Career Change

I am very fortunate to have what in this economy could be called a relatively secure job in a good company well-positioned to make it through this. That has not always been the case in my career. Twelve years ago I had made the decision to try another way to make a living after the 90’s recession in CA pretty much sunk my San Francisco design practice. During those years of difficulty, I got by with a patchwork of part-time and unskilled jobs, some putting me in humiliating situations in front of former competitors to my failed practice. One job was a delivery courier; to this day I don’t know if any of them recognized me. Just as I was about to take a full-time job dealing poker at a local casino, the courier job brought me an opportunity that allowed me to return and prosper in landscape architecture. That story is too long to tell and not relevant to this discussion, but, I am very grateful for that and my current situation.

I offer these comments as a counterpoint to the frustration and pessimism of this thread so far. Believe me, I’ve lived it and it stinks.

BUT…

Have you noticed the uptick in job postings on ASLA? Check the architect job sites and headhunters, too..there are jobs out there.

Also, how bad do you want it? Are you willing to relocate? There are some pretty nice jobs out there, especially if you have some experience. I know this is doubly a bummer for young people, but you are also in a better position to respond to the broader circumstance if you have no children, mortgage or other fixed commitments. The time to take those big life risks is now. Living elsewhere, outside your comfort zone, is the best thing for designers. Richness of experience and seeing other ways of doing things pays off big time later.

As for skills to develop and/or polish? I don’t care what anyone else may say, and I always assume they have the goods to back up there opinions, for my money….LEARN HOW TO DRAW, DRAW, DRAW! Not only will you impress your friends and colleagues, communicate your designs better and more convincingly (not to mention you’ll be a better designer when you draw your designs and see where they suck! Then you get to fix ’em before someone else points it out!), you will become far more confident in yourself, and that leads to less apprehension and more action. Sound like a Mike Lin seminar? Well, yes, as I just did his weekend seminar to brush-up my perspective and color skills. Project fee budgets don’t support hiring consulting illustrators right now.

Back to my original point and sorry for the detour.

I know this kind of advice/encouragement can sound trite, especially when, from your perspective, I might look like a fat cat. But, I have the credentials to offer it. Did I mention that I went bankrupt in 1996? I lost everything, and I mean everything. I started over from scratch at age 47. My life is very, very different now.

So, trust me, and Henry, when we say this, too, shall pass. And, when it does, with university enrollment in LA either stagnant or falling, there will be so much demand for so few qualified people, you will write your own tickets. As in TV commercials, if it can happen to me, it can happen to you. Question is, what are you going to do about it?

Good luck, and do well doing good.

Our industry follows the economy and for the younger members of the forum we are experiencing this massive downturn for the first time. Most of the older LA I have talked to about this are not worried they went through the early 80’s and the early 90’s recessions and scratched and scraped to get through, they got through and built or re-built their business and marched on. I am in the process of dismantling my consulting business to work directly for on of my clients, I am not sure how thinks will workout in the immediate future, but as the economy turns and the building industry bounces back our industry will again be flush with jobs. We are all feeling the pain of this downturn (some more than others) and we are all pulling for each other because if others in our industry are getting new jobs there is always something on the horizon. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!

I have also been seriously considering either a career change or a backup career/source of income. I’ve been looking for work as an LA for almost 18 months after 8 years in the field. I’m relaunching my search this week with a new portfolio/website/cover letters etc. I really hope the fish start biting this time around. The recession seems to be over, perhaps a few firms out there will start to add staff again. (I know of a couple of people who recently found jobs).

I have learned a few important lessons from this recession:

1) contacts – work as hard at building a network as you do your job.
2) keep up a stronger portfolio (take pics, keep up a website, etc.).
3) Have a backup source of income. (maybe a small business or ‘something’).

This recession has really been a nightmare. Once I land a new position, priority #1 will be to start looking at backup careers. In the past, the idea of running my own LA business has not appealed. But after going through this, I’m not so sure. I would rather have an LA business that is barely holding on (but at least bringing in ‘some’ income) than to be working for someone esle, completely at the mercy of their workload, only to end up earning zero if they have to shed some positions. Ahhhh, lots to think about.

Not right now lol