[mauiBob]

You forgot to mention, if you can actually get a job as an entry-level CAD monkey.

[mauiBob]

If you like getting paid with peanuts…welcome to the club! If I had the chance to do it all over again as a college Freshman, I would in an instant. Yes, peanuts. Not a typo.

[mauiBob]

Best advice for you: change majors since you are still a student. You won’t make it as a “Landscape” Architect. I’m not even going to waste another precious minute of my time debating with $#&% who refuse to believe in climate change. Recent examples are all around us. You live in England, check your neighbors, Iceland and Greenland. For starters, look at aerial photos today and 50 years ago and compare! Good heavens, man!

As for the future of LA? Nada. There is no future. The profession will be dead in 10 years.

[mauiBob]

Edward Flaherty? Wow! I made contact with you 15 years ago for a position in Saudi Arabia. I recall because I seriously considered moving overseas. Entry level work and I graduated with a BLA. We twice spoke on the phone and made several email exchanges. I ultimately decided to join HNTB in Baltimore. I still have the same Yahoo email address so I’m certain its saved in the account. I also read an article 3 or 4 years ago you wrote in ASLA magazine regarding overseas employment in the field. I said: “Hey its Ed!”. Anyway…

Small world and profession. Goodness Gracious.

[mauiBob]

Interns are just a way for cheap labor!! The large firms disguise it as some sort of glamerous learning experience, but it benefits them more than the student. When you obtain your degree, hired as a regular employee and given a business card. Only then are you no longer an intern. Enjoy the current pay rate. You won’t make over $55k anytime soon. LA profession pays its workers peanuts. You’ll soon find out.

[mauiBob]

Nice last paragraph, Craig. Finally, you’re coming around and telling these delusional students the true profession of LA. How many designers and firms ACTUALLY work on these “large scale projects” that will save humanity and environment? This is the problem I have with the Universities. They are selling this boy the fantasy of this profession. I’ve seen more LAs and firms do damage to the environment than actually save it, because they need work. OMG, another person who wants to save the world! The U.S. President is the most powerful man on earth and the richest men on earth…can’t solve homelessness and many other worldly issues, but this guy can. Andrew, if you can land a job after graduation and make $50k, then consider that a success.

Every month or so, we get a similar posting about someone seeking advice on getting a MLA and jobs outlook. I’m done wasting my time giving advice to these so-called great future designers who can’t even do the proper research on this site. Three years ago, I was advicing these same students who thought of a career in LA to go to another profession. Never heard from them again. Remember on how WE were debating this topic? The building/construction industry hasn’t improved much since 2009. Nothing like it was in 2006 and that will not return anytime soon.

This LA profession pays you peanuts (just look at ASLA job listing at salaries), and the constant roller coaster people endure aren’t worth it. Unless you own or a principle in a firm, you’re pretty much on the chopping block if the business hits a snag. I’m out. Aloha.

[mauiBob]

Hopefully, you’re smart enough to pursue another career!! Landscape architects are paid with peanuts, yes literally…with peanuts! You can be passionate about other things and still be paid well too. I’m giving you a harsh reality check. Too many people in here giving you advice with their rosy colored, romantic glasses on. You feel an itch to do outdoor designs? Do it on the weekends as a landscape designer within your neighborhood. There are boring building designs everywhere, but likewise for landscape design in public spaces. Buildings deteriorate over time, yes, but so do landscape by overgrown trees, shrubs and weeds. Very few landscape architects actually work on large scale projects that you see often on magazine covers.

“Do what you’re passionate about and the money will follow. In reality, not all passions match up with the realities of the job market. If you’re passionate about poetry or painting, you’re going to find very limited job opportunities for those things. In fact, the people who get to do what they love for a job are the lucky ones; they’re not the majority. A better goal is to find work that you can do reasonably happily; it doesn’t need to be your passion.”

As for architecture, its not very pretty on that side either. I can’t vouch for architecture because I’m not one or would try to be in their shoes. You should visit your local offices (Land Arch) and get a glimpse of this sad profession. Good luck. Aloha.

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/degrees_not_to_earn.htm?wid=100…

[mauiBob]

Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have the same resources (internet) for help to these kind of questions 13 years ago as you do now. Yahoo was still an infant and Google was slowly being conceived in a Stanford University computer science lab. If you have ANY second guessing of this profession, get out while you can! Getting a 4 year degree in Engineering with leaving a door open for possibility of obtaining a MLA in future is the best move. Good luck. Aloha.

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/degrees_to_avoid2.htm?kid=1NQM0 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-career-myths-shouldnt-fall-14094920…

[mauiBob]

Look who showed up and out from the forest…The kid from NYC! I’m an “LA” doing “Planning” related jobs. Landscape architecture has been phased out; it no longer exist. I hope you have a Plan B and job skills are flexible for a smooth transition to another profession.

How many times do I have to tell you on how much I hate living and working on this island? Who wants to live stress free anyway? I need smog, traffic jams, crime, rude people, egotistic LA business owners and managers, dirty water, 120 or 10 degree weather, and Republican voting friends. My job doesn’t allow me to save enough money to buy an airplane ticket outta this wasteland!..

[mauiBob]

“To let nature take over?” There would be no need for design professionals. Sort of like the recent economy. Even the most naturalistic site needs some design input. When I worked in Vegas 9 years ago, we actually tossed around this idea once. The city wanted to do “something” with the channels and our design team tinkered with several ideas. We made it park-like with sculptures and informational kiosks, etc. Another plan was with a simple activity trail surrounded by berms and desert plants. It never made it past the concept phase. Why? Money talks. Everything, except student class projects, is about money and budgets. If someone has the money for it, sure it can happen. In short, city funds dried up and city manager/Public works pulled the plug on it. I’m sure I have digital copies of the plans…somewhere…on an archive CD.

I feel the City only attempted to tackle this issue, because several homeless people died in it when a storm surge flooded some of the underground channels. It was merely a PR stunt. When interest phased off, so did the project. Yes, sure the City officials really do care about the homeless population who don’t vote or pay taxes.

[mauiBob]

That’s the GOP myth and their sheep don’t seem to get it. Every election time, a Republican candidate cry about reducing government and NEVER actually do when they get in office. Remember Scott Brown and Rand Paul? Yeah, they sure reduced it or try to alright. This is fact: every President has increased the federal government before his predecessor, including the GOP God Ronald Reagan.

And all the Republicans want less government UNTIL a disaster hits them. Then, the government can’t help them fast enough.

[mauiBob]

NO!! Never! Craig, I will never stand next to a landscape architect or Republican in my life. Not in this current lifetime or the next. Neither one has helped me in my life. I am a Planner / Investor, baby.

[mauiBob]

You loco amigos are not going to change anyone’s opinion to join ranks with you. Most people already have made up their minds on who to vote for. And I’m not wasting my time arguing with Andrew’s mistake to vote for Mittens. I just know I did great under Obama’s tenure, both professionally and financially thru the stock market. And lets not get me started on how much of a fool many of you are for not heeding my advice almost 3 years ago when the market was crashing. Sirius radio at .25 cents a share, Ford Motors at $1.30 per…to name a few and look where they are today.

I can’t convince any of my GOP friends to vote Obama and that’s okay. I was going to vote for Ron Paul and strongly considered Santorum. Never ever Romney. Simply, I don’t understand how you vote for a guy who didn’t pay income taxes for 10 years from 1999-2008 in the very same country he wants to lead. Who was hiding his money in off-shore accounts to avoid paying taxes. All of these accusations stem during the Republican Presidential primaries. Don’t believe what the Dems or Obama say about Romney. Instead, believe in what his rivals said months ago:

“Romney is the biggest liar ever to run for office” – Newt Gingrich.

“Romneycare is Obamacare and Mitt is the last person here to debate with Obama about healthcare.” – Rick Santorum.

“Check his tax records. Mitt Romney has several off-shore accounts to avoid paying taxes and he probably didn’t pay anything 10 years ago.” – Rick Perry.

And why does Romney refuse to give any on-camera interviews to FauxNews the last 2 months? Bill O’reily, a huge fan is annoyed that Mitt doesn’t want to talk to him. I just find it funny.

My final take on the election. Hooray! The GOP gave us Bush/Cheney for 8 long years. Democrats not happy. Guess what? Life has a funny way of coming back in circles. Now its the GOP’s turn to sit down, shut up and take its medicine for Obama/Biden 8 years in office. Call it karma.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/10/24/the-best-president…

[mauiBob]

The first requirement to be a Republican is a susceptibility to self-hypnosis. Right now, millions of Republicans are hypnotizing themselves to like Mitt Romney, who is neither conservative nor Christian nor authentic nor possessed of the common touch. He is completely foreign to the base or core of the Republican Party. Therefore, the hypnosis will have to be deep and of some duration.

Romney hasn’t even gotten the jargon down. He seems to be comfortable nowhere. In the South, he seems like a carpetbagger. To other Americans, he seems like a cultist. On the Pacific Coast, he seems like a phony. In the Midwest, where he was against lending money to the car manufacturers, he seems like a liar.

But hypnosis is a powerful tool of self-delusion. Millions voted for Bob Dole and the mock-hero from Arizona, John McCain. Millions thought Sarah Palin was qualified for high public office. Self-mesmerization is a powerful tool. It it weren’t for self-hypnosis, delusion, illusion and hormonal auras, most of us would never have been born.

The recent video of Romney attacking 47% of americans…hard-working, poorly paid americans as moochers without responsiblity will surely do him in. We all have thought that he lives in a different world and is only interested in benefiting the rich. In this video, we see and hear Romney making these very statements! His indifference, insensitivity and arrogance which we all felt to a degree have now been confirmed by Romney himself! The 47% actually do pay some form of taxes: social security, payroll, etc…but the standard deductions found in the tax form which everyone enjoys allows these lower income group to avoid paying “additional” taxes.

I kept telling my Republican friends to vote for Ron Paul or Rick Santorum and keep Mittens out. But, Noooo!! I would’ve voted for Ron Paul and strongly considered Santorum. Mittens was and still is a complete and utter joke!! I guess Mittens is part of the 47% because he hides his money in off-shore accounts to avoid paying taxes.

[mauiBob]

LP: “obnoxious buzzing from another pest with the repeatedly demonstrated lower intelligence of an insect,  that virulent west-nile  virus infested mosquito, nicknamed MauiBob.”

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! Yes, really.

Wait for my rebuttal on your comment below regarding getting rid of the Clean Air Act, EPA, etc. when I get the proper time. I’ll offer facts and figures to support my opinion. Oohhh goody…let’s go back to trusting our corporations in cleaning up after themselves and putting people ahead of profits. We all know they would NEVER dump harmful chemicals in our stream, lakes, oceans and pollute the air. No way, jose. 

[Author]

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