Join the La Zenia forum

My name's Alex and this is my website all about La Zenia in Spain. Register now for free to talk about Jobs and careers in La Zenia and much more!

Looking for a job: Interior Design

Posted: Sun May 5, 2019 4:20pm
chat_bubble2 repliesvisibility83 viewsadd_alert2 members subscribed

Posts: 11

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 4 May 2018

My 22 year old daughter has just graduated with a BA Hons in Interior Design and was thinking of moving from the UK!  Would she have trouble finding work within the Interior Design Industry, as she doesn't speak Spanish yet?  Would she struggle to find work? Thanks for your advice!

Posted: Mon May 6, 2019 12:42pm

Stephanie86

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 2801

star2108 helpful points

Location: Lliber

Joined: 4 May 2017

Posted: Mon May 6, 2019 12:42pm

Interior Design as a profession - as opposed to advice on sofas and curtains - does not appear to have the same standing here as in UK. Spanish tastes and ideas are very different. There may be opportunities in large international cities - Madrid/Barcelona - maybe Valencia - but without Spanish fluency, she will find it difficult. Most of the expat residents - of whichever nationality - are usually retired with considerably reduced incomes and therefore not really her target audience. Like everywhere, there are of course, the wealthy, but not in the kind of numbers for her kind of professional design. There are various shops selling furniture and curtains and so on, who , allegedly, offer ‘design’ services, ditto kitchen and bathroom studios. In the main these are not owned/staffed by professional designers. This is not to downplay their undoubted skills; both of these disciplines - at the more upmarket/expensive/higher quality - are specialisms requiring specialist knowledge of products/installations/electrics/plumbing/imagination - but successful people in this area have usually worked in that specific industry for several years to gain the very specialised knowledge. At the run of the mill end of the market, they are mainly salespeople selling boxes and bathroom fittings. 

If she wishes to work abroad, she could try applying to architectural practices, or go to an English speaking country - the daughter of friends, who had a degree in commercial interior design, easily found work in Australia, for example.

Posted: Mon May 6, 2019 2:13pm

Granty

Original Poster

Posts: 11

Location: Villamartin

Joined: 4 May 2018

Posted: Mon May 6, 2019 2:13pm

Thanks for your reply! We are moving permanently next year and she was deciding whether to come with us or stay in the UK so I thought I would just enquire.  Thanks very much!

Sign up for free or login to reply to this topic

Want to reply to this topic? Login or register for free to post your message:

Search for a job