Disclaimer: Don’t read this article if you’re just starting in interior design or if you are an aspiring interior designer. Not all interior designers for office job are misfits.
You have probably been advised to first get a degree or join a course in interior design and later work under an experienced architect or interior designer to gain experience. I would advise you the same.
You need to work with an established design firm or a seasoned interior designer for at least 2-3 years to gain some experience.
If you have enough confidence, you can also try your hands on getting some projects on the side and provide your services for free. This will help you build a portfolio for the start.
Once you have something to showcase and have earned enough experience, you can think about starting your entrepreneurial journey. That’s probably when you’ll be able to relate to this article better. For now, you can skip it.
Why (Experienced) Interior Designers Are Not Fit For a Full-Time Desk-Job
9 to 5 life is not for everyone, especially not for most interior designers. I can say this with confidence because, been there, done that. Interior designers are creative people. They’re spontaneous and do not enjoy a typical desk job.
Yes, it’s true and worldwide accepted that an office job gives you a consistent and stable income and it can be difficult for an interior designer to start their own business. They face their challenges. But it’s also important to understand that designers crave much more than just “job security” (even that’s something you cannot vouch for now, after the pandemic).
I find desk jobs dreadful. I cannot work inside a closed environment for 9–10 hours every day even for my life. And I would never force myself to be in such a setup either, no matter how needy the situations can be sometimes.
If you’re also a creative person or a professional interior designer, read on. I have outlined five signs of why interior designers are not fit to be “traditional office-going professionals”. Let’s see how many of you can relate.
1. Interior Designers Detest Structure
Just the thought of having each day planned out in the same way as the previous ones give designers shivers. We want something new every day. Designers like surprises.
We want reshuffles in our daily routines. Only that can keep us happy and satisfied in our professional life. Set structures will only make designers (or any creative person for that matter) more miserable and less productive.
2. Designers Go Insane When They’re Confined to One Place
It becomes almost impossible for interior designers to focus on the task at hand when they’re just confined to a desk.
True story, just recently, I was offered a really good package but it was a full-time 10–7 office job where I had to just be on my desk and check drawings for production. The money was good and yet I couldn’t accept the offer. Just the thought of me staying in an enclosed environment for 80% of my day felt nauseating.
Even if I had grabbed the job offer, I would be restless all the time I would be at work trying to stay focused. It would have hampered my performance and my love for my work.
3. Designers like Being Their Own Bosses
Who doesn’t want authority? Do you know who despises taking orders the most? — Designers who wouldn’t fare well in a desk job. Especially when the tasks they’re allotted are meagre and their bosses make a big deal out of every little thing.
I have always known that I am not fit for a 9-to-5 job because I am better at completing tasks or solving problems by my own methods. I don’t need another authoritative figure to tell me how I should handle the situation.
Most interior designers have their own style of working and they hate being instructed.
Also, I love breaks, vacations, or even a simple stroll in the nearby garden. Interior designers are not confinable people. They cannot be chained to their desks. They don’t like taking permission to leave.
4. Interior Designers Have Bigger Purposes
A major part of an interior designer’s career is meeting new people, seeing new places, and learning things hands-on. This is what they love doing. This is why they even chose interior design as their career. But, again, fortunately, or unfortunately all this makes them NOT a good fit for an office job.
If you feel miserable from the time you wake up till the time you leave your office and go to bed, you should think about going freelance. You shouldn’t take a job that makes you forget why you even opted for this field.
5. Designers Can Lose Their True Self When Confined
I feel anxious and claustrophobic in a controlled group setting. This is why a desk job is just not a fit for an interior designer. Sure, I have a “professional self” and a “weekend self” that differ from each other slightly. But that should not be a reason for me to put on a completely new face every time I go to work.
Designers are free souls. They should not have to feel restricted from being their true selves. It can get to them and even affect their mental health, believe you me.
Word of Advice for all the Interior Designers
As much as I have known, most designers are not people pleasers either. That only adds to why they’re not fit for a desk job.
I understand the start of a solopreneur designer’s journey can be hard. You may be underpaid and overworked in the beginning, but trust me, it is going to be all worth it. It is the only thing that can give you immense satisfaction that you can’t find in even high-paying jobs.
I would suggest starting early. Stop playing safe. Not that I am against job culture, but I want you to explore your full potential. You can do it best when you’re young and full of energy. You don’t want to regret later in life for wasting your life being too comfortable in your full-time job.