feel like a typewritter salesman circa 1994?

[Hans C Stoll]

Maybe its just Arizona, but trying to explain my industry at this time, to my friends in other industries….. I often say it feels like I am a typewritter salesman at the advent of the word-processor.

[Keith Jankovsky]

elaborate please.

[nca]

who’s got the word-processor?

[Hans C Stoll]

(elaboration: Trying to sell a service or product that few people feel they want or need at this time)

Not sure who has the word-processor yet. Have one friend who is an RLA and has decided to chase Pharamcy as a career instead. Another RLA is becoming a teacher. Odd trend, ditching Landscape Architecture for something 100% un-related.

[Frank Varro]

It’s really more of a service few people KNOW they need. Most don’t know that a good landscape can (when the market starts to get back on its feet) increase your home value by, i seem to remember the number being in the neighborhood of, 5-15%. And that’s for private homes.

The way i describe LA: In every city you have buildings, and everything else. Some one has to design EVERYTHING else- that’s my job. Whether its a road, a park, a plaza, or a yard, that’s what LAs do.

[nca]

To be honest I feel like your friends may have been in the wrong profession to begin with to go from LA to pharmacy..wow. I wonder what percentage of the current LA’s would make a switch like this? Could be good for those that stay.

[Jon Quackenbush]

LA to Pharm? My guess is they probably wanted to be within arms reach of ulcer and depression meds…

[Jon Quackenbush]

That is a pretty good generic summary of what we do.

[Jon Quackenbush]

On a side note, i just came into the possession of a 1920’s Underwood typewriter, it was in rough shape and i took it to a man in his mid eighties (perhaps one of the last people to know how one works) and he fixed it up like new. it sounds awesome and i think i may start to type my cover letters with it.

[Bill Kisich]

I think maybe what Hans is saying is, It’s really dead here in Phoenix, work wise.

[nca]

the pending statewide boycotts can’t help…there’s residential work here in Colorado, could be an indicator.

[Hans C Stoll]

Tempted….. Could I get a root-canal instead maybe?

🙂

Hope all is well w/ you Russ.

[Hans C Stoll]

Yes. And less work = fewer actual positions, shrinking firms, fewer firms, shrinking salaries for those who have positions at a firm.

What once felt like a valued and important occupation now feels like the “stepchild”. Trust me Architects and even Civil’s are feeling this too.

Point specifically was that the title “Landscape Architect” in AZ at least is starting to feel like “typewriter repairman” in 1995 (when word-processors made typewriters a thing of the past).

Trying to determine what the local or national CATALYST might be to turn this whole thing back onto the road and out of the ditch.

The other thread (conversation about the state of our occupation) confirmed so much of what I have observed; That the carnage is deep and widespread and indiscriminate. Very good read (but very depressing conclusions).

I tell myself and my friends that “this too shall pass”.

BTW; Frank V. ‘s description of what we do is excellent. It conveys very simply and accurately the important service we provide.

[Peter M. Boyle]

Since I spent much of the past two years un- and under-employed, I can truly appreciate your dismal attitude, but you should only feel like a “typewriter salesman” if what you have to offer is outdated ideas and methods.

Take it back even farther: picture yourself as a Macintosh computer salesman in 1984. ( talk about selling something that people feel they don’t want or need)

[Steve_White]

I didn’t read all the posts in this thread. But I think the topics pretty interesting and rather comical to think about.

I have been out of work since august 09 so sometimes I am an out of work typewriter salesman. lol could it get any worse???

But then i got to thinking. Its tough for LA’s who are down and out to think positively about our profession, on top of that we all know that LA work is important and we know why. its hard to explain hard to describe sometimes but it was put best in the post above.

“we design everything else.”

then i got thinking about your analogy to the typewriter. we are not the typewriter salesman. we are the paper sales man. Our products we support will change over time and we need to adapt with it. Paper is a resource that regardless of word processors will be needed for a wide variety of applications.

As hard and not deserving as this profession can be, there is not much else i would want to spend my adult life doing.

[Author]

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