Thanks, everyone. I’m hoping some of the discouraged people who are so often told that landscape architecture is dead and to get a job as a plumber will be relieved to hear that with persistence and patience it can work out.
The more that I looked for the perfect job, the more I came to realize that I had to create the position myself and then fill it. The hard part is creating the viable position. The easy part is filling it once it was created.
The path was not planned out, but kept adjusting as it went forward. I worked in a CE office doing civil plans rather than LA work. I built enough experience to get interviewed by a different CE who wanted me for commercial civil site planning and had little interest that I was an LA – at which time I mentioned that I did LA work on the side and would that be OK. It was and I did so. Two years ago I took a big risk to ask to go part time so that I could do more LA work on my own. I did not know if I’d be terminated or not, but felt that my work was valued enough that they would not let me go. Thankfully, I was right and committed to a year as a part timer. I did not feel confident enough in the work flow after that year and continued another year until I had so much LA work that the CE job was clearly in the way. I gave a couple of weeks notice and here we are. I’ll go into the CE office twice a month to help them and keep the relationship a good one.
I should mention that I worked for a design/build landscape architect between between two stays at the first CEs office and two years after that as the LA for a very good design/build landscape contractor as well. I have worked with all but the LA in one way or another ever since.
Rule #1 is not to burn bridges. I currently do work with or for all of my former employers since 2000. Building a network is difficult, but essential. A shingle and a website are nothing without referrals.
“Long live rock, be it dead or alive”
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