Interior Design students showcase portfolios to industry experts

Interior Design final year students had the opportunity to connect with potential employers as industry partners were invited to campus to review student portfolios and share their top tips for securing a job. 

The event was organised as a result of an increasing number of graduates contacting the Interior Design team with regards to job opportunities where they work. The course team decided to capitalise on this opportunity and organise an in-house event where students could meet a range of industry professionals. 

The Interior Design course team, supported by the universities in-house Employability Team, welcomed industry partners both on campus and online, including representatives from London-based agencies Fabric and The One Off, as well as a number of South-West studios, including Tabitha Isobel, Studio Far West, Resolution Interiors, Unique Homestays, Phoenix Wharf and We are Absolute UK.  

The standard of work coming from Falmouth continues to astound me.

During the day, students presented their work and graduate portfolios to the industry partners, who gave valuable feedback on each portfolio as well as sharing their own career stories post-university. Of the industry speakers, several were Falmouth Interior Design alumni. Hearing from alumni who have crafted successful careers in the industry was particularly inspiring for the graduating students. 

Molly Foy, Design Director at The One OFF, was highly impressed by the student work, saying: “The standard of work coming from Falmouth continues to astound me. We see portfolios and degree shows from so many universities and I am never not amazed by the brilliant level of work encouraged at Falmouth.” 

Amy Johnson, Director at Fabric, added: “The conceptual thinking and individuality encouraged is such a key element. The students have such passion and talk about their projects with confidence and reasoning, which is great to see.” 

Feedback gathered from our third-year students highlights how valuable they found the opportunity to connect with potential employees, with some students even being invited to interview for professional graduate roles. Student, Zoe Barkes commented: “It was incredibly inspirational and reassuring to hear from the returning alumni. Being able to present our portfolios was not only invaluable practice but also allowed us to show off our work to recruiting studios. This led to an opportunity to interview for a role and dive straight into a job after graduation.” 

Reflecting on the day, Jean Whitehead, Senior Lecturer in Interior Design, said: ‘It was lovely how graduates now working in industry told their stories of when they were a student at Falmouth. Our current third-year students could relate to them, and it took away some of that fear factor of moving on from university. The day helped our students understand the importance of building networks and they now have a bank of contacts and mentors to utilise.” 

Jean adds: “The day was also a valuable opportunity for knowledge exchange, ensuring that we as educators remain in sync with the industry-standards of today. I hope the day helped our very talented third-year students in being work-ready and having the confidence in getting that first job.’ 

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