Career Information Be your own Career Archie-Tech! By Mary Grech, Careers By Design Remember Betty in Hey Dad? She worked for an architect but wasn't able to say the word. Well, I'm married to one - I can say it (most days) but I have never really understood how they do what they do. As an aside, it amazes me how many TV characters are architects. Of course, Seinfeld's George Costanza always wished he was one, apart from the time he panicked and said he was a marine biologist - sorry I digress. I got some insights into the way architects work when we were building our own home. 'Oh, I see, that is the bedroom, not the toilet, no need to panic. We will be able to fit our queen size bed in it, but we may need to put some foam around the walls so I don't hurt myself when I get up in the middle of the night.' As the house became a harsh reality I found I could swing a cat (apologies RSPCA) with room to spare. Career decisions throw up similar dilemmas. Well it ain't gonna happen! To try and learn more that might be helpful to my clients working on career decisions, I asked my husband, 'How do you do what you do? His first response was 'What sort of question is that?' 'OK OK. How about you tell me about five design principles?' 1. Define the objective You need to be clear about what you want to achieve. It is imperative to interpret and construct the client's brief, whilst having regard for the potential for the site you are working with. Equally important is establishing a realistic budget. So what is the client's goal of your work together? 2. Look for strengths and opportunities What do you have to work with? Look for the positive attributes of the site. What do the site and its location have to offer, views, trees, fall of land, solar orientation, etc.? What does the site give you to work with? 3. Review challenges and limitations What are the site limitations? What are the site constraints due to its context and adjoining properties? The size, fall of the land, neighbouring/adjoining properties, existing vegetation, statutory controls, all need to be considered. One of the more important areas is the solar orientation. (Or, which way is north, for those of you who are like me) What are the challenges to be overcome in order to achieve the client's goal? 4. Check the reality Discuss with the client what they want to achieve and what their budget is. Generally clients view these two items very differently, and are surprised to find out how expensive their design is. This means you might need to filter the brief to make it more realistically match the client's budget. You might also need to give the client some time to digest the fact that the mansion in their mind is really just a nice house. 5. Research important information You also need to know about the boring but important stuff. For architects, these are things like building codes, overlays, covenants, town planning, building controls, heritage, all of which can change from council to council. Further research will enable the client to find out what they need to be aware of. Interestingly, though perhaps not surprisingly, there was no mention of asking the client really important questions like how many shoes do they own, and whether it would be finished in time for the David Jones sale - well, they only have one a year! These are ALL very important considerations. He finally concludes that his role is that of a 'facilitator'. Funny, that's what I thought I did. So now I see we do the same thing: ask people what they want and help them to achieve it. In all the years I have been together, I never thought my role was similar to that of my archie-tech husband, but I guess they are. I now know what an architect does: manages under-developed and sometimes unrealistic expectations of clients to make them achievable and real! All this in relation to one of the biggest investments in their life. Sound familiar? For a new year's eve conversation starter, ask your family and friends what they actually do. Survey how many tasks are related, then you might like to put people in touch with each other to gain knowledge from a different perspective across different job roles. It's all good learning. That reminds me, I need to chat to my cousin, the plastic surgeon.	Useful Links › Future Occupational Outlooks › Job Descriptions › Study and Course Options › Short Courses › Career Development Association › Financial Planning Advice
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