The job search

So I've been actively looking for work this week. My resume is done and I'm working on my portfolio. As most people work in a business environment they have no need for a portfolio and maybe don't even know what one is for. When you are in the design business you must be able to show a smattering of your best projects across the board. The way in which one does this can vary hugely. With the newer technologies that are out there portfolios have become increasingly more advanced and fancy. While I do have some training in the computer programs needed to made a digitally appealing portfolio I would consider myself a bit of a novice. I can come up with something but it won't be as fancy as what a student just coming out of school with a degree in Interior Design could do.
This tragedy of losing my job has affected me in many ways. One of them being this faint glimmer of hope that I find the job that is just right for me and nurtures me and helps me to grow and achieve this great potential that is buried somewhere deep inside me. I have such a desire to work on grand things that can change the world or at least change the outlook that one person might have on their day. Interior design is so often overlooked as an important factor in our daily lives. Designers can change the way a person feels about their environment and uplift them to a better mood and provide a healthier environment to live, work and play in. I have spent the last almost three years working on lame and uninspiring spaces that I wouldn't even want to work in. Not because I wanted to but because that is what my job required. I was completely unmotivated and bored. There were a couple projects I worked on that I enjoyed, and mostly because they were challenging and people gave me some design license to be creative.
When I went to Greenbuild I attended an educational session on Biophilic Design in the urban context. It was my favorite session of all the ones I attended. Biophilia is described as "an inherent human need to affiliate with nature." I found the session to be so enlightening. It provided a kind of "duh" moment. Like why haven't people figured this out yet. Who doesn't feel better walking on a trail vs. walking through a mall?
Oddly enough when I typed the name of a book I found at Greenbuild into my computer to find more information about it it led me to a wikipedia page that mentioned the next subject I want to talk about in this rambling blog post.
The book is called Integrated Design . I flipped through it at Greenbuild and loved the imagery that was in it. I didn't have time to read it of course but now I want to even more. When I typed Integrated Design into my browser one of my choices was a wikipedia page about the subject of Integrated design. The page was pretty wordy and not very long as it's still a subject that hasn't really hit mainstream. One capitalized word did catch my eye though.

The understanding of integrated design has evolved in conjunction with the rise of multidisciplinary design firms and is now being used as a term to describe a collaborative design process. Innovative companies, such as IDEO, (providers of products, services and environments), have built their reputation in the marketplace as leaders based on their hands-on, innovative, and participatory design methodologies, including Interaction Design, broadening the definition of integrated design from the whole building to the whole environment.

I also attended a session at Greenbuild that was being run by three people that work at a company called IDEO. I was particularly taken by the philosophy of their company and have had them on my list of potential companies to send my resume to. I read up on their website about what kind of people they look for and how they pick and choose who they hire and it seems like you have to be a pretty special person to even think about it.

I guess my ramblings bring me to one point....
Dare I dream to find a job that really fosters my potential and passions? I am so interested in the concept of biophilic design and integrated design but I don't feel that I have enough training to really pursue a job within either of those realms. I dare to dream that I could work in a profession that really makes a difference and is creative at the same time....