Puget Sound Chapter
Student Career Day 2026 @ Seattle Design Center
When:
November 06, 2026 | 9:00 am- 5:30 pm
CEUs: There are no CEUs for this event
Where:
Seattle Design Center
5701 6th Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98108
Student Career Day is back this fall, and we've changed things up! This year is a full, packed day built around the questions we hear most from students: What's the difference between residential and commercial work? What does a showroom or manufacturer rep job look like? How do I land my first job, or start my own business?
Student Career Day 2026 is on Friday, November 6th, 8:30am - 5pm, hosted by the Seattle Design Center and five local design organizations, ASID, IDS, IIDA, NKBA, and NWSID, who teamed up to bring students and working professionals together in one place. You'll spend the day with people already working in the industry, and you'll leave with real answers, new contacts, and maybe a raffle prize.
Here is what's in store:
- Meet your local design organizations. Get to know leaders from ASID, IDS, IIDA, NKBA, and NWSID, learn what each group does and how membership can help you as a student and beyond, and grab some fun swag.
- Free professional headshots, courtesy of Portrait Magazine, for the first 50 students to arrive, so come early!
- Keynote from Elizabeth Lord Levitt, a nationally recognized voice in design who's coming in from Denver, on "The Essential Team Members of a Successful Project": who's who on a project, from contractors and trade partners to architects, designers, and clients.
- Breakout sessions you choose based on where you're headed, covering:
- Commercial vs. residential design and real-world workflow
- Careers outside the firm: showrooms, manufacturers & industry reps
- Business operations: working with showrooms and vendors, pricing, lead times, ordering and delivery
- A deep dive into commercial design
- Starting and running your own business
- Interview and portfolio tips
- Lunch is included, thanks to the Seattle Design Center and Sherwin-Williams, along with a panel of local industry experts talking about what employers are looking for and what to expect in your first job.
- Guided showroom tours led by local design pros. See and touch the products, and talk with the experts who know them best.
- A student lounge, sponsored by Heritage School of Interior Design and Woodpecker Flooring, for when you need a breather. It's a full day, so we made a spot to recharge.
- Raffle prizes to close out the day. Each organization brings one, so stick around for the drawing!
