Biggest Challenges Faced by a Landscape Designer III at OLIN
Derek, a Landscape Designer III at OLIN, identifies work-life balance as the biggest challenge, noting the design field's demanding nature, especially around deadlines; the transition from school's intense focus to a sustainable work pace proves difficult for many new graduates, requiring mentorship and peer support to navigate "this steep investment in the first few years."
Work-Life Balance, Stress Management, Overcoming Challenges, Mentorship, Industry Realities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Derek Lazo
Landscape Designer III
OLIN
University of Southern California
UC Berkeley, Masters of Landscape Architecture
Environmental & Related Sciences
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Work-life balance is a significant challenge in landscape architecture, particularly during deadlines.
2. Building good habits and finding a sustainable pace is crucial for new graduates transitioning from school to a professional career.
3. Mentorship and peer support are important for navigating challenges and maintaining a positive outlook in this demanding field.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I gotta say, this is probably true for most folks, but finding work-life balance can be a challenge. I think the design field in general can take a lot out of a person. It requires a lot, especially around deadlines and milestones. The work just kind of peaks, and everything needs to be focused on that.
I think that can be a little bit challenging. From my perspective, I've interned at a bunch of places and worked at my previous firm. I do feel like there's a lot of balance here compared to some other firms and what I've heard from friends. It just feels like a good place to grow.
There's a lot of mindfulness from the managers and leadership around not burning people out. I will say that in landscape architecture, it's probably a little bit better than in traditional architecture. I think architects have it pretty bad.
Work-life balance is something that, especially as a junior designer, the more you put in, the more you get out in terms of learning. There's a steep investment in the first few years that can be challenging for people out of grad school.
Especially in school, everything's focused on that, and you have more time. Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad habits that happen in school, like staying up late and skipping meals, because everyone else is doing it. Then you have to transition to the real world, where there's no month-long winter break or couple months off for summer. You have to pace yourself.
I think that's a really big challenge for folks coming out of school and entering the field. Some of those habits continue, and then it becomes challenging to feel like you can sustain it long-term. People get burned out and pessimistic about what they're doing.
I don't think that's uncommon just to landscape architecture. But I do think that as someone entering the workforce, finding really good mentors and friends within the company and peers you can vent to is important. That helps you find balance.