Why A/E Marketing is a Career to Pursue

Yes, working in A/E marketing can be a challenging career. So, why do I recommend that recent graduates with marketing, public relations, or journalism degrees pursue this line of work?

Well, the more I think about it the more thankful I am that I landed in this industry.

In my mind, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Let me give you some examples:

The A/E Marketing Career Flies Under The Radar

Nobody goes to school with the express purpose of getting a marketing job at an architecture, engineering, or construction firm.

In contrast, my wife has a degree in pharmaceutical marketing. She went to college to work in the pharmaceutical market.

Construction is one of the biggest industries in the world. Yet, the profession of marketing in the industry flies under the radar.

Therefore, when the economy is good, it’s a job you can get. At this moment in time, the number of open positions for marketing coordinators in our industry is staggering.

When I graduated college, I struggled to find a job. And us “old timers” forget that, for many people right out of college, finding a legitimate marketing job can be extremely difficult.

Heck, finding a full-time job with vacation and health benefits can seem like a pipe dream to recent grads. And when you don’t know exactly what you want to do, the opportunities found at job fairs can be off-putting.

Starting out as a marketing coordinator, assistant, or a temp at an architecture, engineering, or construction firm beats the pants off many of the other “marketing” jobs available to recent college grads.

You Get To Do

Most industries are made up of large companies. Large companies often outsource the real work.

For example, if you worked in marketing for the Coca-Cola Company or Disney, your job would consist of managing outside consultants. As an entry-level marketer, you’d probably be assisting the person managing the consultants.

Or, you’d work at the agency. If you work hard, after a few years, maybe you’d meet a client or have some creative input.

Because most firms in our industry are small or mid-sized businesses, your input is almost immediate.

One of my very first days at an engineering firm was spent in a strategy meeting with principals from the largest architecture firm in the country.  That immediate immersion is rare in other industries.

If there is a PowerPoint to create, poster to design, or event to set up…you’ll be doing that.

You’ll be doing. The thing about doing is the more you do…the better you get. I believe our industry rivals any other when it comes to the opportunity to grow your marketing skill set.

This is especially true for entry-level marketers. If you take it upon yourself to learn new skills, after a few years in A/E marketing you’ll be very well rounded.

You Learn To Meet Deadlines

Think about it. In what other marketing job will missing a deadline cause the people you work with to lose their jobs?

That’s a tremendous amount of pressure to be under right out of college.

But you, like thousands of others before you, will rise to the occasion. Why? Because you have no choice.

It will get to the point where you’ll have little sympathy for anyone missing deadlines. Not delivering by the deadline will just seem inexcusable to you.

Honestly, that’s going to cause you some frustration when dealing with others. But at the end of the day, you’ll have a much better sense of what can truly be achieved in 24 or 48 hours. Other industries don’t always force you to think like that.

You Can Find Yourself

In A/E marketing, you typically start out doing just about everything or by focusing almost exclusively on proposals.

Almost everyone I know, including me, started like that.

But where you go from there is ultimately in your hands. I’ve known so many people who have branched off into business development, became a marketing director, got a communications position at a mid or large sized firm, went on to manage large proposal teams, or even started their own communications firm.

Frankly, I can think of very few A/E marketers whose career hasn’t evolved in some significant way over the years.

What I’m saying is a marketing position in the A/E industry brings with it enormous growth opportunities.

It’s OK To Be You

I don’t even want to mention this. But I feel I must.

Whether you are an introvert, omnivert, or extrovert, there is a role in our industry in which you can excel.

Don’t believe the nonsense about needing “the right personality.” The right personality is whatever personality you have now.

I can tell you about the introvert who leads the communications efforts for a very large firm. I can tell you about the introvert that went on to bring in millions for his firm.

I can tell you about the omnivert with a phobia of public speaking and how working in this industry helped her overcome it.

I can tell you about a very weird and “unlikeable” guy who could succeed because he was judged by his results.

I can even tell you about extroverts who have been very successful swimming in a sea of introverted engineers.

No matter where your personality lands, there is a place for you in our profession.

I’m a big believer in adopting the right mindset. Doing so will help you succeed. But you don’t have to change who you are to succeed in our industry.

You’ll Get A Second Chance

Just imagine you worked at the Coca-Cola Company and it just didn’t work out for you. Maybe you just don’t hit it out of the park in that first job.

There are two things that could happen. Worst case scenario is they keep you. And your fate aligns with the guy in “Office Space,” stuck in the closet with no chance of growth.

Another scenario is you’re let go. There’s not a thousand other soft drink companies, or even three, headquartered in your local area.  Your career in the soft drink market would likely be over.

There are more opportunities for second chances in the A/E industry. Staff whom I’ve “parted ways with” have gone on to be very successful at different A/E firms.

Looking back on it now, I can’t categorize my first position at an A/E firm as a success. But that experience had a lot to do with my later success.

I learned from my mistakes. And I brought what I was taught there to my new job. It was an invaluable experience.

It might be difficult at first. In fact, you may fail miserably. But it’s very likely that our industry will give you another chance to succeed.

The Bottom Line

Whatever industry you work in, there will be things to complain about. You’ll come across frustrating people. Your ideas will be shot down. You won’t always feel appreciated. These challenges are not exclusive to the A/E/C industry.

But I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find an industry where the potential to learn and grow is as great.

– Matt Handal
Trauner Consulting Services, Inc.

To comment on this blog, or read more blogs like it, check out HelpEverybodyEveryDay.com

SMPS Student Chapter

How many of us marketers in the AEC industry sailed through four years of college without any idea of where we would land when we got out? How many more didn’t know what “AEC” meant, had no knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite, and scarcely made any effort to grow our professional networks until our University classrooms were hardly visible in our rearview mirrors?

Marketing students at the University of Central Florida are encouraged to proactively overcome these hurdles through their early participation in the SMPS Central Florida Student Chapter. With more than 50 students engaged in the program, the student chapter constantly provides opportunities for future marketers to learn about the AEC industry, develop technical skills, grow their professional networks, and engage in community-focused activities, all while defining their own path for transitioning from college to career. Fun fact – the SMPS Central Florida Student Chapter scholarship fund stands as our chapter’s designated non-profit donation recipient, and proceeds raised through various SMPS events, including the annual AEC Art Gala, are allotted to the scholarship fund for the direct benefit of students.

Students engaged in SMPS learn about the AEC industry by attending public speaking events organized by the Student Chapter committee. Topics for these events include resume development, interview preparation, and insight on navigating a path to initiate a career in AEC. Previous speakers for these informative sessions include marketing professionals representing committees of SMPS Central Florida, as well as other local industry professionals. Each speech leaves students with relevant knowledge to enable professional development and information on real-world experiences they will encounter in their future AEC careers.

I got through four years of college without taking a single course on the Adobe Creative Suite, and I applied for my first job without even a basic understanding of InDesign (what was I thinking?). Luckily for me, I was given the opportunity to learn and quickly advanced by skill set. SMPS Student Chapter members are advised to develop these crucial marketing skills during their schooling, and have the opportunity to participate in three workshops over the course of a semester. In these classes, students are introduced to Adobe programs that will allow them a competitive advantage in the job market.

Even for an experienced marketing professional, networking can be an intimidating element of career growth. By bringing AEC industry professionals directly to students for the previously described public speaking events and workshops, students engaged in SMPS have the opportunity for face time with industry professionals representing a diverse array of companies in AEC. Students are also encouraged to attend other SMPS events, such as Marketing Mechanics lunch and learns and panels hosted by the Programs committee. Four free registrations for each of these events are provided to members of the student chapter, so that participants have ample opportunities to engage and network with professional marketers. In addition, the student chapter organizes philanthropic events to network with one another while volunteering their time for the benefit of local organizations like Feeding Children Everywhere.

For students engaged in the SMPS Central Florida Student Chapter, the action steps necessary to break into a marketing career in AEC are not a mystery to solve after graduation, but a clearly defined path on their radar from the beginning of the college experience. While providing resources for these students to develop their industry knowledge, technical skills, and networking abilities, the SMPS Student Chapter committee is working to advance the growth of a new generation of professional marketers. As experienced professionals, we can all contribute to this development by volunteering to be a guest presenter at one of the chapter’s public speaking events, and by dedicating our full support to programs like the AEC Art Gala, the proceeds of which are donated directly to the Student Chapter scholarship fund. The SMPS Student Chapter is a great way for us marketing professionals to connect with a future generation of AEC marketers, and share crucial college to career guidance to kick start their careers.

Michael Porter
Marketing Coordinator, PCL Construction

Positive Change in 2017

 

With the end of January approaching, we’ve had more than three weeks to put our personal New Year’s resolutions in action. According to the theories of psychologist Maxwell Maltz, whose 1960’s hit Psycho-Cybernetics sold 30 million copies, you’ve already made it through the 21 days required to turn your behavior-altering New Year’s resolutions into automatic habits. If this logic suits you, feel free to insert your happy dance here, pat yourself on the back, and cruise off toward the sunset with your happier, healthier self set on autopilot.

The more likely scenario is, with the excitement and momentum of the New Year already fading, the honeymoon is over and you’re facing the reality of the day-in, day-out effort required to form a new, automatic habit for positive change in your life. You’re probably finding that forming a new habit is, in truth, a lot harder than interpretations of Maltz’s findings have made it out to be. You may have even dumped the gym and your low-cal frozen yogurt already and returned to nights spent with Netflix and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s – who am I to judge?

If you’re still on the resolutions bandwagon, don’t shoot the messenger, but you’re probably only one-third of the way through solidifying your new behavior as a habit. Researchers at University College London published a 2009 study in the European Journal of Social Psychology claiming the average time it takes before a new behavior becomes automatic is 66 days. Rather than allowing this sobering reality to bring down your spirits, maybe what you need to get through the next forty-something days of your behavior-to-habit transformation are some small, incremental goals you can accomplish in the short term. Setting some simple goals for your professional life in the year ahead can be the perfect distraction from the perils you face in fulfilling your personal resolutions, and will set you up for greater success in 2017 and beyond.

Committing to learning a new skill, expanding your network, and being adaptable are great places to start in setting professional goals for 2017.

(WARNING! SMPS Plugs Ahead!)

Learning a new skill is as easy as jumping on YouTube and watching a few tutorials – or reaching out to friends or colleagues who are willing to sit down with you and show you the ropes in that new program you’ve been wanting to learn. Check out the SMPS Marketing Mechanics Committee and sign up for their lunch hour seminars to get educated on any one of a variety of skills and software relevant to our industry (these events are free for SMPS members).

To expand your network – commit to being more engaged in the expos and social events you’re invited to attend. Don’t leave these events without collecting a few business cards from the new faces you meet. Register for events hosted by the SMPS Programs Committee where you’ll meet some of our industry’s key movers and shakers. If nothing else, ramp up your LinkedIn page and start to form some new connections, or reconnect with old colleagues and classmates.

SMPS President Carrie Davis (far right) and SMPS Director of Programs Rachael Frohardt (far left) with key Orlando influencers and guest speakers for the SMPS Leverage Your Beverage: Women of Influence event

You never know where your professional career will take you – so always be willing to adapt to new roles and challenges. Volunteer to help plan an event at your office or head up a volunteer effort with your colleagues. Look into all the SMPS committees that make up SMPS Central Florida and think about joining one that will stretch you outside of your comfort zone. When someone in the office proposes a new idea no one knows how to execute, be the one to step up and find a solution. You might impress yourself with your ability to work through uncharted waters to solve challenges that arise in the workplace.

Every year we remind ourselves just how challenging it is to turn our New Year’s resolutions into automatic, lasting habits. Regardless of whether you stick to these personal commitments in the year ahead, it’s never too late to set short term goals for self-improvement. Committing to learning a new skill, expanding your network, and being adaptable in the year ahead will not only provide a distraction from the day-in, day-out effort of achieving your personal resolutions, but set you up for greater success in your career while surprising yourself and making new friends along the way.

-Michael Porter
Marketing Coordinator, PCL Construction

Build Business Recap: Communication Best Practices, the Words and Why to Use Them

Didn’t have the opportunity to attend Build Business in Philadelphia this year? Do not fear, SMPS CF is here! We are providing you with a Build Business teach back series from our board member’s most valuable sessions.

Presented by: Dorothy Verdon, CPSM, and Amanda Gibney Weko

I had the pleasure of attending Build Business in Philadelphia this year through our generous chapter’s presidential budget for registration and I am thrilled to blog about one of the sessions. Given this is my first blog ever, pleasebear with me and let me give you the highlights.

Writing Tips:

Be specific. Get to the point; say what you mean; mean what you say; and do it in the most concise manner possible.

Tone and voice. Writing is not like talking; when you talk, whether it’s on the phone or face to face, tone, pitch, volume and non-verbal sounds like laughter come into play. In written communication, especially e-mails, this is not the case, hence the digital-age invention of the emoticon. While we are not suggesting emoticons be used in formal business correspondence, paying attention to tone and keeping it consistent throughout your document is important. Positive is good, passive voice is not. Avoid the “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve, may, might” syndrome. You can and you will.

Redundancy and wordiness. Avoid repeating yourself except for carefully planned emphasis of a specific point. When you can say it with a single word, do so. It is amazing how many ways there are to say “because,” but in writing, less is more.

Word usage. Don’t allow spelling demons to possess you! Learn the meaning, proper usage and correct spelling of commonly misused words like effect/affect, comprise/compose, principle/principal, to/too and lead/led. Avoid industry clichés such as bottom line, action item, big picture, extensive (or significant) experience.

All of the above was very helpful, however things turned in a direction I was less enthusiastic about however you may or may not appreciate depending on your role within marketing.

Interview Tips with the media:

Before an interview with a journalist:

• Know the reporter, publication/program, audience, type of story, and interview format.
• Have a goal. What do you wish to accomplish as a result of this interview?
• Know what you want to say. Review your message points.
• Jot down likely questions and appropriate answers.
• Remember your bridging phrases:
• What’s really important here is . . .
• That brings up an interesting point . . .
• I think what you’re asking is . . .
• The fact is . . .
• You may be interested to know . . .
• I think the answer to that question will come after
• I have explained . . .
• Have you ever thought about . . .

During an interview with a journalist:

• Speak in “headlines” – offer conclusion first, briefly and directly and back it up with facts.
• Don’t over answer – short answers are preferable.
• Don’t be fixated by the question. “Bridge” to a related point you want to make.
• Asked about a problem? Talk about a solution.
• Don’t let false charges, facts or figures offered by a reporter stand uncorrected.
• Don’t repeat a reporter’s negative statement or slurs.
• Frame your reply as a positive statement.
• Speak clearly. Avoid jargon and acronyms.
• Be engaging, likable, interesting – add color.
• Don’t know the answer? Don’t fake it. If appropriate, assure the reporter you will find and provide the required facts in a timely manner, or refer the reporter to another source.
• Keep cool. Don’t be provoked.
• Don’t criticize.
• Don’t speculate.
• Don’t go “off the record.”
• Don’t say “no comment.”
• Never lie.

A FEW MORE PIECES OF GOOD ADVICE . . . The following links offer recommendations for writers, PR pros, and marketers.

1. http://authorunlimited.com/writing-inspiration-from-famous-authors/
2. http://firstround.com/review/The-Best-PR-Advice-Youve-Never-Heard-from-Facebooks-Head-of-Tech-Communications
3. http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/The_best_advice_Ive_received_about_PR__12539.aspx
4. http://www.inc.com/lee-clifford-julie-schlosser/tips-from-the-pr-pros.html
5. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226812

– Tara Bleakley, Business Development
TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc.

Build Business Recap: Trends in Sports Design

Didn’t have the opportunity to attend Build Business in Philadelphia this year? Do not fear, SMPS CF is here! We are providing you with a Build Business teach back series from our board member’s most valuable sessions.

Trends in Sports Design:  It’s all About the Experience

Moderator: 

• Kevin Lewis, Sports Practice Director, Henderson Engineers

Panelists:

• Logan Gerken, Director of Project Development for Sports Group,
  Mortenson Construction
• Mike Haramia, Sports Practice Leader, Henderson Engineers
• Ryan Sickman, Director of Sports, Gensler
• Norman Vosschulte, Director of Guest Experience, Philadelphia Eagles

Trends:

• Displacement ventilation to provide fan comfort – even in open air stadiums, providing heated/cooled air to create thermal comfort
• Medical inclusivity – example Mayo sports clinic in Timberwolves stadium
• Mixed use development – build around stadiums to help create destination, as well as help offset stadium construction costs
• Greater use of public/private partnerships
• College level facilities getting more sophisticated, on level with professional teams
• Use of augmented reality to help owners ‘see’ stadium, help raise donor funds for construction

Interesting Stories Shared:

Gentler – Showed an amazing video rendering of what they proposed for the Washington Wizards stadium at their interview. They were the only DC firm that made the shortlist, thought they were very well positioned to win, so invested in technology to show their concepts.  Lost the project to a Detroit firm – didn’t pay enough attention to the chemistry with the owner and what they wanted, instead got caught up in technology and what Gensler wanted to show.

Gensler again – Texas A & M realized that current students aren’t as engaged with the home football games as traditionally and wanted to understand why. They thought it had to do with the limited bandwidth in the stadium and were getting ready to invest in significant technology improvements to the stadium to draw the students back. Gensler did a pro bono study to help understand why – several team members spent two home game weekends in Austin and during the football games covered Austin to find where the students were and asked a lot of questions. Turned out technology had little to do with the problem. Student complaints were that the student ticket policy was bad, the food and alcohol situation didn’t meet their expectations, that Austin has great music almost every weekend and if you go to the game, you miss the live music. The school solved several of these by awarding student tickets differently, allowing students to sit in more than one section of the stadium, creating a student only tailgate area with food trucks (and wrist bands for those old enough to drink), decreased the number of ads that run during the game and replaced them with live video streams from various music venues around Austin, simulcast some music events and also made some improvements to the Wi-Fi – result was that without spending nearly as much money as they thought they needed to, students came back to the games.

Philly Eagles – how they select design/construction partners – unique in public as City owns the stadium, but looks for relationship, chemistry, understanding of the issues and expects educated questions from their partners.

– Cheryl A. Maze
Principal / Corporate Marketing &
Business Development Manager
TLC Engineering for Architecture

12 “Great” Reasons to Give a GO Decision for an RFP

In her experience as a marketer and business developer with BRPH, Lindsay Diven has listened to hundreds of pitches as to why an RFP should be pursued. In her blog originally posted to Marketers Take Flight, Lindsay shares twelve of the most common arguments made in favor of an RFP’s pursuit.

I have sat in hundreds of Go/No-Go decision meetings and reviewed just as many Go/No-Go submission forms over my decade in this industry. While they bring good discussion and heated debates, there has been a theme to the pleas I get from Project Managers, Business Developers and Principals as to why we should spend time and resources chasing RFPs. Below are about a dozen of the most common pleas I have received over the years.

“Great” Reasons to Pursue an RFP

1. It will get our name in front of the client.
2. We have a project that is similar in scope.
3. The procurement officer asked us to submit.
4. We live in the city (county, area or school district).
5. Our lead architect or project manager went to that school.
6. The submittal is not much effort.
7. We can use the exact proposal we submitted last time.
8. A teaming partner brought this project to us. We don’t want to jeopardize the relationship.
9. Work is awarded in a rotation. If we don’t submit we will get skipped.
10. It’s our turn to win one.
11. We need to get our foot in the door.
12. We did one project with this client (although it was 10 years ago and no one who worked on it is still at your firm).

Of course, these are not good reasons to submit a proposal. Needless to say that if they are using these reasons, they haven’t positioned your firm and team properly. However, they are sometimes used and the marketer is left getting overturned.

Has this happened to you?

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

Have you heard others that are even “better”?

-Lindsay Diven

What do Nora Jones and Rap Music Have To Do With AEC Marketing?

Who inspires you? Who do you look up to? Is there someone you’d like to be in five years?

My biggest professional inspirations are two beautifully and talented women, who are taking the Central Florida AEC marketing world by its reigns. Carrie Davis of Hensel Phelps and Alycia Pollock of H.J. High Construction are SMPS SUPERwomen! Carrie is currently the President-Elect for SMPS Central Floridaand Alycia is the Director of Communications for SMPS CFL. Both are extraordinary ladies who are dedicated to their profession and also to the AEC community. They care about the people they work with, they even take newbies under their wing (like myself) and mentor them through this crazy, fun business.

I got the chance to ask them some questions about themselves, their marketing experience and they shared some advice for new and fellow marketers.

Favorite part of working in the AEC industry?

The beautiful Alycia Pollock

AP: What I love most about our industry is knowing about the developments that shape our community before most people. It’s like being in on a very exciting secret! So often developers come to architects, engineers or contractors with an idea that our teams get to bring to life. Those ideas go on to be iconic Central Florida establishments like Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Amway, the Orlando City Stadium, SunRail, theme parks and so many more places that our community lives their lives in.

 

Do you listen to any podcasts or read any blogs that you think others in our industry could benefit from?

AP: Yours! J

CD: I enjoy both podcasts and blogs. My top three are…

1. Communiqueso – https://communiqueso.com/
2. Help Everybody Everyday – http://www.helpeverybodyeveryday.com/
3. Circle S Studios – http://circlesstudio.com/blog/tag/aec-marketing/

Any trade secrets or tips?

AP: Proofread, proofread, proofread! Typos look lazy.

CD: Something that has helped be tremendously is keeping lists and prioritizing things on those lists. Having a game plan or plan of attack for everyday is a huge time saver and you will surprise yourself with how much more efficient you become.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally and how did you overcome it?

AP: Being a woman in the AEC industry is difficult. Our generation has a lot that past generations didn’t but the unfortunate truth is that women still have to fight for respect in a predominately male-filled industry. I’m a big advocate for women in business removing “just” and “sorry” from their vocabulary. Don’t accept disrespect. Take your seat at the table and speak up. If the firm you’re working for has a problem with that – find another firm.

The gorgeous Carrie Davis

CD: By nature, I am not an outgoing person. So being in the Marketing Industry was a strange choice of profession for me. When I would walk into a room full of people my first inclination was to hide in a corner somewhere and hope no one noticed me. It was a struggle of mine long before I even started in the A/E/C industry. When I started at my first job in the industry my boss at the time saw this in me and I am sure that is why I was “volun-told” to join SMPS. Which scared the heck out of me but ended up being the biggest blessing. Slowly, but surely, I gained confidence in myself and my fears disappeared. Get engaged, put yourself out there, be vulnerable and you will reap the rewards tenfold.

What do you look for in a Marketing/BD/Communications coworker?

AP: In any coworker I look for someone I respect, can learn from and can laugh with.

CD: Trust. You can have the most technically savvy co-worker in the entire world but if you can’t trust them nothing else matters.

What’s something you do to help you get in work mode? 

AP: Starbucks Tea Latte (soy) and gangster rap.

CD: I have several different habits when I need to really focus on something but the one that remains constant is music. I turn on iTunes Radio and choose a station depending on what I am in the mood for, usually some variety of country music, Nora Jones, or John Mayer.

How do you keep yourself motivated and engaged?

AP: For me to stay engaged, I have to remember to disengage periodically. Take walks to break up the day. Keep a book handy and read a couple pages every now and then. Use your vacation time! It’s all about perspective.

Favorite event you’ve attended?

AP: I think my favorite event hasn’t happened yet. The SMPS Central Florida AEC Art Gala at the Orlando Museum of Art in August 2016 is going to be one for the books!

Advice to someone new to the industry?

AP: Join SMPS! Find your people. There will be others like you that want to get involved and grow. Find them, befriend them, and before you know it you’ll be vacationing together and find them to be in all your photos. There’s also a good chance you and your people will be the next generation of SMPS Central Florida leadership.

CD: I couldn’t narrow it down so here are my top four tips to someone new to the industry:

1. Ask Questions.
2. Be a sponge – soak it all up!
3. Find a Mentor.
4. Get involved on a committee.

 

-Courtney Franklin, Marketing Strategist

Graduating from the Default-Setting

The emergence of groups of interns in our offices marks the beginning of a new season—it’s graduation season and the time has come for high-school and college students alike to don their caps and gowns and prepare to walk across a stage to lay hands on a long-sought piece of paper marking the successful completion of their formal education. Before this ceremonial conclusion can occur, these students, along with their friends and families in attendance, will listen to a commencement speech likely filled with lines of inspiration, noting the students’ accomplishments and looking ahead toward a bright future of boundless opportunity. This past weekend I listened to such a speech while attending my cousin’s high-school graduation in Lakeland, Florida. The speaker who addressed my cousin’s class admitted to not remembering a single word of the commencement speech from his own graduation and acknowledged that these students were unlikely to remember his words in the years to come. Aside from this admission—I don’t recall anything this speaker said, nor do I remember who spoke at my own high-school graduation or what presumably encouraging messages he or she shared. However, a particular graduation speech, delivered by one of my favorite authors to Kenyon College’s graduating class of 2005, and subsequently shared online, has stuck with me since I first heard the words spoken in a video on YouTube.

In his address to Kenyon College’s graduating seniors, David Foster Wallace shared a message that, while not inspirational or all that encouraging, is extremely important nonetheless. Wallace spoke to these seniors about the monotony of day-in, day-out living: the tedious, oftentimes boring routine of adult life that most of us are all too familiar with and graduating seniors have yet to experience. Upon completing our education and entering the “real world,” we experience an existence in which we wake up, drive to our challenging jobs, work a long day, drive home, make dinner, clean up, and get ready to repeat the whole thing over—over and over and over again, while somehow finding time to buy groceries, clean the house, take care of the kids, hit the gym, go to the dentist, service our cars, etc. Throughout this routine of everyday living we place ourselves at the constant center, and this self-centered approach that Wallace calls our “default-setting” has us automatically programmed to view those around us as being in our way. In this tedious existence, the petty frustrations brought upon us by the people we encounter too often stand in the way of our happiness.

How often do petty frustrations form a roadblock to your pursuit of happiness? How often do these annoyances occur in your work, affecting your productivity and job satisfaction? Our jobs are challenging, and we will all encounter computer or printer problems, late nights in the office, difficult clients, feeling unappreciated, dirty dishes in the break room, or those people who don’t read your e-mails, have loud and obnoxious personal conversations when you’re trying to focus, or make you cringe when you catch them clipping their finger- or toenails at their desk. While these grievances are an inevitable circumstance of work life, the way we respond to them, Wallace asserts, is entirely our decision.
In every instance we have the ability to operate apart from our “default-setting” that automatically pits others against us and holds life’s irritations to be great injustices. Instead we can acknowledge that we are not the center of the universe. We can approach others from a place of compassion and understanding, even when we find them rude, obnoxious, or cringe inducing.

While this may seem like moral advice, it isn’t. This call for a greater awareness in our thinking is a means of navigating life’s waters so that petty problems are pacified in our minds before they become infuriating. It is a disciplined effort that we can choose to not become bogged down by the monotony of day-to-day life and the unavoidable frustrations that come with it. Our personal happiness, our satisfaction in life and in our work, hinges on our willingness to reach beyond our automatic, “default” way of thinking, and open ourselves to a more conscious, controlled way to address problems as they occur.

Wallace’s message was not the typical inspirational speech most of us have come to expect from a graduation commencement. While he may not have left the Kenyon College graduating seniors feeling encouraged to take on the world, he nevertheless provided the students with an important message, a message that applies not only to young professionals entering the “real world” for the first time, but those of us who have lived the reality of adult monotony day after day, year after year. Wallace’s words have stuck with me longer than those spoken at my own graduation commencement, and will likely stay with me longer than any future graduation speech I hear, while serving as a constant reminder that the way I think about life’s petty frustrations and how they affect me is entirely my decision to make.

-Michael Porter, Marketing Coordinator
PCL Construction Services

Referenced speech / video:

This is Water by David Foster Wallace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfw2Qf1VfJo

 

SMPS Member Spotlight | Scott Nichols, CPSM

Meet Scott

Scott Nichols is a Senior Graphic Designer and Animator for Brasfield & Gorrie. Scott has over 15 years of experience designing and implementing marketing, branding, and graphic communication strategies. He constantly looks for innovative ways to implement and apply new technologies to A/E/C marketing pursuits and client communications. In addition to a solid foundation in graphic design, motion graphics, 3d printing, and animation, Scott’s background is in organizational communication, which encompasses corporate communication, message development, marketing, public relations and branding.

Fun Facts about Scott:

If you could trade places with one person for a day,  who would it be and why?

Toss-up between Sir Jonathan Ive, Chief Design Officer at Apple and Bruce Mau of Bruce Mau Design and the Massive Change Network. Both have a keen sense of design and both have been successful in raising awareness of the use of design to solve business and social problems.

Where is your favorite vacation spot?  

So far… Paris, France… in the future, possibly Kauai.

Your greatest extravagance?  

Anything that enriches my daughter’s life.

Which of your personal attributes has made you most successful in your career?  

Sedulity.

What’s one question you always ask a potential employee?  

What was/has been your most rewarding career experience?

What’s your favorite Central Florida restaurant and why? 

Hawkers.  Great food… great concept

Your most interesting deal? 

P3 Proposal for the New Long Beach Courthouse.  Managing the proposal production for a 2,000 page submission, including 7 binders, a custom telescoping box, 30 large format design boards and 10 full size sets of drawing. The submission had to be shipped on a shipping palette.

One thing you’d teach someone in your industry? 

The importance of storytelling in marketing.

Best lesson from a mentor? 

You can’t stand out and fit in at the same time.

Your worst subject? 

Victorian Literature

Favorite book?  

Good to Great by Jim Collins

One thing you wish everyone knew about your job?  

Design thinking is a tool for solving business problems… just look at Apple. Design-driven companies outperform S&P by 228% over ten years – THE ‘DMI DESIGN VALUE INDEX’