Week 2 continued...

How do you see your role as a working professional in the future? (entrepreneur, employee, freelance, etc).

If I do end up going into interior design I see myself as an employee. Especially if my career path leads me toward interior design for hospitality and schools, it's nice to have a team of people that you can split the work between. From my observation, it seems like having a larger team when working on big projects is better because certain members have different specialties that apply to the various aspects that have to be considered when designing frequently used, specialized areas. Working with a team of people is also a lot more time effective and efficient because deadlines are constantly coming up. If I ever went into residential interior design I could see myself doing free lance work because homes are a lot smaller scale and only effect one, permanent client (opposed to constantly fluctuating number of students, hotel guests, employees, etc.).

Week 2

How do you see yourself growing or changing over the course of your internship?

I see my perspective of the "real" working world changing over the course of my internship. Already, I have gained a better understanding of how a work place functions. Specifically an architectural firm which moves at a fast pace with lots of deadlines and constantly changing design plans. I also can see myself becoming more ready to take on new opportunities - throughout my internship so far I have met a lot of new people and have had random opportunities and invitations to visit job sites and learn new skills through them. At first I felt reluctant because I didn't always know what to expect but all of these "field trips" and spontaneous learning experiences have been really fun, educational and eye opening.

First Week

What are you most surprised by during your first week of internship and why?

So far, I am most surprised by how much architects are responsible for. It is MIND-BLOWING how much goes into blue prints and design for just a small space. Through my observations of old design plans, it seems that every single tiny screw is labeled in certain plans, along with instillation instructions. It is also surprising how many codes they have to check their work by (for example ADA, fire, etc.), it seems there are so many people all across San Diego that have to double check and regulate the plans. The process of it all seems so overwhelming!

First Day

1. What are you excited about, nervous about and wondering about?

I'm nervous about interacting with people who are so much more experienced and well-rounded than I am. I know internship is a learning experience, but it still makes me nervous coming into a workplace so unprepared. The positive side of this is that I have a blank slate and can come in with an open mind ready to learn. I am excited about seeing ongoing projects in the community from a behind the scenes, structural stand point. Although I am seriously considering interior design as a future career path, I still do not know much about what it really is. It will be interesting to see if my ideas and perception of what an interior designer does align with the reality of the job!