[Rob Williams]

A Picture is worth a thousand words.

[Rob Williams]

Bringing the outdoors in?  Or is it bringing the indoors out?

[Rob Williams]

Cincinnati and surrounding areas. I have found work in the most unlikely places. You can’t just sit on your butt and expect the work to just come up and hit you in the face. I have been doing this for about 20 plus years now and you have to constantly be reinventing yourself. Knock on doors, pick up the phone. Don’t be like the buzzard waiting for something to die, ” go out and kill something!”
I do design work in all sectors and have expanded my function to include general contracting as well. My consulting / contracting company can provide turn key operations from design to build or just consulting if need be.
Making yourself valuable in the marketplace is up to you and no amount of schooling will teach you that.
I have seen a lazy trend with many new graduates in the Landscape Architectural field. Seems there is a misconception the title will automatically get you a job. My advice to you is to get creative. Offer your services at a discounted rate to landscape companies to get you in the saddle. That can get you some real world budget experience. learn as much as you can about the working landscape from planting of trees and shrubs to how your design effects the Grounds maintenance budget.
I have won projects with many developers because I could show how my design would reduce the Grounds maintenance budget.
I appologise if this rambled a bit but I hate to see talented people getting left by the wayside.
Good Luck to you all. “Go Make something great happen in your life!”

[Rob Williams]

It is in Columbus Ohio Wednesday the 4th I believe.

[Rob Williams]

I’m not sure. I just recently got invited.

[Rob Williams]

I do that also but not as much as I should. I have been practicing on Sketchup and even done some stuff on Microsoft Publisher. Not everyone has that on their systems though and I have run into some compatibility challenges.

[Rob Williams]

Man I feel so left out when it comes to all the electronic presentation styles these days. I still do pen and ink, pencil and marker.

Maybe I just don’t want to take the time to learn it but it is just easier for me to “whip” something up on the fly. For me time is money$

[Rob Williams]

My biggest advice to you is don’t be too proud to work! Whatever that work is. Sometimes when you are climbing up the rope of life you need to tie a knot and hang on. Network as much as you can now while you have the chance. All economic trends cycle.

Get as much practical experience as you can now and when the economy turns, you will be ready! Then you can start the climb again to greater opportunities.

Lastly, diversify as much as you can. Don’t get your attitude down. Remember, people will hire you first because they like you and not so much how your portfolio looks. If you have a poor attitude and lack confidence, no one one will want to invite that ‘cancer’ into their organization. Good attitudes as well as bad attitudes are infectious!

Keep your head up and expect great things to happen to you and they will!

[Rob Williams]

Andrew, I spoke too soon when I just posted. I have used many types of trees in temporary situations. New development prior to next phase, Home showes, and anywhere else you need a temporary verticle element. Be watchfull on the tipping propensity of heavy foliage trees. Windy conditions can wreek havoc on temporary instalations. As long as the trees get adequate water, you should be able to plant just about anything you want to. Some of my nurseries have had large trees in boxes , sometimes for years and done just fine.
Good luck.

[Rob Williams]

Are you talking about growing trees in a nursery environment or planter boxes in the landscape?

[Rob Williams]

Lisa, I appreciate the compliment but I have been cursed with having worked on some design teams with real “artists”. My abilities pail in comparison. I was ok till I saw real talent. Good thing is I have copied as much from them as I can. They say duplication is the greatest form of flattery!

[Rob Williams]

For me, I went through college prior to the proliferation of computers. Or at least they weren’t used like they are today. Yes they were invented….I am not that old. But I actually have artistic ability that isn’t attached to the computer. If you market yourself right, and you have hand rendering talent, you should be able to set yourself apart from the masses who are coming out of school with only the computer as a backup. I for one, can actually charge more and offer a unique service by doing hand renderings. Many whom I work for and consult for say my hand drawings tend to be more people freindly when you are doing presentations.
I find that very useful since I will do town meetings and have everyday people looking at my presentations. Something very rigid about most CAD drawn material that doesn’t propmote as much change and interaction from the people who are viewing it. I would like feedback especially in the design concept phase.

Just a little rambling to share my own experiences.

[Author]

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