[ida]

the only tip for people should be to hire a landscape architect 😉

[ida]

The traditional way of finding a company in your desired location and sending them a hard or digital portfolio, resume, and cover letter should be enough. Whether or not they want a foreigner depends from office to office. Usually the bigger office, or an office that does international work, the more likely they can bring in a foreigner. You may have better luck if you are applying for an internship because I’m not sure if companies are willing to bring in someone as a full time employee (with benefits and all) who only plans to work there for a year.

[ida]

Rhino 3d. Nearly identical. You can customize the key commands and the look to be the same as AutoCad, works with dwg files and maintains all the layers and styles. I would still prefer Autocad to work in cad documents, but Rhino comes very close. Basically if you know how to use AC, then you know how to use Rhino since mostly all the functions are identical.

[ida]

It’s kinda hard to take anyone in a Hawaiian shirt seriously 😉 

[ida]

There are many roles to play in the LA profession and we often work with consultants who specialize in specific parts such as lighting, ecology, structural engineering, etc. We also have people join our company who have spent time working in those consulting firms early in their career. So yes there is a chance for you to move on to design office later in your career if you want.

Doing CAD work doesn’t sound sexy I agree, but it is part of what we do. And if you think of CAD work as a method to engineer design (yours or someone else’s), maybe you will feel better. I spend a lot of time doing CAD work too, but in the process I learn a great deal about materials, how to put things together, and what works and what doesn’t. Knowledge of construction helps makes your design a lot more “real” and better IMO. 

You may also find that some offices looking for junior level to senior level positions require that they have knowledge of how to put construction documents together. So consider yourself in a good position being in an engineering company if you can manage to learn it all. You can learn design on the side. As some have suggested, do a friend’s yard on the weekend to fine tune your design skills, but take it one step further by doing construction drawings and actually getting it built. Seeing a project go through all the phases from initial design concept to actual construction is very valuable. If you keep doing it this way and have consistent good results, you may not even need to find a job at an LA company 😉

Continuing LA is up to you really, but there are many different paths to take, and you don’t really have to join an LA company as an entry level to “make it” in this profession.

[ida]

I agree with this. It’s hard to define what we do compared to architecture because we generally don’t make objects, we makes spaces (usually), and whenever it is visually stunning, it is through the use of plants or hardscape which could give people the impression that it was undesigned (natural) or done by an architect (The Highline for example is often credited to DS+R and no mention of JCFO).

A way we could get our voice heard is through a travelling exhibit at some of our great art museums. Massive floor-to-ceiling photos taken with a large-format camera and IMAX fly-throughs of some of our professions best examples from past periods to now could create a strong and lasting impression. I even wouldn’t advertisement as an LA event (wouldn’t that be a bore), but simply market it as The World’s Grand Works or something that the average person can relate to. And next to each photograph/film have the LA’s name. Simple and strong.

But that’s just a dream…

You’re right, most architecture films, books, blogs are done by the architect’s themselves or their peers. We really need to catch up…

[ida]

🙁

[ida]

I’m not sure why we’re all picking on Linda. She said nothing offensive IMHO. She offered useful information about LEED. And whether or not she is an LA or not has no meaning. This forum should be about sharing different ideas, not about showing how big of a stick you carry.

[ida]

nicely put.

[ida]

You will have a harder time landing a job in an office where the primary role would be to work in the back and assist more senior staff. These jobs are usually low pay and maybe long hours, which young people who are single with a lot of energy would not mind filling. Employers know this. There are however, offices who needs a more well-rounded individual to also do the front-end tasks, meeting clients, marketing, etc. Somebody more mature and with more work experience would fit in better in this kind of situation.

Whether your age and your work experience can benefit you or not depends largely on what the employer needs. Luckily there’s quite a lot of variety of offices in the LA profession where you could fit in.

[ida]

I usually start doing analysis/research, figuring out the big issues, analyzing the context (where people come from, who will use it, what they need, etc) doing a lot of diagrams, and making a structure. This process can also involve multiple designers and the client(s)/public through workshops, discussions, etc. It gets messy, but can make your life a lot easier when you start making shapes.

[ida]

Willing to relocate to a different state or country would certainly increase your options. And moving to another country especially is risky, emotionally demanding, but you’ll get over the hump after a year.

After losing my job due to the 08 crash, I moved back with my parents, and kept going at my portfolio, improving old projects, trying new ones. I sent a few emails, but always heard the “sorry, we’re not looking for anyone right now.” After about 9 months of searching I found something in China, and just went for it. Crazy move, missed home, friends and family, but you have to do what you have to do to survive…

If relocation is not an option and you can’t find a job in your area, keep improving your portfolio. Try competitions to keep/improve your skills. Some even offer cash prizes. If there are no competitions you’re interested in, take a look around your city and find an empty lot and try something out. Employers are looking for what you can offer them… so if you want to design, the only way really is to show your value is in your portfolio.

[ida]

Well the best way to do it, like you sort of mentioned, is to give them work that makes them feel like they’re doing something meaningful, and making sure they don’t do overtime and burn out. And then all that wellness perks will be unnecessary.

These construction details, estimates, being in front of the cpu, can be a bore, but I think people can understand and will be ok to do it if they’re made to feel like the project is their “baby”.

If people are working long weeks and are in a stressful environment, then I don’t think the occasional “let’s forget you work for us hour” can do much to remedy that in the long run. It’s a short term solution, but people will leave if they see the time they give has no return value regardless of the amount of perks you give them.

Though I’m not saying don’t fly us out the Bahamas and give us good bonuses. That’s always welcome 😉

[ida]

Nice sales pitch… Low pay, lots of overtime, and cranky clients should sweeten the deal.

[ida]

I agree with you there. I don’t know the full story of Winston’s background so I just gave him a broad suggestion on how he may be able to use his degree to help himself out better financially. Maybe it makes him a better la, maybe it doesn’t, I don’t know, that’s up to him to figure out and communicate that with the employer. It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask for more money.

I agree that students shouldn’t focus on the salary, but hopefully employers are not taking advantage of the bad economy and influx of grads who are desperate and willing to work long hours so they can eat rice and beans.

[Author]

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