Your interior decorating certification can take you in a lot of different directions – it’s a dynamic industry that lets you bring your best creative ideas to the table. Becoming an interior decorator is the most obvious career path—it’s in the name! But what other jobs are out there? When you know about all the different opportunities you’re qualified for, you’ll be able to take on more challenging projects, allowing you to become a design expert much faster than the average designer.
Read on for 5 unexpected interior decorating jobs you should go for as a certified home designer!
Set Decorator
Your interior decorating skills are certainly not limited to homes and offices. The film industry is one area you may have never considered before. Set decorators are always needed to organize, source, and keep records of decor for a film set!
A strong knowledge of design and decoration, as well as color theory, is necessary in this role. You also need a creative flair and attention to detail! Employers in the film industry will be looking for a combination of skills, motivation and a unique style.
These jobs can be found in any online job search, as well as through network connections you make at conferences and other events.
Retail Store Interior Design Coordinator/Manager
If you’re interested in working in a retail environment, this job could be a great fit for you. Just having an interior decorator certificate can take you far but not all the way. You’ll need to gain real-world experience!
Working in a store that specializes in interiors will allow you to get your feet wet. You’ll get to know clients, share your expertise, and provide solutions on color and decor on a smaller scale than you would as a business owner or full-fledged designer. If your goal is to eventually become a store manager, starting as a coordinator or assistant is an excellent way to work your way up. You’ll build on your customer service skills and grow within the company. And if you want to try your hand at marketing, you can become a retail merchandiser with your decorating skills, too!
You can search for interior design retail jobs anywhere, and searching locally to get your foot in the door as an interior decorator is a great way to increase your potential to become manager!
Kitchen Designer
Your interior decorating class taught you how to select and arrange furniture, create home design plans, and work magic in every space. One space in particular, the kitchen, could be the main focus of your work as a kitchen designer.
In this position, you would be employed by a design firm or retail store. You’d be expected to create custom interiors for clients based on their vision and preferences. You would work closely with clients to determine which features of the kitchen they use most, and then use your expertise to design a space that they’ll love!
In order to become a kitchen designer, you’ll require a few years of experience. Try to hone your kitchen design skills as much as possible during your training!
Design Coordinator
Joining a design firm is a desirable career move for any new interior decorator. Well-established interior design firms are highly regarded in the industry; they’re known for producing professional, high-quality work and following best practices. As a coordinator or assistant for a design firm, you’ll gain experience to serve you well in the future.
As a design coordinator, for example, you would work as part of a team to develop interior projects, assess client needs, present solutions, and source various products. You’ll need an interior decorating certification for this type of role, and your interpersonal and communication skills will be put to good use with clients! You’ll also need a strong knowledge of software programs, like the Adobe Creative Suite, and be able to multi-task and work well within a team.
Any interior decorating job search will yield this type of role, but you can fine-tune your job search even further by searching for roles exclusively at interior design firms!
Entrepreneur
One huge advantage of obtaining your interior decorator certificate? Having the option of starting your own business!
An interior decorating course will teach you the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and being your own boss, giving you the confidence to start your own business. You’ll likely start out small, working from home. But as word-of-mouth travels, and your marketing campaigns start to take off, your business will grow!
Becoming an entrepreneur is a different path than any other interior decorating job – you’ll need to do your research, find design clients, and spend a good deal of time practicing and marketing your skills.
It can be extremely rewarding to start your own design business, and interior decorator training teaches you the skills you need to start on the path to being an entrepreneur!
Interested
Hi Hira!
If you’re ready to enroll with QC Design School, you can do so online at any time here. Or, if you would like to speak to one of student support specialists, feel free to contact us. We’ll be happy to help! 🙂
Hi, my name is Julie Hopkins and after I graduated from high school I did a correspondent course for interior design and got a certificate. I didn’t think I could get a job with it, so being 52 years old is it too late to get a job in the interior design industry? Also how do I start looking for jobs?
Hi Julie,
It is NEVER too late to start a brand-new career, so long as you’re willing to put in the time, effort, and hard work. 🙂 Here are a few blog article links that might have some useful tips/information for you:
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2017/03/find-local-interior-decorating-jobs/
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2018/11/5-ways-to-get-and-keep-amazing-color-clients-part-2/
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2016/01/the-busy-design-pros-guide-to-social-media-where-should-you-focus/
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2021/01/3-ways-to-boost-your-interior-designer-salary-with-social-media/
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2020/12/how-to-become-an-interior-designer-naming-your-business/
-https://www.qcdesignschool.com/2019/12/how-to-start-a-successful-interior-decorating-business/
I hope these help. Feel free to check out our blog for more articles! 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
interested in interior decorating but i dont know where to start
Hi Ayat, we can definitely help! If you’re interested in becoming an interior decorator, our #1 piece of advice is to get professional certification training. There are many schools that can provide this kind of education and certification – but, of course, QC Design School is the school we recommend! 😛
With QC’s Interior Decorating Course, you can train entirely from home and at your own pace. There are no deadlines or due dates, and you get a full two years to complete your course. (Although many of our grads have said that by devoting just 1-2 hours per week on their studies, they were able to graduate in as little as 1-2 months.)
You’ll get a digital AND physical copy of your course materials provided to you, and you’ll be paired with a QC tutor who’s a true industry expert, with decades of experience. As you work through the course, your tutor will review all of your work and provide you with extensive audio feedback to help you grow. Your course will be broken down into textbook readings, instructional videos, and a TON of assignments. Many of those assignments involve hands-on learning, thereby giving you real-world experience!
The best part is that when you graduate from QC’s Interior Decorating Course, you’ll receive an International Design and Decorating Professional (IDDP) certification and designation to add to your resume and proudly display to clients! <3
To learn more about this program, you can go here on our website: https://www.qcdesignschool.com/online-courses/interior-decorating/
You can also contact our Student Support Team if you’d like to chat with a QC staff member and get more information. All of our contact info can be found here: https://www.qcdesignschool.com/contact-us/
I hope this helps! <3
All the best,
The QC Team
I have a certificate in interior designing. But I don’t know where to apply and where to start. Please suggest me some forums or companies for internships.
Hi Peehu, thanks so much for reading and commenting. Unfortunately, we’re unable to give specific company recommendations, since it really depends on your location and each company’s personal policy. However, what we’d recommend is doing some research on Google – check out the different interior design businesses in/around your area, and look over their websites. If you can’t find anything on their sites that mentions whether or not they offer internship opportunities, you can always contact them by email and inquire as to whether an internship would be a possibility. 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
hi there! I’m currently going to school for my interior design certificate. my school has a program where if you graduate with a Level 3 certificate, you are set up with a job as soon as you finish school. just to be clear, that certificate allows me to become a coordinator? would i need to inquire about that specific position with whichever firm I get hired by? thank you for taking the time to read my question:)
Hey Briana,
Thanks for much for taking the time to comment. 🙂 For a question like this, our best advice would be to inquire within your actual school, as they’re the only ones who’ll be able to confirm for sure whether or not your Level 3 certificate will also qualify you to be a coordinator as well. It’s also worth noting that in this article, we’re specifically discussing possible career paths that one can get as an interior decorator, rather than an interior designer.
However, if your interior design training has also taught you about decorating interiors as well, then I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to potentially use your certificate to also find work as a space coordinator. It would ultimately depend on the company hiring, what position they’re hiring for, and whether or not your qualifications will meet that criteria. 🙂
We wish you all the best! <3
-The QC Team
I would like to start my own business with interior design I love what I do with other peoples dtuff
Hi Trish,
Thanks so much for commenting! It sounds like you have a lot of passion and drive about becoming an entrepreneur – and that’s amazing! In fact, that’s one of THE most important things needed to be a successful businessowner. We’d love to get an update from you down the road, so we can hear about whether you eventually started your own interior design business, how it’s been going for you, etc. We wish you the best of luck!!! 🙂
Warmest regards,
The QC Team