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The ASLA conference was a whole lot of fun and I have tons to share with you from it (I am really excited about this, so stay tuned). Last post, I listed a few questions that you should be prepared for in your next interview. Sadly, it is not reasonable to expect to be prepared for every single possible question you might be asked. Each interview you will have in your career will be as unique as you and your interviewer are, and believe me, there’s a whole lot of variety out there. In answering questions, keep this article on what interview questions are actually trying to discover from Seth Godin in mind. Read his post. No, seriously. Now look at the list I posted before and the answers you think you will give. Do your answers address the goals listed by Mr. Godin? The interview, in...Read More

Last post, I mentioned some things to avoid in your portfolio and I hope that was helpful. Now that your portfolio is starting to take shape, you’ve selected some projects and started thinking about how best to show off those gorgeous projects, let’s take a moment to consider the kinds of questions you may be asked. ASLA’s Annual Conference is next week, and they have a Job Link Live event. What better inspiration for taking a sec to prepare for an interview even if you aren’t participating in the conference. I have been seeing a few more forum posts on Land8 lately where people are getting interviews, and have heard from friends all over that more interviews seem to be taking place… I sure hope that is true! Anybody can google “interview questions”...Read More

ASLA’s national conference is coming up at the end of the month in San Diego, and with that conference is the JobLink LIVE and Emerging Professionals Portfolio Review at the Expo. Whether you are attending or not, this seems like a good time to take a good look at your portfolio so far and make sure you’ve avoided the top ten mistakes. Last time, I showed you a nifty digital portfolio template. These no-no’s apply to digital and print media, both! Never include material that is unrelated to your professional work. No matter how much you love your cat or skiing, they don’t belong in here. Perhaps your proficiency on the ski slopes has made you the best ski resort designer ever? If you can’t find a solid professional reason, don’t include it. Same goes for the “kitchen sink...Read More

Oh, look! a FREE portfolio template! Roundfolio is a free download from Webgraphics.net and I thought it was pretty cool, especially for a one-page (samples of work) portfolio. Last week, I posted about typography, and mentioned that I am looking for your wonderful page layouts to use in a future post (I still am, hint hint) but this week, take a gander at the layout and typographic decisions in Roundfolio’s live demo. So one of the reasons I like Roundfolio goes back to an “interview with an employer” post. You may recall a couple of weeks ago when Scott Lewis said: “With initial samples of work, I prefer to see only three projects. I will know as soon as I open it what the level is. Ideally, this is (3) images or at the most, 2 – 3 images for (3) projects.” ...Read More

Last week, I posted three videos. The video on book design and the one on cover design both discussed typography. They inspired me to do a little more hunting around, and when I read this post by Seth Godin (marketing guru!) I knew I had to pay closer attention. In the past, I have largely ignored typography. It was confusing and seemed too complicated (when re-designing my portfolio, resume, etc was challenge enough) so instead of learning about it, I just chose a typeface and moved on. I might add a little emphasis by using italics or bold, make headings a larger size, and that was it. After all, I figured my work should focus on the landscape work; the letters on the page were secondary…. Typography is another “nth degree” of design that can make or break the overall look and feel of yo...Read More

Last week, we discussed a few different ways of ordering the materials you put in your portfolios. But today, I have another employer’s feedback to share with you. As many of you know, I have been asking colleagues for their perspective. Each of them is in the position of doing the hiring and portfolio review for their respective firms. Our conversations are typed by me, approved or modified by the person interviewed, and posted here for you. It is through this process, that as much as possible, these are their words. Scott Lewis of Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture generously shared with me his opinions about portfolios and the whole hiring process. He took a lot of time out of his busy schedule to share this information with me, and I very much appreciate it. Below you will find his inp...Read More

Last week, Leslie Golden said something very important: “I want to see nice renderings, and the thinking behind the design. I need the whole package put together, start to finish. I need to know that the applicant can take a project from concept through construction documents and beyond.” Landscape Architects’ work has one huge thing in common. Our projects start with the raw site, a client, and project program, and then go through a series of phases from conceptual towards more detail and direction. I enjoyed watching this video where a photographer demonstrated his process for arranging work, and much of what he does applies, except that Landscape Architects usually organize by project, not individual images. In today’s market, a good many careers are being shaped by opportunity; directe...Read More

Last week’s post on print portfolio resources was so much fun, and I have more stuff for you in the future….but as I mentioned, this week I have another “Interview with an Employer” to share with you and here it is. As I mentioned in the first “Interview” post, I have been asking colleagues for their perspective on resumes and portfolios. Each of them is in the position of doing the hiring and portfolio review for their respective firms. I encourage them to tell me what they feel is important without many specific questions to respond to. It is very interesting to see what comes up spontaneously, and I hope that these bits of advice give you something to consider in your own portfolio design process. I type my notes and send them to the Employer, then th...Read More

Last week’s Interview with an Employer post was not the last, I have another in the works….but first, let’s get back to your portfolio. I recently posted about digital portfolio options. Today, I have resources for printed portfolios. While many digital options are free, getting stuff printed isn’t. It doesn’t have to be super expensive, though. With little more than access to a computer with a word processing program (and either a simple binding or sweet folding) you can make a portfolio. In fact, some view a well-done hand-made portfolio as a sign of your attention to detail and appreciation for excellent craftsmanship. Below are only a few resources for your printed portfolio – there are so many excellent products and services out there! Please feel free to add your suggestions below in...Read More

I recently hinted that this post would be a bit different from previous ones. As part of my research for these posts on Land8, I have been asking colleagues for their perspective. Each of them is in the position of doing the hiring and portfolio review for their respective firms. I have asked them to tell me what is important to them without many specific questions to respond to. It is very interesting to see what comes up spontaneously, and I hope that these bits of advice give you something to consider in your own portfolio design process. You should know that the information was typed by me (from my notes), then approved or modified by the person interviewed, and posted here for you. It is through this process, that as much as possible, these are their words. Mr. H (who has asked me to ...Read More

I felt the need to share some inspirational things after writing the post on design last week. Interesting design ideas don’t always spontaneously burst forth, so below are some of my favorite web-hosted portfolio options. I know you are all resourceful, clever designers, but maybe there is something in this list that will help you solve a problem or give you some inspiration. If a digital portfolio isn’t for you, don’t worry, more resources are coming in the future! Issuu: It appears from reading posts in Land8 that web-hosted book formats are very popular right now. Issuu seems to be the most popular of these, and it is free! VisualCV: In this website, you can have several different versions of your resume with images and also upload pdf files (like letters of recommendation!...Read More

Using the work and opinions of others to jump-start ideas for your portfolio (like those listed in last week’s post) is awesome, but copying someone else’s portfolio design to showcase your own work is a lousy idea if you want to be recognized for your design abilities. Your portfolio is the one place where you are the only common denominator. I could repeat what other people have said about the principles of design, but I won’t. That information is out there for you to find, and if anyone is interested, here and here are a couple of places to start. Having said that, how can I craft a blog post that covers portfolio design for all formats at all levels in one shot? I really can’t, and I would have to be an absolute fool to try. What I can do, however, is to begin the discussion with some ...Read More