To work as a design trainee, you’ll need a variety of skills and a basic level of education in your chosen design field. Depending on the area in which you want to specialize, the specific requirements will vary. In general, advanced familiarity with computer software such as Adobe® InDesign®, Adobe®, Dreamweaver®, or QuarkXpress® is required for graphic design or Web design. If you want to work as a design trainee in the fields of fashion, interior design, or architectural design, the emphasis will be on working with your hands rather than computers. Applying for an internship at a design firm or becoming an apprentice with a fashion designer or interior design consultant, depending on your skills and field of interest, is one way to become a design trainee.
It’s best to build a portfolio of basic design work if you want to work as a design trainee for a graphic design or Web design firm. Since you are a trainee, you are unlikely to have much professional experience, the portfolio does not necessarily include any previously published work. Instead, your portfolio should be full of samples you’ve created to show off your computer-aided design skills, aesthetic sense, and attention to detail. Even if you’re an entry-level intern, having a portfolio demonstrates that you have the initiative and fundamental skills to succeed in your internship.
You can build a portfolio to show your influences, sense of color, and visual creativity if you want to work as a design trainee for a fashion or interior designer. If you want to work as a fashion designer trainee, you’ll need to know how to sew and construct fabrics. You’ll also need to understand the various types of fabric and the fundamentals of custom tailoring, as well as an eye for what looks good based on current trends.
Trainees in interior design should understand the fundamentals of home construction, with a focus on interior furnishings and fixtures. Trainees in interior design are usually in charge of coordinating a variety of tasks for the senior designer. These tasks include coordinating subcontractor work, scheduling meetings with potential clients, and managing the acquisition and delivery of all project materials.
You should look for a designer or a design firm that has a style that is similar to your own aesthetic sensibilities once you have a basic level of competence in the skills required for a particular method of design. Send a query letter to the designer, requesting information about internships, apprenticeships, or trainee programs. Apply for every available position, but once you’ve landed a trainee position, politely inform all other companies that you’ve applied to that you’re no longer a trainee candidate.