How to market yourself as an architect (especially in your career)
Last year I had a fantastic conversation with Sarah Lebner – you probably know her as 2020’s Emerging Architect of the Year, and principal at Light House Architecture + Science, and author of the book “101 Things I Didn't Learn In Architecture School - And wish I had known before my first job.”
You may not know that she is also the founder of a community for emerging architects, called My First Archi-Job.
Sarah invited me to be a guest speaker last year, and we talked about marketing yourself in your career. She’s generously made the recording available to everyone, and you can watch our full discussion here.
Sarah asks all of her guests one final question: “What's your number one piece of advice for young architects?” – and I’ve included a paraphrased version of my response below:
“That’s a great question and it’s similar to it the advice that I offered to all Architects,which is to not work for free, but to be generous with your knowledge.
There are two parts to this: Firstly, there is a culture within the academy and profession that condones late nights and unpaid overtime, and this extends to giving away design ideas in competitions that attract no fee.
Even the process of responding to RFPs and tenders often requires architects to provide their best design ideas upfront, before any contractual arrangement has been entered into.
I believe that these practices undermine the value of good design – and in order for architects to win the acknowledgement and fees they deserve – they need to place a value on their own work.
The flipside is that architecture is complex and poorly understood – and with climate emergency and the challenges we face in the years ahead, we need good, efficient, and regenerative design now more than ever.
So don’t be afraid to share your knowledge and expertise in a way that can be readily understood with people who may not yet understand the value of architecture, whether that’s through conversations, publications, events, networking, marketing or lots of other ways you can help spread the word.
I wrote an article about the nexus between architecture fees, communicating your value and the well-being of architects, which you might like to read…
Keen to access my insights or work with me directly?
If you’re interesting in learning more about how to market your practice – or yourself! – please take a look at my Review + Reset consulting package.
Or, if you’re not ready for three-months of consulting, you can book an Acupuncture Session here to discuss any business development, personal branding or marketing topic of your choice. You can choose the topics we discuss in a one-hour Zoom meeting, and tap into my knowledge, experience and connections to access insights that are customised for your requirements.
Or you can take our Architecture Marketing 360 CPD course on business development and marketing. You can enrol and get started in the online, self-guided program straight away.
