Landscape Architecture for Landscape Architects › Forums › GENERAL DISCUSSION › Made the break
- This topic has 1 reply, 10 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 11 months ago by
Andrew Spiering.
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June 1, 2013 at 11:12 am #154930
Andrew Garulay, RLA
ParticipantToday is day one for me going full time on my own as an LA. I just left my last civil site planning job after almost 7 years – the last two part time so that I could build into my LA office. I did 6 more in CE offices before that.
Patience and positioning is one way to keep moving forward.
June 1, 2013 at 9:50 pm #154942Andrew Spiering
ParticipantCongratulations!
June 1, 2013 at 9:51 pm #154941Rob Halpern
ParticipantVery exciting step! Congratulations
June 1, 2013 at 11:25 pm #154940Jason T. Radice
ParticipantGood luck! (not being sarcastic, for once)
June 2, 2013 at 1:55 am #154939Alan Ray, RLA
ParticipantThat’s fantastic! Congratulations!
June 2, 2013 at 6:01 pm #154938Anonymous
InactiveI’m sure you’ll have withdrawal from the water cooler chats and camaraderie (because I sure did), but at least you’re working full time on making your dreams come true. Now you have even more time to make new friends.
Best of luck to you Andrew!
June 2, 2013 at 6:58 pm #154937Andrew Garulay, RLA
ParticipantThanks, 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”
June 3, 2013 at 11:32 pm #154936Andrew Spiering
ParticipantHey Andrew,
Congratulations again! I am sure there are many other Land8 members out there that would like to share business tips and advice. Would it be helpful if we set up a specific forum category for this purpose?
June 4, 2013 at 2:26 am #154935Tanya Olson
ParticipantExcellent – congratulations Andrew! I don’t think you will ever regret it!
June 4, 2013 at 1:44 pm #154934Ben Yahr
ParticipantCongratulations Andrew!
June 5, 2013 at 3:55 pm #154933Tosh K
ParticipantCongrats and best wishes!
June 5, 2013 at 6:10 pm #154932nca
ParticipantAndrew,
Congrats!! Very exciting…
I just leased my first office space….now I really need work..
June 6, 2013 at 3:15 am #154931Andrew Garulay, RLA
ParticipantCongrats to you for making that move! Wish you the best.
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