How does a firm teach the daunting task of CA? What is your experience in learning or teaching?
I seemed to always be thrown into a situation of running a meeting about such and such on my own with no precedence to speak of. The firm was always too busy to take junior (me) out to a pre-con, pre-bid, bid letting, punchlist, etc with another architect, but sent me out to run them just fine. The first of all of these types of meetings and more I was on my own. I would read the relevant chapter in the architect's handbook beforehand and give it my best.
my office was the same. no training per se, just sorta do it and report issues to the boss if they came up.
wonder if that speaks to the way the profession is set up?
Training has always been haphazard in the offices i have been in. Sad to say i didn't really notice till i was in a slightly senior position and another architect pointed out that i needed to be teaching the junior architects how to set up drawings properly and so on. Obvious, but to be honest I was busy enough doing my own thing that the idea of sitting down and telling the young (and VERY bright ) architects how to do their jobs didn't occurto me.
I was lucky enough to tag along with more experienced people first. Then they let me go on my own. First I started by just being a glorified secretary: "oh ok, you want to make the addition 30" longer...let me talk to the boss, and I will call you...". Then I got some balls and started making decisions on site, reviewing them when I got back to the office, and ussually calling the GC only hours later to correct myself. After a while, I wasn't calling back. I also learned a whole lot by eavesdropping on phone conversations project archs had with GCs and weaseling my way into meetings. That's my experience.
Excellent post, jbirl, that's exactly the way to learn by doing. And being responsible/brave enough to follow up on your on-site decisions to fix your mistakes yourself - excellent example of baptism by fire, the preferred internship method!!
hands on is the only way to learn things.... the books can only go so far.... so I would suggest what jbirl did, or do some side work on your own, and learn it the hard and painful early on way....
that is what I do, except for the tag along part and the listen in on phone convos part. I do make the decisions on site and then write down the changes and make that available to the principal by putting it in their mailbox, maybe by telling them, it hasn't backfired on me yet.
Actually, I seem to get along with contractors way better than architects! some have expressed their gratefulness to work with me rather than that "arrogant jackass". Yes that is a quote, and silly me I couldn't help but smile when he said that.
I have apoligized for not being very experienced and many are swift to say they don't care and quite willingly and patiently explain a construction process for me, why something isn't working as drawn etc. Someday, I will get an ass of a GC though, I've been lucky so far. Reading toasterovens post and some others, maybe I should be grateful I have any CA experience!
Aug 31, 05 9:34 am ·
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learning CA
How does a firm teach the daunting task of CA? What is your experience in learning or teaching?
I seemed to always be thrown into a situation of running a meeting about such and such on my own with no precedence to speak of. The firm was always too busy to take junior (me) out to a pre-con, pre-bid, bid letting, punchlist, etc with another architect, but sent me out to run them just fine. The first of all of these types of meetings and more I was on my own. I would read the relevant chapter in the architect's handbook beforehand and give it my best.
imagine you do well at it though. mr beary.
my office was the same. no training per se, just sorta do it and report issues to the boss if they came up.
wonder if that speaks to the way the profession is set up?
Training has always been haphazard in the offices i have been in. Sad to say i didn't really notice till i was in a slightly senior position and another architect pointed out that i needed to be teaching the junior architects how to set up drawings properly and so on. Obvious, but to be honest I was busy enough doing my own thing that the idea of sitting down and telling the young (and VERY bright ) architects how to do their jobs didn't occurto me.
that was part of my education too, is suppose...
mistaken for a man again. sigh...
thanks jump, I suppose it WAS just an oversight then by the senior employees.
I was lucky enough to tag along with more experienced people first. Then they let me go on my own. First I started by just being a glorified secretary: "oh ok, you want to make the addition 30" longer...let me talk to the boss, and I will call you...". Then I got some balls and started making decisions on site, reviewing them when I got back to the office, and ussually calling the GC only hours later to correct myself. After a while, I wasn't calling back. I also learned a whole lot by eavesdropping on phone conversations project archs had with GCs and weaseling my way into meetings. That's my experience.
Excellent post, jbirl, that's exactly the way to learn by doing. And being responsible/brave enough to follow up on your on-site decisions to fix your mistakes yourself - excellent example of baptism by fire, the preferred internship method!!
S'Beary,
At least he(?) spelled your name right!
why thanks liberty bell...
hands on is the only way to learn things.... the books can only go so far.... so I would suggest what jbirl did, or do some side work on your own, and learn it the hard and painful early on way....
that is what I do, except for the tag along part and the listen in on phone convos part. I do make the decisions on site and then write down the changes and make that available to the principal by putting it in their mailbox, maybe by telling them, it hasn't backfired on me yet.
Actually, I seem to get along with contractors way better than architects! some have expressed their gratefulness to work with me rather than that "arrogant jackass". Yes that is a quote, and silly me I couldn't help but smile when he said that.
I have apoligized for not being very experienced and many are swift to say they don't care and quite willingly and patiently explain a construction process for me, why something isn't working as drawn etc. Someday, I will get an ass of a GC though, I've been lucky so far. Reading toasterovens post and some others, maybe I should be grateful I have any CA experience!
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