Over the past two years, readers have emailed us with some of the same questions again and again, so we’ve decided to publish the answers to a few of the PLiNTH & CHiNTZ Frequently Asked Questions. 
Not satisfied to do so in mere written form, we culled some specific sound bites from a spring 2006 talk that Founder Laura McDonald gave to interior design students at The Art Institute of Dallas, where she happens to be a member of the Interior Design Department’s Advisory Board.
FAQ 1: How did you find your way into interior design”
Though the first chapter in my autobiography should be titled “Clueless,” the rest is a work in progress. A bucolic upbringing in dusty West Texas drove me to the big city with linear ideas: a left-brained civil engineering degree at Southern Methodist University. After a short layover as an office temp (think Ryan in the The Office) for Kelly Services, I sought out more creative pastures, exploring my right-brain capacity in the interior design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Bonus fact: In the audience during this talk was fellow West Texan and Director of the School of Interior Design for Art Institute of Dallas, Jan Stockton Parker, FASID, IDEC. The two of us grew up in the same county in “rival” towns, each of which with a whopping population of about 2,000. Who would have thought”
Click on the audio player below and feel free to make fun of my Texas twang.*
powered by ODEO
FAQ 2: After graduation, how do I get job in the design industry”
In short, go to parties. No, really. As Royal Caribbean Cruise Line says, “Get out there.” Getting social yields results. Letting others know that I was looking led me to a trial run with hospitality legend Deborah Lloyd Forrest, FASID of ForrestPerkins. A festive and fortuitous holiday party helped me land me a fast-track position with Furstenwerth + Bagley Design, where I stayed for over seven years. You never know whom you’re going to meet.
Bonus perk: Think of it as multi-tasking – job searching while eating and drinking on someone else’s dime. Chances are the food’s better than what you’ve got in your fridge at home. In my case, almost 11 years later, it still is.
Click on the audio player below and learn why ignorance sometimes really is bliss.*
powered by ODEO
FAQ 3: How do I know what kind of job to look for”
Know thyself. Self-evaluate. Dig deep. Examine your personality. Understand what you like. Are you comfortable taking tons of tasks at once or do you need a singular focus” Do you get bored easily or do you experience a meltdown if forced to learn something new every day” Do you prefer disappearing in amongst the crowd or do you want your co-workers to feel like your second family” Finding the right work environment that suits you is critical to your happiness and your employer’s bottom line. A miserable employee doesn’t aspire to maximum productivity and certainly doesn’t inspire it in others.
Bonus tip: Find your path by getting as many internships as possible. It’s as much learning what you don’t want to do as learning what you want to do.
Click on the audio player below and learn who gave me my gray hair.*
powered by ODEO
FAQ 4: Why was PLiNTHandCHiNTZ.com established”
The birth of P&C followed a prolonged gestation period filled with mistakes, frustrations, triumphs, and pitfalls. Uh, I guess that’s known as Life. I saw a need, so I time traveled back to my academic days. What did I wish that I had known, even before high school graduation” What should young designers know before flying away from the soft, insulated nest known as school” What options are available for those with a design degree” Knowledge is power, and the more we share, the stronger we get. Super Friends, activate!
Bonus thoughts: You’re not going to know everything. Mistakes are inevitable and discomfort a sign of progress. Get uncomfortable.
Click on the audio player below and find out why I just had to scratch my seven-year itch.*
powered by ODEO
*Don’t have time to listen to the podcasts now” Just follow Odeo’s easy steps to download it to your computer or MP3 player to listen to later. Click here and then click on the Download MP3 button.
