Self-test: Is the "Housing Consultant (Certified)" course the right one for me?
Analysis of the activities of housing consultants
What does the day-to-day work of a housing consultant look like?
Interior design consultants usually work in furniture stores or interior design companies. They advise customers on the design of homes or business premises. Interior design consultants know the influence of materials, colors, shapes, lighting and different styles on the effect of a room. With their specialist knowledge and trained eye for aesthetics, they can develop interior design concepts and explain them to their customers using sketches and illustrations. In some cases, they visit their customers at home. This allows them to discuss the effect of the planned furnishings and possible problem areas in the individual rooms directly and find solutions together. After a successful consultation, administrative tasks such as repeat orders, stock call-offs, supplier searches, price comparisons and business correspondence follow.
Job descriptions in job advertisements for housing consultants:
| Main tasks | Frequency in % |
|---|---|
| Customer advice and sales, acquisition and customer care | 35 |
| Provision and presentation of goods, planning and carrying out sales promotions | 35 |
| Development of design concepts, collaboration with architects and clients | 20 |
| Administration, bookkeeping, orders, goods control | 10 |
The distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the job profile and size of the company.
For example, the following points are required in job advertisements for employment as a housing consultant:
- Completed training (preferably in sales)
- Consulting/sales experience in the furniture industry and a flair for beautiful living
- A confident and convincing manner and enjoyment of direct customer contact
- Spatial imagination, an eye for good design, quality awareness
- Strong sales skills, independent way of working
- Very good written and spoken German and good PC skills
- Willingness to work Saturdays
Question 1:
Do the activities of housing consultants meet my expectations?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent or only individual parts of it, you could think about what interests you the most. And then look at subsequent training courses to see if there is one that appeals to you even more:
Who is the "Housing consultant" course suitable for?
Target group
- People from the areas of furniture sales and customer advice who would like to deal with interior design issues in greater depth
- People who are interested in housing advice and want to acquire in-depth knowledge
- People looking to enter the home, interior decoration and furniture industry
Course description
Further important key points of the "Housing Consultant" course are described here:
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Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you have already answered "yes" to question 1, then this course seems to be a good match for your expectations.
If you like the course but not certain parts of the job, you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
If you like the job description under question 1 and have marked "No" here, you can look under the following further training opportunities in related fields to see if you can find something that better matches your interests:
- Retail specialist EFZ furniture
- Interior designer HFTG
- Feng Shui Consultant (Cert.)
- Interior designer (Cert.)
- Interior Designer
- Interior design (cert.)
- Furnishing consultant BP
- Color and Fashion Style Consultant (BP)
- Sales specialist (BP)
If neither the job profile nor the course description appeal to you, you should perhaps look for other further training courses.
Prerequisites for the course:
The admission requirements for the courses are not uniformly regulated. However, they are advantageous:
- Apprenticeship qualification with a federal certificate of competence; depending on the provider, in furniture sales, the interior design industry or as a carpenter
- Several years of professional experience in the interior design industry or furniture sales
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your training at the earliest possible date.
If you are not sure whether your apprenticeship qualification will be recognized for admission, find out directly from various providers.
If you lack the required professional experience, use professional job boards to search for sales jobs for career changers or ask specialist stores about the conditions for employment.
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Housing Consultant" course are to be paid either at the beginning of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to agree individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to pay between CHF 3,500 and CHF 9,800 for the course fee, depending on the provider and other conditions?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No": First ask the schools about the actual costs you would have to expect. And ask your employer about cost sharing. And then ask your school about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. There are also banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Time spent on classroom teaching and learning (homework)
The part-time course lasts two to three semesters. Classroom teaching takes place in four two-week modules over the course of a year or one full day a week for three semesters.
Learning and practicing takes about 4 hours per week in addition to school lessons.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for the face-to-face lessons and homework?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Will I graduate?
Final examinations are held each semester and the course ends with an independent project including a presentation. Successful completion of the course and the final examination is confirmed with a certificate, association or school diploma.
General success factors for successfully completing an apprenticeship are
- Regular preparation and follow-up of the lesson material at home
- Committed cooperation in group work, case studies etc.
- Participation in learning groups for regular exchange
- Practise exam situations by working on previous exam tasks
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the final exams?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this course and ask the school management for information about support options. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} you will find an overview of schools that offer the "Housing Consultant" course. You can request detailed documents with one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the "Home Consultant" course, you should be convinced that you really enjoy a sales-oriented, advisory role in interior design. The course description should also appeal to you. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also suitable for you.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installment payments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external advice center. If you enquire about course or training documents via www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin