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President's Message
A Light at the End of the Tunnel....
I recently received my certificate in the mail from the Arc-ID Interior Design program. Even though I have a handful of classes left for my Master's of Interior Architecture, I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I opened up that envelope. We know how much hard work and sacrifice goes into completing this program, it goes without saying that we all hope to parlay our education into great careers. Some of us will open our own businesses and some of us will work under manufacturers and vendors. Others may find themselves in their dream job under a heavy-hitting design powerhouse. But inevitably, many of us will begin our "second" career in a big firm, start over in a sense. It made me think about what it was like to finish my undergrad and how the market has changed in the past few years. And then I began to think about our worth in such a highly competitive career field, as interior designers and as individuals. The focus of my president's letter this month is a very serious one: student internships.
What are we really getting out of student internships, and better question, what are employers getting out of us as student interns? Have you applied for a student internship? If you are considering becoming a student intern, I urge you to research who you will be working for and what you will be taking away from this experience. We are fortunate to attend a program that has a well respected reputation within the design community. Small and large firms alike reach out to our advisors seeking student interns to work in their offices every day. Our program works hard to provide our students with viable internship opportunities and would not knowingly place our students into disadvantageous situations. However, so-called "glamour" fields such as the music, fashion and design industries are sadly the some of the biggest offenders when it comes to taking advantage of student interns. Are you learning from the firm or individual mentoring you as their student intern, or are you being exploited for the design skill-set you already have? The whole purpose of an internship is for the student to learn from the experience, so make sure your internship is benefiting you and your education, not just the employer.
After talking about the issue of unpaid internships with your current board, we have all agreed that we will no longer post listings looking for unpaid interns in our newsletter that seemingly violate California Labor Laws. We will only post internships that appear to be in compliance with California Labor Laws. Posts will include internships that will either a.) pay students for their time, or b.) compensate students for course credit.
Under both federal and California law, a for-profit employer must pay their interns at least the minimum wage unless they can show that all of these six criteria are met:
The internship must be similar to the actual training given in an educational environment;
The internship must be for the benefit of the intern;
The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
The employer gets no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded by having the intern;
The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job with the employer at the conclusion of the internship; and
The employer and the intern have a clear understanding that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.
On a lighter note, please check out the upcoming events scheduled to take place in the Los Angeles Design Quarter's 4th Annual Legends of La Cienega Windows to the World. I have attended some of these panels over the past few years and they are always informative and most enjoyable.
Finally, I am thrilled to announce that we have put into place a series of Design + Drinks which will take place at the beginning of every month. Join us for happy-hour priced drinks and take in some of the most fabulous spaces to be found within our community. Our first event will be held next Monday, 7 May 2012 at Suite 700 in the Hotel Shangri-La. Take in the stunning sunset from the only open-air rooftop bar & lounge in Santa Monica while sipping one of their delicious signature cocktails. Space is limited so please be sure to rsvp. I hope to see you all there!
Lucinda Pacé
President, ASID UCLA Extension Student Chapter Board
Legislation News for Interior Design in California!
Finally, the legislation ASID has been waiting for has been introduced by California Assembly Speaker Fiona Ma.
The bill, AB2482, provides additional rights and expanded opportunities to qualified interior designers. It will not take away anything we already have, including the CID designation. It will create a state board to grant the Registered Interior Designer stamp and seal permitting privileges to work in the code -impacted environment.
We will keep you informed of the bill's progress and what you can do to help ASID get the bill passed. To download a fact sheet on the new legislation, click here!
Big Congrats to Arc-ID Alumni Sara Rosman Levy & Ekaterina Nazarova!
Both the incredibly talented Alumni Sara Rosman Levy and Ekaterina Nazarova have been recognized at their design firm, Hirsch Bedner Associates recently! Sara was awarded Up & Coming Designer of the Year, and Katya was awarded Jr. Designer of the Year!
Our most heartfelt congratulations to these fellow Arc-ID students who are out there taking their educations for a spin in the design world and doing wonderful things with it!
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last updated: May 3, 2012
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