Good news! Your NKBA student membership will continue until December 31st of your graduation year. So this is the time to take advantage of your local NKBA chapter meetings. There are chapters located throughout the U.S. and Canada anxious to have you attend their educational and social networking events and many have discounted rates for students.

Advice on employment from graduates

Sara Olson, 2002 graduate from the NKBA Endorsed Program at Alexandria Technical College in Alexandria, Minnesota offered this advice: Be open to relocation and pay attention to your kitchen software classes. Sara has obtained employment working for NKBA member company American Woodmark Corporation in Winchester, Virginia as a display designer. Learn more about Sara's job by clicking here.

Becky, a 2002 graduate from the NKBA Endorsed Program Lakeland College in Alberta, Canada says, "Networking is the answer to finding your job in the industry." She attended the NKBA Design Tour sponsored by the NKBA Prairie Provinces chapter. During this event, which toured 4 area K&B showrooms in Edmonton, she was speaking to an industry professional about how she would like to work in the kitchen and bath industry in the Ottawa area. He agreed to contact their showroom in Ottawa for her. Kitchen Craft, an NKBA Member firm, hired Becky as a Kitchen Design and Sales Consultant. Becky benefited from attending the only NKBA Endorsed Program in Canada and loves working in the field. To learn more about a career as a Kitchen Design and Sales Consultant, click here.

Kathleen worked at a kitchen and bath showroom in Orange County while attending the NKBA Endorsed Program, Learning Tree University. After graduating from the program, Kathleen was a manager with a design center. After receiving her certification as a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) Kathleen decided to start her own business, Kitchen & Bath Solutions, which is a member of NKBA. Her advice to students that are interested in becoming entrepreneurs is "to interview as many business owners as possible to ascertain the daily challenges of running the business and the skills necessary to achieve success." In addition to interviewing businesses, work in the industry to gain experience integrating your design skills with the installation and construction of the project. To learn more about becoming an entrepreneur, click here.

Terri currently works for an Independent Kitchen/Bath Designer in Connecticut. A graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearny NKBA Endorsed Program, Terri states "attending local chapter meetings as an NKBA Student Member and working part-time as a cashier in a lumberyard and for a cabinet dealer created many contacts with the builder/remodeler industry. Both are great opportunities for referrals for future employment. I attribute finding my internship to attending K/BIS and my advisor's ability to network while serving on NKBA national program advisory councils." To learn more about becoming an independent kitchen/bath designer, click here.

Increase your earning potential!

Do you learn best in a classroom environment? The NKBA has a variety of courses to help you develop your skills and increase your marketability. How about attending a course to increase your sales ability or learn more about kitchen lighting? The Certification Prep course offered throughout the U.S. and Canada reviews the information on the AKBD exam. Click here to view the NKBA Professional Development Course schedule.

Certification assures your employer and the public that you have the skills and knowledge to design a safe, functional, and stylish kitchen or bathroom. It also gives you and the company a competitive edge over non-certified designers by offering a special section in our NKBA Find A Professional search on the website www.nkba.org. The NKBA markets to consumers to choose a certified professional through magazines such as Country Living, Better Homes & Garden Kitchen & Bath Ideas and House & Garden. Students that graduate from an NKBA Endorsed Program and complete an internship in the kitchen and bath industry qualify to take the AKBD certification exam. Click here to learn more about certification.

The NKBA offers a study guide to prepare students to pass the certification exams. To order your study guide, contact an NKBA Customer Service Representative at 800-843-6522.