Throughout the last two months I have been given the privilege to intern with Slifer Designs. During my first couple days it was intimidating to walk into the office, especially because I wasn’t sure what I should/needed to be doing. However I was warmly welcomed by all Slifer employees. Within the first couple weeks I was thrown right into the mix of things working on projects in all different stages. Now coming to the end of my internship I have taken a moment to reflect on my experience.
There are three main things that I have learned:
One, it doesn’t matter how you’ve done it in school. It’s important to remember that each firm and each person within that firm is going to do things differently. So the way of doing things in school, while it gave me a strong background, is not always the right way or how others do it. Learning these new methods I think will give my senior class-work a sense of professionalism.
Second, don’t be afraid. This came into play when calling on vendors and speaking to other professionals. I learned that everyone is willing to help and wants to help to teach you proper vocabulary or about products, and etc. When I didn’t know what I was being asked, I would simply say, “I’m sorry I’m an intern this summer and not sure what you mean.” This was then followed by an understanding response that helped me to become more familiar with the terminology, process or product.
Third, how to be confident as a beginning interior designer. This is not something that can be taught in school but instead is something you learn in the field. It’s vital to improve your personal characteristics, habits and traits as a designer and I feel like my experience at Slifer Designs has begun that transition. Being able to interact with such strong and kindhearted designers has helped me to grow as a young designer.
These are the three core lessons I have learned but I also acquired additional skills through the designers at Slifer. This includes but not limited to; learning Design Manager, creating purchase orders, putting together package pages for clients, constructing a lighting schedule and elevations, and etc. My favorite experiences during my internship were being able to go on the installs to really see the designs come together. A runner up would also have to be interacting in the design field and contributing to conversations about a certain finish, fixture, and etc.
I am very thankful for my experience at Slifer Designs. It has taught me more than I could have imagined in just nine short weeks.
Thank you to everyone who was a part of my internship.