Soon to be recent-grad at a crossroads - advice please!

[sangz]

I will be graduating in May with a BA in Planning and Public Policy & Visual Arts (two majors). I've been verbally offered two job opportunities from both of my paid internships. One is with a small/mid-sized real estate development company working under their planning director. They have been very willing to teach me all the facets of the development process and they take me seriously even though I am an intern. The other is working full time for the summer with my university's transportation department. They are very active in bringing me to meetings to help me get the bigger picture and want me to work closely with the communications director to develop visuals (but I'm not sure how technical these visuals are - as in they may be more flyers than map-related)

Ideally, I would ultimately like to have a job working with planners but still being able to use my design skills on a regular basis. (I have a VERY extensive art background - it's not something I just picked up in college) It seems to me as though planning might not be the career for me if I want to exercise my creative side. Perhaps I should be aiming for a graduate degree in Urban Design down the line...

If anyone could help give me some guidance on the following questions, I would be very grateful!

- Given my vague idea of my ideal job combining design and planning, what jobs are out there that fit me? (Job titles, companies, career fields would help a lot!)
- What education, if any, should I pursue?
- I am leaning towards the real estate development position because they are right at the point where things are about to go uphill pretty quickly. Which position should I take if I know one ends at the end of summer (giving me time to look for other jobs) and the other I would be locked into for at least a couple of years?
- Would now be a good time to ask my employers about pursuing higher education down the line and possibly getting tuition reimbursement, or should I bring that up later?
- Any general advice that you've experienced and think would help me in my situation would help as well!

Thanks

[Suburb Repairman]

1. I can't tell you particular job titles to watch for, but there are a number of firms that focus on urban design. In fact, your real estate development company may provide you an opportunity to exercise that talent a bit, particularly if they know you are capable. They often completely contract out design services, so they may appreciate somebody in house that can at least to conceptual plans & feasibility.

2. You'll want to look at urban design or landscape architecture from what you described, particularly since it sounds like your planning degree was likely more policy-driven than design-driven. The visual arts double major was a good move to round that out, so a masters in one of those two fields should really get you where you want to be.

3. Take the real estate development position. It is the position with the most upside and opportunity for advancement. More importantly, I think it presents the best opportunity for you to utilize your design talents and exercise that interest. There is little to be gained from one summer as your university's transportation gopher, which is what I suspect that position really is.

4. In any interview, it is always acceptable to ask about benefits packages. Tuition reimbursement shows up at enough employers that you won't be out of line asking if they have a program.

5. Can't offer much additional advice for your particular situation. The real estate development company sounds like a good opportunity, particularly since they've been willing to show you the ropes thus far. I think it is likely to result in you developing a good mentor relationship with someone, which I think is critical to rapid success and effective learning.

[sangz]

Thanks for the great response, Suburb Repairman!

Additionally, I am very proficient with GIS and Adobe Suites. So much so, my boss at the development company wants to give me a full license for ArcGIS to replace my student license.

I pick up on computer programs extremely quickly (sometimes I think I should have done CS in undergrad haha). Do you think it would be wise to teach myself CAD, python, and sketchup or go to classes and get certifications for those skills? Or would it be better to enroll in a Landscape Architecture or Urban Design masters program?

What are the differences between LA and Urban Design programs?

I see a lot of people with a LA degree going into consulting. What do consulting jobs look like on the day-to-day basis?

Lastly, I hear that Urban Designers get paid low salaries and are worked pretty hard. Is this true?

[luckless pedestrian]

Thanks for the great response, Suburb Repairman!

Additionally, I am very proficient with GIS and Adobe Suites. So much so, my boss at the development company wants to give me a full license for ArcGIS to replace my student license.

I pick up on computer programs extremely quickly (sometimes I think I should have done CS in undergrad haha). Do you think it would be wise to teach myself CAD, python, and sketchup or go to classes and get certifications for those skills? Or would it be better to enroll in a Landscape Architecture or Urban Design masters program?

What are the differences between LA and Urban Design programs?

I see a lot of people with a LA degree going into consulting. What do consulting jobs look like on the day-to-day basis?

Lastly, I hear that Urban Designers get paid low salaries and are worked pretty hard. Is this true?

I do think urban design might be a good route and I agree with Suburb Repairman to go with the developer first.

The beatuty of an LA degree is it gives you more employment options - you can work in an LA firm focusing on urban design - I think it makes you more employable because your skill set is expanded

and you can go private or public with it

My husband is an LA - when we lived in Boston, he primarily did urban design projects and urban parks - now up north he does high end residential and loves both

[Suburb Repairman]

Thanks for the great response, Suburb Repairman!

Additionally, I am very proficient with GIS and Adobe Suites. So much so, my boss at the development company wants to give me a full license for ArcGIS to replace my student license.

I pick up on computer programs extremely quickly (sometimes I think I should have done CS in undergrad haha). Do you think it would be wise to teach myself CAD, python, and sketchup or go to classes and get certifications for those skills? Or would it be better to enroll in a Landscape Architecture or Urban Design masters program?

What are the differences between LA and Urban Design programs?

I see a lot of people with a LA degree going into consulting. What do consulting jobs look like on the day-to-day basis?

Lastly, I hear that Urban Designers get paid low salaries and are worked pretty hard. Is this true?

My thoughts if I'm in your shoes:

You are clearly capable of teaching yourself programs, which is a talent in itself. I would recommend teaching yourself what you can. You might need to hit a vocational course on AutoCAD (some of those courses come with certifications), simply because that one is a little harder to self-teach. I think if I'm you, given that you've got a good job lined-up, I spend the next year working my ass off for them and learning these software skills. You might need to do this anyway because even if your employer has tuition assistance, you likely won't be eligible for it for 6 months to a year. That also gives you a year to test your interest in pursuing the career, research programs, etc. Landscape Architecture is more flexible than an urban design degree, IMHO, and covers most of the critical urban design knowledge/skills.j

Consulting jobs depend on your role in the firm. You should expect longer hours, and a strong focus on generating billable hours. You will also spend a lot of time marketing yourself and drumming-up business. Consulting can be fun if you like a lot of variety and don't mind traveling. You can make more money consulting.

I would recommend sticking with the development company for a while a learn all you can. If you decide to become a landscape architect later, you'll have a major advantage in terms of practicality and understanding the financial issues, proformas, etc. that your peers will likely lack. Developers like landscape architecture consultants that can speak their language.

EDIT: and congratulations. Not a lot of recent graduates leave school with a job already in hand. You have clearly done something to make yourself stand-out already.

[Cismontane]

I think the development position will offer you a broader introduction to all of the aspects of planning practice that go into developing and building new projects, so if you want to evolve toward being a generalist, that may be your better choice. The transportation position might be more appropriate only if you want to be a transport planner (specialist), and I'm sure will give you good exposure to operational issues in transport management.