[John Hager]

No shooting read into the message.  Good discussion.

ASLA has had an insurance program in the past for both life and health.  Not sure where they are with that these days.

Sounds like you are volunteering to get more accolades for women!  Bravo!  We need to do the same for minorities.  There was a movement afloat for that when Dennis Otsuji was president in the mid-nineties.

[John Hager]

Spoken like an experienced person.

It seems like there may be a format by which mentoring could be rewarded.  I know if you speak at a conference, you get CEUs.  Any other suggestions?

[John Hager]

There is a lot here, Russ.  Really tell us your needs succinctly.  In terms of problem solving skills, creativity, etc., these are skills that you have to prove you have.  Even if you are an old fart like me, you are still demonstrating to others that they should have a level of trust in your skills.

[John Hager]

Sorry but, I have heard that “masters of all” jargon from architects.  It is a total turnoff.  Showing your benefit as a vital team member is a process.  You don’t proclaim yourself as master until you have earned it.

[John Hager]

So in your last sentences, is this a sentiment echoed by other grads that you have talked to?

[John Hager]

Andrew

I see some valid points here.  As I attend various speeches on professional topics, I often find myself searching for nuggets that I can actually use profesionally.  While it is challenging sometimes to find real world nuggets of information, I have found that the search is part of the deal.

In regards to University web pages in paragraph 2, I know that universities feel they need to prepare students for both the professional world as well as a potential academic track and consequently don’t focus as much on a client satisfaction.

In response to what you say in paragraph 3, hopefully you are not selling out to others. I have found that I can be a shrewd champion for what is important, I.e. stormwater recharge, green roofs and other items when on a design team.  The trick is to know how to be real world enough (and not sound flakey) to sell these ideas.  I don’t call myself a tree hugger and am realistic but at times, if you don’t speak up for the trees, no one else will.  Sometimes the easy way out is an engineered solution and the individuals who have gained the most trust are engineers.  You really can make a difference while appealing to the client and to the masses.  You just need to arm yourself with research to know how to pose greener solutions in a practical fashion.

[John Hager]

I have heard the relevancy issue raised before and I have raised that issue in the context of current discussions regarding RLA versus PLA as a prof. designation after your name.  The designation is a mute point if you constantly have to struggle to explain to people what you do for a living.

[John Hager]

Glad to hear the passion about the subject matter.  It will be good to see if this has “legs.”  I can relate to the concerns of cost.  Even beyond costs, a mentor would be able to answer questions about what licensure really means and other complexities associated with it.  I will say that your local state office should be able to answer certain questions.  As far as costs, if your office expects you to be licensed, they should pay for it and you should not feel hesitant to ask for it to be paid.

As far as how LAs get to an ownership position.  I for one have fallen into it due to a layoff and the difficulty of finding another job.

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