Is an internship necessary for a career in graphic design?

How can I get a short-term, labor-intensive job in a field I'd like to start a career in?

• How can I get a short-term, labor-intensive job in a field I'd like to start a career in? I currently work a series of three month contract positions, and my current position will end in mid-April. The next contract won't start until sometime in mid-June or so, so I'd like a short-term job in the meantime - from mid-April to June. That sounds fairly easy, but here's the rub: I'd like to get a job, or "internship" if possible, in some kind of interior design/architecture field. My contract position is completely unrelated to this, so it would be nice to have a break and do something different in the interim. In the fall, my wife and I will possibly be moving to another city where I'll look into started a graduate degree in interior design and architecture. What I'd like to do now is simply work for a few weeks doing a lot of the labor-side elements (i.e. installation, carpentry, moving equipment, light construction, etc.) - but at the same time, try to learn a bit about the field before starting a graduate degree in it. I already aborted a graduate program once due to not fully understanding the career, and I'd like not to repeat that mistake. Ideally, I'd like some kind of paid-internship where I'd learn a lot about the labor-side of things, and potentially learn more about the interior design/architecture field. I'm concerned, though, because I wonder if there are any contractor/union issues that might prevent me from doing some kind of short-term stint like this. If it helps, I'm in Chicago (if anyone might have any potential contacts!) Any advice? Thanks!

• Answer:

  Are there any Habitat for Humanity projects in your area? There's certainly no union restrictions on volunteer labor.