongs to the World Design Summit, which takes place each October and provides interior decorators and other professionals alike with an update on everything that’s happening in the design industry, as well as boosting their knowledge of home design.
A second career
Many people are unhappy with their choice of career, and find themselves going from job to job over the years without any sense of fulfillment. The reality is that some of us just never got around to finding out what we truly love to do, and have settled for a job that pays the bills. And there’s nothing wrong with that! However, it’s never too late to switch careers, and an interior decorating course could be just what you need in order to start a rewarding, dynamic second career.
Besides learning techniques and skills, and completing hands-on assignments, your interior decorating course will also allow you to get to know your tutors and fellow students. Online interior decorating courses will have forums where you can interact with similarly-minded students, allowing you to make connections that could end up benefiting your career down the road! While we’re on the subject of online courses, we should mention how doable it is to complete your training while working full-time or balancing family priorities. Online schools will allow you to work at your own pace, so you can take your time and complete the course on your own schedule. A second career is not far away with an interior decorating course!
Business ownership
It’s not enough to enroll in an interior decorating course – you need to make sure you enroll in the right one for your own interests and career goals! In addition to the benefits mentioned above, some interior decorating courses will actually prepare you to eventually start your own business, which is hugely beneficial if you dream of setting your own rates, choosing your own clients, and ultimately being your own boss.
Full disclosure: many graduates of interior decorating courses decide to start their own businesses. While this won’t happen overnight, and requires a great deal of practice as well as clients, it is a fantastic goal to work towards, and one that is totally feasible with the right course. QC Design School’s Interior Decorating Course will provide you with a guide to planning and setting up your interior decorating business, as well as teach you how to write a business plan and put the wheels in motion to run your own business.