Time to Panic? -> LAM March 2011: “Leaping Into What?”

[Theodore Tegen]

Hahaha bi-polar?  BI-WINNING.

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

I’m in a civil office and it is a very secure position to be in this economy. I do a liitle bit of survey design/drafting, a little bit of landscape design, a little bit of environmental restoration, a lot of cicil site plans, …. what part of that is not landscape architecture?

Diversity = job security 

[Dennis J. Jarrard, PLA, CLARB]

You are preaching to the choir brother!!!  🙂

[Jonathan Smith, RLA]

I agree.  Get ant relevant experience.  Use and develop any skills you have or want to have.

 

I just applied for a job with a public policy consultant the other day.  It would be awesome!  And I could use my writing degree again…

[Jonathan Smith, RLA]

You had ZERO responses?

 

 

[mauiBob]

Contrary…I was responding to YOU and the “timing the market” comment. I gave her advice on career choices (look further down) and she’s not unemployed. Boy-ohh-boy, you try to help some folks out and this is what you get.

I’m debating on whether or not to keep my comment posted. On Fool.com, I strongly advised people to purchase stocks back in April of 2009 and to not sell. Those statements are still posted. If you bought any number of stocks then, you would be in a favorable position now. If you bought a little, unknown company called Netflix in 2002 at $2 per of 1,000 shares, you would have $194,000 today! Those are facts! Instead of listening to those people who said “people don’t want to receive dvds through mail. They want to go inside a store and rent. Choose Blockbuster Video or Netflix anyday.”

In addition, this is life lesson for her. You can do landscape architecture while maintaining the ecommerce as a side business. She should stay away from the negativity and follow her gut instincts.

P.S. I decided to delete it, but you remember what I told you. Invest in the home builder stocks, they are historically low now; however, are poised for a long-term, bull market run. 

[mauiBob]

Hey hey, its Russell again. Aloha my fellow Arizonian! You ever run or hike up Camelback mountain? I loved that workout while I lived in Scottsdale! Did they expand the parking lot yet.

Boy-ohh-boy, what’s with some of you guys? Very sensitive attitudes in today’s economy. I understand. You try to give out a friendly advice and get hammered! Absolutely beautiful.

[mauiBob]

Jessyca, there’s always room in this profession for people who have the passion for it. Don’t ever forget that. Any career has it’s up and down cycles. If I could do this all over again, I would have chosen Business Finance…not that I lack the passion for LA, but its a personal choice. And then, still market my love to do renderings and graphics as a side job.

Listen to the song “Fireworks” by Katy Perry.

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag,
drifting through the wind
wanting to start again?

Do you ever feel already buried deep?
6 feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you
‘Cause there’s a spark in you

You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July

‘Cause baby you’re a firework
Come on, show ’em what you’re worth
Make ’em go “Oh, oh, oh”
As you shoot across the sky-y-y”

[Boilerplater]

An investment newsletter I get said the same thing about homebuilder stocks a few months back.  Not that I have any money to invest!

 

So how about some tips on how to get into ecommerce?  That’s what I’d like to see!  Today I had an informational interview for selling insurance.  Yeah, that’s what I’ve come to!

[Matt Sprouse]

Thanks.  I’m very proud of my engineering experience, and now as a principal and owner of a practice, it has helped me with more pragmatic minded clients.  I can also communicate with civil engineers  – not to mention lead teams with them on it.

[Melinda W. Polites]

Have been in this profession for 30 yrs.  It has never been lucrative.  Only when everyone is rolling high do LAs seem to fair well, in the broad sense.  In hindsight I wish I had endured one more year of college and gotten that Masters in Urban Planning – seems to be more opportunities there.  I started out in the recession of the early 80’s and have never seen a sustainable resurgence.  When you understand that way back when it was the wealthy that went to Architecture school, you begin to understand that it is all about the education and not necessarily about the livelihood. 

And BTW, mauiebob, people don’t want their videos sent by mail which is why Netflix is phasing it out and going toward streaming.  Hindsight is 20/20. 

[Melinda W. Polites]

I copied this to another post because it is sadly accurate.  http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7429337/

 

[Thomas J. Johnson]

Here you go…

 

 

Nah… Just kidding… My Dad was a stock broker back in the 80’s (a very stressful job) and he used to have a “don’t panic” button on his computer screen. It was pretty cool… didn’t always work but it was cool…

 

[Jessyca Frederick]

Please tell me I’m not the only geek who knows the origin of this “Don’t Panic!” button! Thanks, Thomas.

[Jessyca Frederick]

Thanks, mauiBob.

Your [deleted] comments about timing the market, while initially hard to connect back to my available choices, does drive the point home. When I consider leaving my Extension program for a year and a half and then returning to finish a MLA instead, it does feel like I’m trying to time the market.

 

My instructors frequently tell me I’ll be an excellent Landscape Architect (I always hope they’re not just blowing smoke up my a**) but having potential and no experience isn’t going to get me  my first job. I think that we plan to relocate to a smaller town (in LA now, looking at SLO or the Palm Springs area) is adding extra pressure to my thinking about all of this as well. Last night one instructor suggested I find a niche (either technological like Green Roofs) or thematic (urban infill), etc. That thinking about where the profession is going will help me figure out how to succeed.

 

I’m someone who is very entrepreneurial and driven to succeed at anything I do. I think my biggest fear is not of failing to be well-off or even of not being good at LA… it’s the fear of not even being able to get started.

 

As a side note, I find it fascinating that everyone loves this Katy Perry song (not surprising, just fascinating).

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