Zoe Deaton

I would honestly say it's the passion I have for interior design. I don't think I would be anywhere near as driven or successful as I am if I didn't genuinely enjoy what I was doing. Going back to the idea that if you love what you do, you're never working a day in your life - I feel successful at the end of the day when I've worked with a client, given them a design that they're happy with, and I feel successful, they feel happy, and we both accomplished something together. Whether it is a good day or a bad day, you still feel successful because you've done something that you love. That passion for what I do drives everything, and it's what keeps me motivated and productive every single day.

The best career advice I've ever received was from a professor I had, and she said to take every opportunity that you can to grow and to learn. A lot of people see these unpaid internships or volunteer design opportunities and they're stressed because they have school or don't have the time, but I have found that every small opportunity I've put myself in has led to more opportunities or more connections. Whenever you're given the chance to go to an event, or have a volunteer opportunity, or just meet new people, take those few hours out of your day and do that, because the outcome of that is usually exponential to the time that you put in. You never know who you're going to meet or what doors will open. I always say, dress for the job you want - you never know who you're gonna meet.

I would say putting yourself out there is definitely what I would recommend. I think visibility is such a big topic in the career industry in general - it's so hard to just get people to look at you when you're just a face on a screen. So I would say don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, whether it's attending industry events and introducing yourself to new people, or cold calling jobs, walking in and introducing yourself with your resume. Take every opportunity, and don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, because that's where all of the magic happens. Building your own personal brand is really important, whether that's on social media like LinkedIn or Instagram, or making yourself a business card and taking that to events and meeting new people. I think it's really important to build a brand for yourself before you attach yourself to a company or a brand.

I would say visibility is the biggest challenge right now. Every professor and professional I've talked to says the job market is so bad right now, and it's really about who you know. So I think the biggest challenge for designers in my industry is visibility, but the opportunity that comes along with that is building your own personal brand, whether that's on social media like LinkedIn or Instagram, or making yourself a business card and taking that to events and meeting new people. It's really important to build a brand for yourself before you attach yourself to a company or a brand. The challenge of visibility in the job market actually creates an opportunity to differentiate yourself and make meaningful connections.

I would say creativity would have to be number one, especially in my field. The passion for creation has to be there on a daily basis, and then productivity goes along with that. In my personal life, to feel successful, I need to be productive in my life, whether that's doing a project at home, hanging up some curtains, or reupholstering furniture. But in my work life, that's making sure I'm tackling something every day that's working towards a goal to make me better in a creative way, but also in a professional way. I need to feel like I'm accomplishing something meaningful each day, combining my creative passion with tangible progress toward my professional goals.