Michael Wohl takes the plunge into the "Interior Design Boot Camp"!

I always meant to give way to the creative streak that I was sure was in me, but the pressures of earning a living and supporting a family, meant that it was just too much of a risk to do that mid-flight. But a series of life changing events led to a fundamental re-appraisal and one day, a couple of years ago, I suddenly knew that I could no longer face working in the corporate sector that I know longer respected. This is when I knew I wanted to make a sharp turn in my life.

In my case, salvation appeared in the shape of a friend, a decorator whom I had asked to transform my living room. He is a fine arts graduate who has tried to make a living as a specialist decorator, but he lacked the organisation and marketing skills to make a go of it. We decided to try and work together and so our 'design and decorate' business was born.

So I started on my quest for a new career to turn my amateur interest in to a modest professional skill. Extensive Internet research leads me to KLC and an interview with Principal Jenny Gibbs, who advised me to go away and think about it long and hard, as it was a big commitment. I remember walking away from that meeting really impressed that a potential paying customer had been dissuaded from spending his money until he was really sure.

A year later, signed up for the Certificate course and within a few days I received my Student handbook. I was taken aback at the thought that had obviously gone into it, the huge amount of useful information and tips for preparation, website address, sourcing list, reading lists and even a tube map.

I've spent most of my working life in a corporate environment, subjected to the usual range of good and not so good training course and I know when a training programme has been put together well. The build - up to each of the formal projects was properly structured with lectures and practicals on topics we would need; a day or so of more relaxing but relevant materials would follow each project deadline. The pace was perfectly judged, if a little bracing at times. The staff - all of them, from our lovely tutors though to the reception team - were helpful and friendly and patient and always there when you needed them. The non-staff lectures were all industry practitioners, brought in for a guest spot - so we always had the advantage of benefiting from to date professionals experience.

The prospectus promises an intensive experience and I emerged from the "Interior Design boot Camp" ten weeks later, properly drilled in the basics and fully confident that I could begin to make a career in design.

By the way - the business is going well too!

Michael Wohl - Alumni, 10-Week Certificate in Interior Decoration