[CML]

Stay away.  Other than Niagara Falls itself and a few new developments in downtown Buffalo the region is a complete utter sh!t hole.  Justification for such a harsh statement (lived there for five years). 

[CML]

Based on my own personal experience be prepared for many sleepless nights fearing when, not if you will get laid off.  Just remember one thing.  ALL Engineers think they can do your job.  In their eyes you are not essential in the A&E firms.  More often then not you will work within an LA department that is headed by an Engineer Principal partner or Associate Principal.  If that’s the case watch your back.  They will throw you out on the street at the first sign of trouble (slow down in the economy).  Source: 4 layoffs in 6 years from A&E firms due to lack of work. 

As one of my fellow ex coworkers said, Landscape Architects are designers Engineers are calculators.  They calculate everything from storm water reports to how quickly they can stab you in the back and get rid of you and the state laws are on their side.  The ASCE and its political supporters have steadily beaten down ASLA via a PR campaign and superior funding the past 20-30 years.   Not that ASLA has really helped its own cause. 

The question remains, why can’t we design a parking lot, grade it, size the pipes and assemble the storm water report and stamp it?  Because the ASCE has successfully lobbied most of the states to only allow THEM to stamp drawings.  If the relationship was more mutual like Architects have with MEP Engineers, WE could lead with good design and let the Civil Engineers focus on what they are good at, calculations.    

[CML]

Akin,

 

Good looking portfolio.  I only have a couple of comments. 

 

First of all i disagree with some of the previous posters that their is too much work presented here.  In fact I like it.  Many of us designers particularly the visually oriented ones enjoy flipping through a document full of interesting eye candy.

 

However, I do agree with one of the previous poster’s points.  Remove the portrait in your table of contents.  I would substitute your hand drawn charcoal portrait in its place.  That says a lot more about your graphic abilities and makes a much more bold statement from the get go.  In my opinion and no offense, but the picture of you is too zoomed in and you’re not smiling 🙂

 

I also have a bit of an issue with the heiarchy of “A.Adekile’s Art”  on the table of contents page.  It’s so bold and prominent that it makes me wonder if you’re a graphic artist first and foremost and a Landscape Architect designer second.  I would rethink this a bit depending on what kind of job you intend to apply for (assuming you’re updating portfolio to apply for a new position).  

 

The rest of the portfolio is fantatistic.  I appreciate designers that have simple page layouts as I often feel that designer try and get too fancy and it ends up being a distraction.  Oh by the way, what is swimming in the pool above that the two people are looking at?  Looks like a sasquatch.

 

Best of luck if you are looking for a job.

[CML]

Lauren,

 

First of all welcome to land8!  I have read quite a few of these posts and would like to offer my own insight.  I graduated in 2004 and worked for a variety of firms after college.  The first was a small LA firm of 12 people, and the other three were A&E (architectural / engineering) firms. 

I would say that i have learned the most at the A&E firms interacting with other professions and seeing how they process things.  As a landscape architect I came from the unique perspective of having actually worked in the field during my highschool years (i’m now 32), something most of my fellow classmates had not done.  I absolutely enjoy it for the most part.

 

That said, you deserve full disclosure because I was never enlightened to the downsides of the profession before entering. 

 

1. You will not get rich as a Landscape Architect.  I have worked for 8 years now and still make less than non licensed rookie Engineers who have yet to pass their PE’s.  This in spite of often overlapping scopes of work. 

2. Nobody understands what you really do.  Relatives, strangers and even fellow co-workers will have no idea what you do and this is part of the reason LA’s are underpaid and have limited amounts of work.  Most people incorrectly think we are horticulturalists.  Some have no idea, “so you cut grass, diagnose plant diseases and pests.”

3. When the economy gets tough, you are the first one laid off.  AGAIN i warn all young students out there you’re job will be the first to go.  Landscape Architecture is considered “non essential” in most firms and an engineer can stamp a Landscape plan and push LA’s out of site work.  I have been laid off 3 times in my career starting in 2007 when the recession began.  One stretch i was out of work for 18 months.

4.  We are in a battle over turf.  In case you aren’t aware yet, we have quite a bit of overlap with duties Civil Engineers perform.  Civil’s have more political clout and have successfully lobbied most states into only recognizing their stamps for site plan submittals and other engineered documents (roadways, utilties, etc.).  Thus they have subliminalized us to the fringes.  

  

[CML]

Exactly. I thought about that analogy before you posted it. Those that still have jobs are VERY LUCKY! Those that changed jobs recently did not have enough seniority were the first to get screwed. The LA’s that have been laid off have been kicked in the ass and thrown out the door like garbage.

The way I see it (for those of us unemployed) we have four choices.

1. Get extremely lucky and find another job through networking. Not likely.

2. Wait this thing out and hope the recession ends in a year or two. Assuming you can afford it and things ACTUALLY recover in a reasonable time frame.

3. Gamble big time and go back to school and way into debt. The idea being that a related degree will give you an advantage a couple of years down the road once you hit the job market again.

4. Try to go into business on your own as a consultant. Seems like a good idea, but not so easy if you are early in your career.

[CML]

Thats an interesting point. I was laid off from two engineering firms the past two years, due to lack of work. Who did they fire first? Engineers that had nothing to do….no…..Cad techs that worked for the engineers, but also had nothing to do….no. If you guessed Landscape Architects, you are correct.
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It seems that we are expendable. Unfortunately, too many of us work for Engineering based firms. In many states these Engineers and their comrads can stamp Landscape Designs, which makes us expendable when times get tough.
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From an Engineer’s perspective (and I heard this at the place I used to work), we just make things look pretty.
The lack of respect and value of our services by Engineers is absolutely insulting.
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During good times (when there was plenty of money around) we could negotiate and advocate alternative designs with these engineers. However, because of this recession many of these Engineer owned firms feel that they can go it alone and just put forth projects that are ugly, mundane and OVER ENGINEERED.
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From there perspective, why not bypass the Landscape Architect altogether and save a few bucks. After all, who cares if the project is boring and the landscape looks like ass, as long as we increase our profit margins.

[CML]

Update!

I am going for an interview in two weeks. I can not give specifics as the position is not currently being advertised and I don’t want a frenzy of inquiries & possible competition for the position.
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I will say that it is for a very good firm in a notorious rust belt city near my fiance’s family. We are thrilled at this possibility! I pray that I do well in this interview, because I am almost desperate for any kinda job. Haven’t had steady employment since Feb. 2008.

[CML]

Fair Enough

[CML]

Would love to go. In fact have always wanted to go. But being laid off three times the past two years due to lack of work, has killed me financially.

[CML]

May I ask where you found employment? What city, kind of firm, etc? No specific companies names or anything like that. I’m just curious where there are opportunities

[CML]

NO!!!!

Was laid off in February 2008. Found another job in June 2008. Laid off again (due to lack of work) November 2008. Went back to work with the same company under a temporary contract starting November 2009 and was laid off AGAIN in Februrary 2010.

Needless to say the last two years have been very very difficult. Feeling quite disallusioned and unsure of what to do next.

[Author]

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