My Griffith Story: Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you.

Karl Carty earned a BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture.

Karl now works as a Senior Designer at Morgan Lovell, the UK’s leaders in office design.

“I am a workplace designer for a design and build company, the founding partner of the Morgan Sindall Group. I am responsible for compiling and delivering pitch presentations in competitive tender situations and, if successful, remain involved through detailed design and delivery on site.”

Why did you choose to study at Griffith College?

“I knew I wanted to follow my mother’s footsteps into Interior Design and was advised by my Technical Design teacher in school that Griffith was the best place to do it.”

Who inspired you during your time at Griffith College?

“My classmates. I had a very close class and was particularly inspired by the Norwegian contingent that joined us in my 3rd year, who made me up my game when I saw the quality of their work.”

What have your greatest achievement and challenges been to date?

“My biggest challenge was gaining employment after being made redundant by an architectural practice in Dublin in the 2008 recession. I moved to London and worked in a bar for nine months whilst walking into companies and handing out CVs on my days off, as recruitment companies and emails became a loss leader due to the poor climate. Gaining employment then felt like a great achievement. Aside from that, winning my first competitive £3 million job for my current employer against stiff competition and seeing it delivered on-site 2 years later was a great thrill.”

What are your future plans?

“Work my way up the ladder in the workplace world. I hope to hold a Head of Design role in the next five to ten years.”

Finally, we asked Karl some quick-fire questions.

Best piece of advice you’ve received:

"Learn the basics well and the rest will fall into place around it. A strong work ethic is the key to success in the design industry."

What advice would you give recent graduates entering the job market:

"Be proactive; don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Surround yourself with the latest trends. Industry research is hugely important."

How would you describe Griffith College in three words?

• Creative
• Personal
• Fun!