To design is something that takes a lot of heart and passion for the work that is being done. While that is a big part of what it takes to do design properly, there is also a lot of education that comes along with it. To become licensed in design, you will most likely need a formal education and hands on experience. You might want to begin by looking on the web regarding what the exact requirements are to be licensed in design within your state. It is important to make sure that you are fully looking over all of the requirements to make sure that this is a career path that you are going to completely follow through. If it turns out it is not, you can always become a decorator and work with moving around furniture.
Therefore, the first step in the process is to earn your degree. You want to make sure that you are looking through as many options as possible to make sure that you are going to the school that will give you the most benefits. It is also important to make sure that the school of your choice is accredited. Learn as much as you can about design from books, television and the Internet. The more you learn the better you will be at your job.
One great step to becoming a licensed designer is to work under one. If your state's requirements allow it, you can work side by side with an interior designer and learn a lot from the experience. You may find that your state actually requires you to work for someone for a certain period of time. This time frame is usually six months to two years, depending on the requirements of the particular state that you reside in. You will have to complete this work before you will be allowed to take the exam for licensing.
Once you are ready, you will take the licensing exam, called the NCIDQ. This is not a cheap exam to take and it is one that you really want to make sure that you are prepared for. Depending on the requirements, you may be allowed to take one part at a time or you may be required to take all parts at the same time. The best thing to do is to join a study group and practice with some fake tests to see how well you might do on the real thing. There is a pass rate of only 60%-70% so you have to make sure that you are truly prepared.
After you have passed each and every portion of the exam, you will then contact your state to register with them. You have to wait to hear back from your state for an approval before you can technically call yourself a legally licensed interior designer. There may be dues and a continuation of education that you will have to attend to, but it is worth it in order to keep your design license active. Now, you can do a lot more for people than just covering their furniture and adding flowers to vases.
It might also be a good idea to join the IIDA or the ASID in order to advance within your career. These professional organizations are highly respected and ones that you do not want to ignore. As you can see, the steps are few but they are intense so make sure that you are prepared for the journey that you are about to embark on. Before you know it, you will have so much success and you will be so busy that you just might hire someone else to move around the furniture in your own house.
