Cultivate

The job interview, if you are reading this than most likely you had this experience before. Is your chance as a professional to leave a lasting impression and hopefully get hired.
Now, think about a job interview where the interviewer already has an impression of who you are as a professional. Well if you got the interview then not only, was it a good impression, but you are already one step of ahead of the competition.
We are currently leaving in a society where such scenarios are very possible and common. As a society we have been provided with whole new aspect of networking. The internet has brought the possibilities of creating profiles on websites such as facebook, linkedin, blogspot, and wix, among many more. These websites have allowed for employees and employers to be able to communicate and engage by showcasing personal information, interests, job experience, resumes, and displaying portfolio work. Also consider the scale of people that can be reached compare to the normal job seeking routine.
Other advantages would include that when that great opportunity is presented when you meet the right connection at an unexpected time there is always a way to be reached.
As an upcoming interior designer putting yourself out there it's a great means of allowing your work to be known. As an interior designer the opportunity to cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, especially in finding employment or moving to a higher position just seems that it would be the right choice.

There is always a Reality

Here is a concept: perception.
The process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting information.
We currently live in a time period where most our information comes from the media as a society our technology has allowed for information to be our fingertips. Is inevitable that as individuals we are drawn and seek entertainment from these sources. However, there is always a reality. I speak from first hand experience and as my example I will use HGTV.
HGTV is a cable-television network dedicated to broadcasting home and garden improvement shows, remodeling shows, among others.
As the viewer our attention is grabbed by promises of a new room for 100 dollars, a new house in just a weekend, or even better this is so fun and simple anybody can do it promises. One can asked themselves was is so wrong about these shows? And in my opinion is the perception of interior designers, the profession, and the details of what it takes to be an interior designer that they are feeding the public.
It can be denied that there are certain elements that are shown that can be found in the design process. However, those only cover a very small portion of the profession and distract the importance of the dedication of a good designer. A good designer seeks solutions conceived for humans considering function, physical, emotional, and spiritual well being for inhabitants. There is a certain degree of awareness, reasoning and skill, that can't be overlooked.
As far as my first hand experience, it comes from seeking an education in this profession learning the importance of a fitting solution and its successful execution for a design problem.

Event

On August 4, I had the opportunity to attend an event held at my school, The Art Institute of Tampa. The event was to honor and thank the senators and chairmen that fought for our profession in Tallahassee just a couple of months ago. In order to understand what fight and how important this fight is you must know that in Florida, in order to practice interior design one must be licensed.
Our state is one of the few with a strong regulation of the profession in order to get license one must have an education, experience and pass the NCIDQ (qualification exam). This process is not an easy or cheap and this why I’m appalled to think that there are people that believe that it is okay to take away the regulation of our profession. Not to mention the endangerment of the public if we have individuals that are not qualified working as interior designers. Ironically, this all tights in with my reoccurring point of how valuable interior design is as a profession and what is it that we really offer as designers.


A couple months ago, with the support of those fighting for us in the house as well as those local professionals, partners, and even some of my own classmates the deregulation has been reconsidered. Therefore, you must understand how important it was to share the room not only with those professionals that are as passionate about what they do as you are but also those who can understand and believe in your profession from an outside perspective. The energy at the event was that of accomplishment and pride. It was very inspiring and touching to hear the words of those that are fighting for what you love and believe in. Personally I gained a great sense of comfort knowing that this battle was being fought and there were those individuals willing to understand and stand up for what is unmistakably right.

Beginning to Understand

Where to begin? Its hard to think about not being able to have an answer for a question as simple as what do you do? You would think that if I'm dedicating my time and money to an education for a profession that I plan on doing for the rest of my life that would be all I could talk about. Sure, it many ways that is all I talk about, I spend a significant time in school and all we talk about its our projects, classes, challenges, and accomplishments. On the other hand, the rest of the time that I'm not in school all I can talk about is how much I have to do for school. However, the person on the other side of these conversations is either in class next to me or knows me well enough to tolerate all the nagging. The real issue is talking to the general public, the person at the grocery store, a customer at work, a new acquaintance, my doctor. These people that make up most of the public that have  no knowledge to what an interior designer does? or even worse the people that have been lead to believe all kinds of misconceptions about the profession.

I want them to understand and appreciate the value of this profession. I've been on that other side that assumes knowing what this as a career entails so I can understand the misconceptions. However, my time at the The Art Institute of Tampa has opened my eyes to depths and quality of what it takes to be an interior designer. Here I've been taught about space, form and function, about the process and all the work that goes into a project. Weird huh? the end result to the careless eye seems as simple as picking out paint, materials and buying furniture. Not being aware that there is a whole process that consist of the beginning stages of research, case studies, programmatic development, formal analysis, ideation, conceptual development, construction documents, detailing, material selections, rendering, perspective drawings, 3D modeling. All of theses are just some of the important steps of the process without considering all the different steps require to accomplish each of these.

The main point that I would want others to understand is that there reason, thought, psychology behind the decisions that are made when working with a space the aesthetics are as important but only because of the all the beginning stages that must be consider to make an interior successful. In other words, we should consider how important the functionality of a space, building, environment is in all aspects in order to begin to appreciate how important it is what an interior designer does.

The Right Path

When it came to choosing a career path there were only two things that were clear to me: I wanted a career that I would be able to do for the rest of my life, a career that would provide various routes and bring variety to my life. I also knew that I wanted to make a difference and impact others, I wanted to be able to reach people and have the satisfaction of knowing that I could make change.

I must include a few things about myself because I strongly feel that they play a dominant role in my decision of becoming an interior designer. My name is Lizeth Paz, and I was born in Cali, Colombia. I lived in Cali for nine years of my life and I know that the experiences of my childhood will shape the person that I am forever. Colombia exposed me to a different quality of life, there I experienced a warmth and culture that I have not found anywhere else. I was raised to put God and family first. I was in an environment where community life was a way life, allowing for an urge to help others to grow and an interest for how people experience their surroundings.

Therefore, currently I'm an interior design major at the Art Institute of Tampa. However, to be honest most of the general public wouldn't think interior design when I say that I want to  be intrigued and change peoples lives everyday. Actually,  I personally didn't understand the impact that interior design holds. I was always attracted by the profession since I had a personal  first point of view growing up with a close relative in the field but nothing prepared me for the insight that I have received on this profession once I started school.


Not only do I understand that as an interior designer I'm able to improve the quality of life of others I'm also able to provide evidence that supports the importance of this profession. Being able to say that I'll have the knowledge that includes a scope of services, qualified by means of education, experience and examination, to protect and enhance the health, life safety and welfare of the public (NCIDQ, 2010). Only reassures that my passion as a designer can make a difference.