How to Make a Career of an Interior Design Hobby

Lending your fashion sense to friends and family as they redecorate their homes could be the beginning of a lucrative job. Consider turning your hobby of interior design into a career you love. But you'll need more than just your creativity to design a successful career.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Charge for your vision. Have friends that you've helped in the past refer you to others needing assistance. Until you have your degree and licensing, you can offer your services at a discount. That way, you're still making money doing what you love, and your customers have a reason to choose you over the professional down the street.
2. Consider specializing in one area as an interior designer. You can make a career of either commercial or residential services. Or you can go even further to specialize in the health care industry, for elderly residents, or for retail.
3. Familiarize yourself with other aspects of the job. Interior design is not just about decorating. You must be a great seller, able to convince customers to choose your services over another. You have to have great people skills, expert knowledge in fabrics and styles, and the ability to handle stress.
4. Take classes. Ideally, you should get at least a bachelor's degree in Interior Design. Get an internship or apprenticeship as well. You'll need the experience and contacts.
5. Keep a portfolio. Use only your best work as examples. Enlarge the photos and mount them on a stiff board in their own portfolio case, rather than the traditional method of flipping through countless pages of pictures.
6. Get licensed through NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Qualification) once you meet the qualifications, which is 6 years of experience. The 6 years can be from a combination of school and work time.
7. Start your own business after you have a few years of experience working for another designer or firm. Or if you prefer, become a partner in a firm. You can also choose to stay an employee, rather than becoming an entrepreneur if you want to avoid some of the overwhelming responsibilities of a independent contractor. However, having your own company would mean choosing your own hours and clients.