On leaving university, my primary concern was: what next? Even before graduating, I began searching for jobs in Interior Design. However, this proved challenging as I had attended university in Manchester, whereas I always intended to relocate to my hometown, Leeds. Consequently, my familiarity with the industry in Leeds was not as extensive as it was in Manchester. It required considerable research and exploration on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, and even Instagram.
When I first learned about Bluesky through LinkedIn and other design studios in the area, I immediately went to their website to delve into the types of interiors they specialise in and to get a sense of the company culture. Right away, my initial impressions were that their team was highly experienced, with each member having between 7 and 30 years of expertise. This led me to believe that I could learn a great deal from working alongside them. Another aspect that caught my attention was the diverse array of projects showcased on their website, all finished to such an amazing standard.
After completing the application process, I was invited for an interview, feeling very nervous as it was my first one. As soon as I got there, the whole team were really welcoming, leaving a great first impression. The interview went really well, and I was thrilled to receive the job offer, as everything we discussed aligned with what I was seeking in a future workplace. I was excited about the prospect of learning new software, such as AutoCAD and Sketchup, which I hadn’t been exposed to during my university studies. Knowing that I had so many experienced designers to teach me this and more, I was excited.
Since joining Bluesky, I’ve had an amazing time, I’ve since created my very first scheme which is currently coming to life on site. Eight months later as I’m writing this, I feel as though I’m very confident in using AutoCAD and Sketchup; using AutoCAD to create technical drawings and Sketchup to generate 3D models and renders of schemes. I’ve had an incredible team to learn from and I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to learn a wide range of skills in such a short amount of time. I’ve had the opportunity to visit sites all over the UK, learnt all about furniture and materials manufacturers and been able to create material boards using our vast materials library.
We’ve had fun doing team building days, such as a cookery course at the Swinton Estate. I’ve also been back to university since joining, to talk to current final year Interior Design students about how I’ve found the shift of being at university, to my very first professional job. I found this really rewarding as I was able to reflect on my first few months at Bluesky and reassure a few university students that it isn’t all as daunting as it may seem!
I’m excited to keep learning more at Bluesky and am looking forward to going to my very first Clerkenwell Design Week which will be very exciting to see. I can’t wait to learn more about the industry, building regulations, technical drawings and the list could go on! This has been the start of an amazing career and I’m very thankful to all those at Bluesky for making it so enjoyable.