How to Create an Internship Program for Your Interior Design Business
As summer approaches, you might be thinking of ways to slow down so you can enjoy the beautiful weather, more unstructured days, and time outdoors. Or if you're like me, you might realize you only have SEVEN summers left with your oldest, and you cannnnnnnnnnnnot even think of that, so you want to soak up every moment before they leave for college. This is why I schedule a summer slowdown every year (read about how I take summers off or what I learned from my last summer slowdown).
Either way, summers are a great time to bring on some additional help in your business to either take your own “summer slowdown” or to get caught up and organized while everyone is moving at a slower pace.
How to Create an Interior Design Internship Program
Creating an internship program for your interior design business can be a low-risk way to get short-term help while also providing opportunities for aspiring interior designers.
If you're considering starting an internship program or bringing on a summer intern (your inbox might already be filling up with emails from local college students looking for an internship or a summer position), here are six tips to get started:
01 | DEFINE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF YOUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
First, what are your goals for bringing on an intern or starting the internship program? Do you want to provide hands-on experience to aspiring interior designers? Do you need help with a specific project, like organizing your resource library, or archiving past projects? Do you have a high workload or large client project at the current time that you want a temporary intern to assist with? Or is the main goal to recruit and train a potential new team member (potentially extending a position offer after the internship if everything works out well)?
Clearly defining your goals and objectives will help you structure the program and ensure it aligns with your business needs AND the time you have to devote to it.
02 | DEVELOP A STRUCTURED PROGRAM
Create a structured program that outlines the responsibilities, tasks, and learning opportunities for interns/externs. This could include assisting with client consultations, creating design proposals, conducting research, completing drawings and renderings, and assisting with project management. Consider the program duration, the number of hours per week, and any compensation or benefits you will provide.
03 | ESTABLISH CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Communicate your expectations to interns from the outset. This includes expectations around work hours, punctuality, dress code, confidentiality, and professional conduct. Provide a Company Guide or Orientation Materials that outline your business policies and procedures and any safety protocols or guidelines they need to follow.
No flip-flops on job sites is a good one to include.
04 | CREATE A HIRING PROCESS FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP
Whether you want to offer internships year-round or only in the summer, creating a process for accepting and screening applications, interviewing applicants, offering the role, and onboarding them into your company will make the entire process a breeze.
Interns who are completing college interior design programs may have requirements from the college program as well - that they document hours worked on particular tasks, that you complete an evaluation of their performance, etc. Ask about these during the interview.
05 | CONSIDER A WORK SCHEDULE THAT ALLOWS FOR GOOD PRODUCTIVITY
Some internship arrangements are set up as 40 hours per work, but they don’t have to be. Part-time arrangements can work very effectively as well. An intern completing a degree requirement may need to complete a certain quantity of hours, but that could take ten weeks rather than six.
It does no good for you or your intern to be in your office doing nothing, waiting for you to provide the next activity, or waiting for the next client project to begin. Make sure the intern’s work schedule accommodates your needs and is not interruptive to your workflow.
Consider the days when you want the intern in the office based on when you anticipate needing help with presentation prep, installs, documentation, etc. Structure their schedule in a way that also allows you to have private, heads-down work time to focus on design and business development activities alone. You don’t need to have them in the office every day!
06 | SCHEDULE TIME FOR MENTORSHIP AND FEEDBACK
If your internship is intended to provide mentorship and feedback to aspiring designers (and if they're getting college credit for it), you'll want to schedule a time each week to provide mentorship and feedback to your intern. Many internships that qualify for college credits require business owners to do a weekly meeting and review of the intern and submit signed documentation showing proof of work. This i) meets the college's internship requirements and ii) is often required for the internship to be unpaid.
Be sure to comply with local laws and regulations related to internships/externships, including any applicable labor laws and requirements. Unpaid internships have many restrictions on the type of work an "intern" can do without pay.
Legal Aspects to Consider When Bringing on an Intern
*disclaimer: I am not an attorney, and this is not legal advice. You should seek the advice of a licensed attorney or HR professional in your state for questions regarding employment and internships.
When bringing on an intern, it's essential to consider the legal aspects to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
01 | HOW WILL YOU CLASSIFY YOUR INTERN?
Interns may be classified as employees or unpaid trainees, depending on the nature of their work and the circumstances of their engagement. In many jurisdictions, interns who perform work similar to regular employees and who provide value to the business may be classified as employees and entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay, and other employment benefits.
On the other hand, interns who are engaged in a structured training program, primarily for their own educational benefit, and who do not displace regular employees, may be classified as unpaid trainees. It's crucial to carefully assess the nature of the intern's work and the applicable legal requirements to determine the correct classification.
Ultimately, if you're not providing a learning experience to an intern, you're making them do real work for your company, AND you're not paying them….. something's not right.
You should check out this article to learn the difference between internships and externships.
02 | WHAT ARE OVERTIME LAWS AND MINIMUM WAGE IN YOUR STATE?
Anyone who works for your company will either be classified as an employee (you pay a portion of their taxes and send them a W2 at the end of the year) or a subcontractor (they are responsible for paying all their taxes as an independent contractor and you send them a 1099 at the end of the year). The IRS sets stringent guidelines for classifying someone as an employee vs. a subcontractor.
Employees are generally entitled to be paid at least the minimum wage and may be eligible for overtime pay if they work more than a certain number of hours per week.
It is strongly recommended that you consult with legal counsel or a qualified professional familiar with the employment laws in your jurisdiction before considering bringing an intern on as a subcontractor or an independent contractor. They can provide you with tailored legal advice based on your specific situation to ensure you comply with all applicable laws and regulations related to internships and employment.
03 | KNOW THE EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION LAWS
Interns, like employees, are protected by employment discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and others. Be sure to provide a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and make reasonable accommodations for interns with disabilities, if applicable.
04 | STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH IMMIGRATION LAWS
If you are hiring interns who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, it's important to comply with immigration laws, including verifying their work eligibility through the Form I-9 process and ensuring their work is consistent with their immigration status.
05 | PROTECT YOUR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Interns may have access to sensitive information while working with you or may create intellectual property for your company. You can have interns sign confidentiality agreements and intellectual property assignment agreements to protect your confidential information, proprietary frameworks, and any confidential client information. You'll also want ownership rights to anything created by your intern during their Internship, and you'll want to specify if they can share their work in their portfolio, and, if so, how your company must be credited.
In reality, you should have these agreements in place with EVERYONE who works for you, employee or subcontractor. Email us at hello@dakotadesigncompany.com to learn more about our Hiring Blueprint for Interior Designers.
Again, every state is different. We recommend consulting with legal counsel or an experienced human resources professional to ensure your internship program complies with all applicable laws and regulations. Non-compliance with legal requirements can result in legal liabilities, fines, and penalties, so it's essential to carefully navigate the legal aspects of bringing on an intern to protect your business and ensure a positive and lawful internship experience.
And also, on a personal level: take care of anyone who works for you and provide them with a safe and supportive work environment. It pains me to hear of designers mistreating their staff or clients, contractors, or outside vendors disparaging designers’ team members. OH H@LL NO. Make sure your contract spells out what happens in those situations.
In layman's terms, my contract says something like, "If you're rude to my team or even say anything remotely rude about them, YOU GONE. Byeeeeeeeee." (Don't worry, my attorney wrote it, so it sounds much more professional than that, and it's actually enforceable.)
What Tasks Can Your Interior Design Intern Handle?
Now that we've got your program set up, the hiring process created, and the legal stuff ironed out, let's talk through some of the tasks your interior design intern can handle for you.
Remember that the tasks you assign your intern will depend on the classification of their employment and the scope of their internship program (if they're getting college credit for it). However, here are some everyday tasks that your interior design intern might help with:
01 | ASSIST WITH DESIGN PROJECTS
Interns, especially those coming from design school, may assist with various stages of your design projects, such as conducting research on materials and finishes, creating mood boards, helping to prep for design presentations, assisting with space planning and layout, being on-site on install days, and helping with order management. Depending on their experience level, they may also assist with creating visual presentations, such as design boards and renderings, using software tools like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or other visualization software.
02 | PROVIDE DRAFTING AND CAD WORK
Interns may create or modify design drawings using computer-aided design (CAD) software, such as AutoCAD or SketchUp, to develop floor plans, elevations, and other design documentation. If your intern is completing an interior design degree, they likely will have good knowledge of these programs. If your intern isn't completing a design degree, they probably won’t have these skills. So if you need this type of help, you'll want to set that requirement in your internship program description and job posting.
03 | COORDINATE PROJECT DETAILS
Interns may assist with project coordination tasks, such as scheduling appointments, coordinating with vendors and contractors, preparing purchase orders, tracking project progress, and updating project documentation.
04 | COMMUNICATE WITH CLIENTS AND VENDORS
Interns may attend client meetings to take notes, pictures, and/or measurements. They may also follow up on client and vendor requests or other inquiries.
Depending on your business and the types of projects you design, your intern may also visit project sites with you to learn about on-site design work, including measuring spaces, observing construction or installation processes, and communicating with subcontractors and trades.
05 | RESEARCH AND ORGANIZE MATERIALS AND SAMPLES
Interns may assist with researching and sourcing materials, finishes, and products for design projects, including obtaining quotes and samples. They will likely also be responsible for organizing sample libraries and keeping them updated by ordering new release materials and books and removing any dropped fabrics/wallpapers from each line.
Don’t feel bad about having your intern spend significant time organizing your sample library. It is a great way for them to learn about who the key vendors and manufacturers are in each product category. And, it’s the reality of being an interior designer: someone has to organize the samples!
We’ve had some clients whose interns realized they DIDN’T want to be designers after seeing how little design is done in the scheme of running a design business.
06 | HANDLE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS
Interns may help with general administrative tasks, like organizing design files and client sample bins/binders, maintaining project documentation, managing sample libraries, assisting with general office management duties, picking up and returning samples, delivering items to clients, dropping off materials to local workrooms, returning items to local vendors, inventorying accessories, selling scratch and dent items, and more.
Again, the tasks you give your interior design intern will vary based on the intern's level of experience, the scope of your internship program, and the specific needs of your business.
Just a note about interns who may be documenting their internship work hours to fulfill minimum work hour requirements to sit for the NCIDQ exam. Anyone who applies to take the NCIDQ exam on or after February 1, 2024, will be required to itemize hours worked into specific categories of task type: programming, schematic design, design development, construction documentation, construction administration, and professional practice. This task allocation is a new requirement for test takers, so expect to have to sign off on specific designations of work performed.
Where to Find an Interior Design Intern
There are many places to find an intern for your interior design business, and a major thing to consider is if this will be seasonal or year-round. In either case, we ALWAYS recommend creating an INTERNSHIP or CAREERS page on your website (you can hide this when you're not hiring) that includes the details of the job description and the link to submit their application, and any supporting documentation. We like to put this in the footer when we’re hiring or helping our clients hire.
Then, when you share about your internship program in the below places, you can direct everyone to the same link so you can streamline your application and hiring process. Here are a few places to share about your internship program:
01 | YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL LIST
People who follow you on social media or via your email list know your style and what your company is all about. When you share your internship opportunities with them, they might know someone who would be a good fit, OR they might be someone who would love to work with you. Direct them to the CAREERS or INTERNSHIP link on your website, or ask them to share the link with anyone they know who might be interested.
We've also found that many designers have previously worked with clients who either know someone or have a college-aged child who will be home for summer and could be a good fit. Sometimes we've even had designers hire for other positions in their company only to have a previous client apply because they loved working with the designer so much that they now want to work with them!
02 | PARTNER WITH DESIGN SCHOOLS OR LOCAL COLLEGES
Contact local colleges that have interior design programs or vocational programs to inquire about their internship programs to establish partnerships. Many design schools have established channels for connecting students with internships. See the next tip.
03 | POST ON ONLINE INTERNSHIP PLATFORMS
Online platforms, like Indeed and Handshake, connect employers with interns. You can create an account, post your internship opportunities, and browse the resumes of potential candidates. Make sure to provide a well-written job description that outlines the skills you are looking for, and what tasks will be performed. This will help ensure the applicants will be a good fit.
04 | TAP INTO YOUR NETWORK
Sales reps and showroom reps have the inside scoop on what's happening in design studios throughout your area, and that means they know when someone's looking for something new or looking to change things up. Leverage your professional network to spread the word about your internship opportunities. They can refer qualified candidates or share your internship opportunity with their network.
Mistakes to Avoid when Hiring an Intern
When bringing on an intern, like anyone you bring into your company, you want to ensure it's a good use of time and money. Here are a few mistakes to avoid to provide a successful internship experience for you and your intern.
MISTAKE #1: VIOLATING LABOR LAWS
Misclassifying interns as unpaid or providing them with inappropriate compensation can result in legal liabilities and fines. Make sure to carefully assess the nature of the intern's work and the applicable laws to determine the correct classification (e.g., employee vs. unpaid trainee) and ensure compliance with wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime pay, and other employment benefits.
We often see designers bring on unpaid interns who aren't getting college credit or mentorship and who are contributing work of real value to the company. Not good. Check with a licensed attorney or HR professional in your state.
MISTAKE #2: LACK OF CLEAR EXPECTATIONS
This also applies to hiring an employee or outsourcing to a subcontractor. If you set expectations upfront and have a clear role with responsibilities mapped out, your intern will know what to do and how to do it. This will reduce the time you have to dedicate to providing hands-on guidance and instruction.
We recommend building a list of tasks your intern will do for you by starting a list in your project management software and adding to it throughout your work week as things come to mind. As you and your team complete tasks, if something could be handled by an intern, they should add it to the list. Then, when it comes time to write the job description for what the intern will do and what skills they should have, you can easily write it based on the list of tasks and projects you've been noting over the last few weeks/months.
Then, once you onboard them, you'll want to provide an overview of your company and lay out any policies and procedures they'll need to know.
MISTAKE #3: NOT PROVIDING SUPERVISION, GUIDANCE, OR STRUCTURE
Depending on the level of experience of your intern, the amount of supervision and guidance they need will vary. However, most are in college and likely will require direction and supervision to ensure they are actually contributing in a helpful way.
If you're too busy to provide instruction or to "manage" an intern (or any employee or subcontractor, for that matter), it may be a better use of your time to first define your internal processes before you bring anyone into your business.
And, if your internship program is structured to be a learning experience, you'll want to schedule time for mentorship opportunities and feedback sessions.
When clients tell me they "hired and it didn't work," it almost always comes back to the fact that they didn't have clear tasks for the interns to do or a clear process for how they wanted those tasks to be completed.
Garbage in. Garbage out.
MISTAKE #4: BRINGING ON AN INTERN TO GET YOU COFFEE
UGH! RUDE! Avoid the mistake of underutilizing interns by providing them with opportunities to work on real projects, contribute to the design process, and participate in professional activities, such as client meetings or site visits, to help them build practical skills and knowledge.
Of course, they won't put their best forward if all you ask them to do is run your personal errands or perform other menial tasks. AND, if it's an unpaid internship in exchange for college credit, you might get kicked off that college's approved internship list if you're not providing an educational experience to their students.
While interns are expected to contribute to the business, overloading them with unpaid work or treating them as free labor is unfair and unethical.
In short: don't be a jerk.
By being mindful of these potential mistakes and taking proactive steps to establish a well-structured, engaging, and compliant internship program for your interior design business, you can get help in your company and contribute to the success of aspiring designers. Everyone wins!
For more tips on hiring, check out these resources:
The Steps to Take When Hiring For Your Interior Design Business
Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring For Your Interior Design Business
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