bcWORKSHOP

Looking for a new job? You've probably gotten used to hearing the same old advice about tailoring your portfolio, doing your homework, leveraging your network, and so on. By now, whether you recently lost your job or are ready to jump ship from your current one, the traditional advice may seem a bit tired. That's because job seeking is as unique and creative as an individual and no two firms are alike. Helping to sort out the field, Archinect's “How To Get A Job” series asks architecture firms how candidates can be sure to stand out from the crowd.

Beginning with a global recession, the economic crises of the past decade have spurred the rise of what is often referred to as "public-interest design." A rapidly evolving field, the non-profit arms of architecture have grown in recent years from building spontaneous, temporary, and makeshift projects, to designing lasting interventions of all scales across the globe. 

Operating within this emerging discipline, bcWORKSHOP is a Texas based non-profit community design center that works to improve the livability and viability of communities through the practice of thoughtful design and making. Since its founding, the firm has won numerous awards recognizing their contributions to equitable housing and planning as well as their design excellence. Established in Houston in 2005, the organization now has four offices, three in Texas and one in Washington DC. 

Typical avenues to this career path range from volunteer positions and fellowships to working for community design organizations though, as growing enthusiasm increasingly outnumbers the availability of positions, these opportunities can often be heavily sought-after. For those considering this field as a potential option, Thor Erickson, a Managing Director at bcWORKSHOP, offers some advice on how to gain a footing in its shifting landscape.

What positions are constantly in-demand at your firm?

Designers with 1-5 years of experience. We tend to hire early career individuals, whether through our fellowship program (bcFELLOWS) or for our entry level position of design associate. The passion and drive to work in public interest design is behind this need, though. We look for people who have this drive and are technically proficient. It is challenging but worthwhile.

When meeting with a candidate, what are some ways that they can make a positive first impression during the interview?

The candidates who make the best impression tend to be open and willing to talk about their passion to work in public interest design. They want to explore this aspect of design and are willing to be challenged to do so. In some ways the willingness to try even if the outcome may be incorrect while maintaining an openness to bring different perspectives makes a strong first impression.

What do you want to learn most about the candidate during the interview?

During the interview, we’re curious to learn about why they want to work in a non-profit architecture firm and what is it they want to explore with their design work.

What is the most common mistake that candidates make when applying to your firm?

They do not ask questions about us, people who work at [bc] or what we strive to do with our work. They just want a job and give you answers they think you want to hear.

What makes a strong CV/portfolio?

A strong portfolio looks like it has been handcrafted—it feels like the person is connected to their work and wants their reader to feel what the design was about.

How important is an applicant's educational background?

It is very important. We feel that our staff must have the ability to be both technical and ethical in their work. A good education sets someone up for this.

What kind of training do new hires undergo when they first start?

New hires will be trained on our process of community engagement, technical packaging of design, and tailored suited training depending on the position.

Do you have an internship program? If so, briefly describe.

We have a one-year bcFELLOWS program. Recent graduates come work with us for one year, learn our theories, process and work on real projects. Many of our current staff started as bcFELLOWS.

What are three words that your employees might use to describe your firm?

Challenging

Thoughtful

Rewarding

What additional social activities do you do as an office?

With four offices across Texas and DC varying in size, each office engages slightly different social activities. Staff regularly go out for happy hours. We go to sporting events, state fairs, and community celebrations together, as well as more informal hangouts. Our office culture lends itself to being friends and colleagues both in and out of the office.   

If a candidate had the choice between you and another firm, what argument would you use to win them over?

Our work is meaningful. We strive to have positive impact in the lives of the people we work with. At a small organization like [bc] working across disciplines, you will learn about the systematic and multi-faceted issues that affect design and planning and how to bring about positive change despite those systems.

How do you see your firm growing in the next five years?

In the next five years, we will continue to explore where our work is most needed. We will most likely have a couple more offices and we will be refining what is means to practice public interest design.