[Maggie Hallidy]

I hear what your saying….Since I posted this I was layed off from the firm which I expected being the newbie with a limited work load.. With their only being 5 firms in the general area (all going through layoffs) I have decided to temporarily switch my job hunt toward graphic design (something not as reliant on the construction industry.) Quite honestly there is such an influx of people looking for work as a new graduate on the scene with limited experience…well. I’m holdin’ on and agree that things should turn around hopefully by the middle of next year.

Now in retrospect I believe that this recession will do very good things to help cleanse our society of our “living on credit way of life.” Hopefully we will all learn the lesson to live within our means and want less. What a phenomenal impact that would have on so many things in our lives. This perspective keeps me laughing when I am turned away due to “lack of business.” Keeping a light heart about the situation seems to be my best survival mechanism.

Good luck with your “drone” work. And just keep on trekkin!!

[Maggie Hallidy]

Speaking from experience about working previously on residential design without a license I will say it was great for my pocket book. Looking back on it I feel that I should never have authorized myself to do some of the work I did (all prior to my degree). I believe that having a license will not only help you get work but it will create an environment were there is a heightend degree of responsibility and follow through in our industry. Being that the public doesn’t fully understand the scope of landscape architecture ( we do much more than residential design) it will also help define us as professionals.
Now not having much experience in public work I would imagine that in order to work for the state or city you most likely have to be licensed insured and bonded. The liability factor of dealing with the public sector is probably much higher for reasons including their limited budget.
I am definately an advocate of our profession becoming licensed. Here in Colorado they just passed a law requiring everyone to get licensed. I will say that there is much controversy over the concept because of the cost factor and people that have been practicing that can’t prove their 2 years of working in a firm. Regardless of the controversy I believe ultimately when the inevitable hack makes a detail not to scale of some concrete expansions that make everything fail they won’t be pointing at someone that isn’t licensed!!

[Maggie Hallidy]

It might sound masochistic but I kinda miss the mayhem of setting up the studio…The screeching of desks the crashing of who knows what!! The murmur of talking behind one another’s back about how that person has too much space. A word of advice or maybe just an opinion: Keep the baracades low and and let the light in. Good luck.

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