What a Landscape Designer at OLIN Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Landscape Design Industry
Derek, a Landscape Designer III at OLIN, learned that finding the right balance between design and work-life demands is crucial; the industry's fast-paced growth isn't for everyone, and prioritizing what matters personally, "sinking into the idea of what actually matters," is key to finding a sustainable career path.
Work-Life Balance, Finding the Right Fit, Career Development, Industry Realities, Project Variety
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. Finding the right firm fit is crucial. The pace of growth and the overall demands of the job vary greatly between firms. Prioritize finding a place where you can grow at a comfortable pace and maintain a good work-life balance.
2. There's a lot to learn in this field, and it takes time. Don't feel pressured to be a 'fast grower' or to immediately pursue the most prestigious firms. Focus on finding the right project type, scale, and team that excites you and aligns with your values.
3. Consider the various project types, scales, and timelines within landscape design. It's beneficial to explore different aspects of the field to find your niche and preferences. Don't solely focus on the 'wow' factor of a firm, but consider your own career growth and well-being over the long term.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered the industry?
That's a great question. I think there's probably a balance between design and work-life things. Some firms will teach you a lot in design, but they're also very demanding.
This creates a specific speed at which you're able to grow. Finding the right fit for that is something I realized later. It's like, I don't need to be a fast grower.
I learned a lot in a quick period, but there's so much more to learn. There are firms doing incredible work, and it's exciting as a student to want to be part of them.
But then you realize how demanding those environments actually are. It's tough to know where the right place to land is. So, that's also a challenge.
Some people are really inclined to be novel designers with lots of interesting ideas and be part of firms doing really interesting work. For me, it was about sinking into what actually matters to me in this moment.
I realized I didn't need to be an amazing or well-rounded designer. We have decades of life ahead, so it's about finding a place to pace ourselves. There are also many different project types, scales, and timelines in the field.
I had a good class that exposed me to a lot of that, and I think most schools do. It was helpful to really try to tune into what the scale of the project and team sounded exciting to me and just follow that.