Placement Experience: Junior Interior Designer at Morgan Lovell - Ella Mould

How did you find your placement role? What support did you get from the placement team?

I found my current placement role on Indeed Job search. I had lots of support from the placement team which included weekly meetings to go through my CV, cover letter and portfolio. This was extremely helpful during the application process as it allowed me to look as past student applications to see what to include or remove. Being able to catch up with the placement team made me feel a lot more confident when applying to placements. If I could not have had these sessions available, I don’t think I would be in a placement position, the support was extremely helpful.

Describe the process of applying for placement roles. How many placement applications did you make? 

The process of applying for placement roles ran over around a 4-month period. I applied through different platforms such as Indeed and LinkedIn as well emailing and phoning interior design companies directly. I put on job alert notifications for both apps allowing me to be updated in real time for any opportunities.

The process of contacting design companies directly was a lot more of a time-consuming process as there was a lot more background information needed from myself to send over to those companies, as well as research on who the company are and what they have to offer. A lot of companies either did not reply to any calls or emails or simply did not have the time to fit a placement role. However, it can give a good impression to companies that you are eager to work with them, as some did offer fulltime employment from just an email application, but however I could not be in full time employment at this time in my early career.

I did also have support from the placement team, I would receive emails for placement opportunities in my local area which were in the field of study I was after, and even better had taken on placement students beforehand.

Overall, between both applying from job adverts and reaching out directly, I applied to over 50 placement roles, which was a good range to weigh up my options.

Did you have any concerns or uncertainties about taking a placement year, and how did you address them?

The only concern I had about taking a placement year was the possibility of being held back in my studies and not being able to graduate and get a postgraduate job sooner. I did speak to friends, family and placement team about these concerns and helped weigh the positives and negatives from this decision. I concluded that from past students experience and family experiences, gaining real life, hands on, industry experience can help shape my future so much better than not taking the placement year.

Although I have only been in my placement 6 months, I already have learned so much and gained so much experience from the interior design industry. Experiences and skills that I can bring back into my third-year studies and help me to achieve top grades. Furthermore, it can become a possibility that companies can offer you a secure postgraduate role as soon as you graduate, helping to eliminate the stress of applying for jobs while battling the dedication needed for the final year.

Even if the company does not offer you a postgraduate role, it can still give you an advantage of 1 years’ worth of industry experience on your CV, even then giving you more of a chance to be chosen for postgraduate roles as you already know how the industry runs.

What tips would you give to students about balancing placement applications with university studies?

My best advice would be to start the applications as soon as possible. Attend the careers fairs, attend social events to build your network, become active on LinkedIn, get you and your personal brand out there. The earlier that you can start putting application related content together, the easier it becomes to distribute you time between studies and applications.

I attended the drop-in sessions with the placement team as soon as they were offered, meaning my CV, Cover Letter and Portfolio were up to date with related content and as refined as they could be. This meant that as soon as a placement role was advertised, I was simply able to attach the relevant content within minutes and put my personal brand out there, meaning more of my time could focus on my studies.

Tell us about the company you work for and your role

I work for Morgan Lovell, which is a design and build company based in Bracknell. Morgan Lovell specialise in office and residential design, meaning jobs can range from university building re-design or major headquarters for high-end companies which can range between £300,000 - £11.5 million.

I am involved in all aspects of interior design, such as contacting suppliers to order samples, concept design, client meetings, client project pitches, graphic design for final project tender submissions and so much more.

I have also worked alongside other departments within the business such as sales, estimation and marketing. I work alongside many talented designers who have been in the interior design industry longer than I have been alive, meaning I have so much knowledge and advice from people that know the industry like the back of their hand.

What challenges have you faced during your placement and how have you overcome them?

During my placement I have not encountered any major challenges. There have been things that I have come across that I have had to get used to such as the short amount of time that projects need to come from brief to project tender submission. For example, some major projects may only have 2.5 weeks to be completed, whereas projects at university could span over an 8-week period.

What has been the most rewarding part of your placement so far and why?

The most rewarding part of my placement so far has that I have been able to be part of major project transformations where my work has been used as part of final tender submissions as well as making lasting friends along the way. I have had so much support from everyone that I work with that it feels like I have been at my placement a lot longer than 6 months.

Some of my work that has been used includes floor plans, concept plans, sketches, 3D models and many more. It feels truly amazing to have already be considered to have my work used in real client tenders and allows me to learn and progress with the support of my team. Not only this, but it also shows that I am a dedicated member of the team and people are willing to reach out and wanting me to help in many different design projects.

Has your placement experience influenced your perspective on your chosen career path or field of study?

Yes, I think my placement experience so far has helped me to understand not only the commercial side of interior design, but other sectors as well. To help me understand this, I have spoken to other designers in the business to not only get their view on the industry but also key elements and tips to remember.

Would you recommend the placement program to other students? If so, what advice would you give them?

I would 100% recommend the placement program to other students. Over the last 6 months that I have been working in industry has not only shaped my future within interior design but shaped me as a person. I have gained so many different skills from a wide range of experiences that I would never imagine doing at my age.

I am a completely different person academically than I was 6 months ago. I would advise all students to take part in a placement year as it can help you with your foot in the right direction for your future.