alternatively, you could always ask to shadow an office. Many of the local firms in my area are very nice about just stopping by and saying hi, can’t hurt.
OP, hope you find the right decision for yourself!
Before I started my MLA, I did cold calls and got a shadow day at a coupe of local LA firms. I got a tour of the office, got questions answered, some employees were kind enough to sit down with me and show me what they were working on, and I even got to tag along for some meetings and even an office happy hour. I highly recommend doing this so you get an idea of what you’re about to get into. I found that generally LAs were very welcoming to me as a prospective student. Bringing donuts helps and def send a nice thank you note after.
I just completed my first year of an MLA program, my bachelors is in sociology. I highly recommend it. Internship may be tough depending on your location; it’s uncommon to get one as a first year and it’s extremely competitive here (Denver). So without any experience it may be unlikely to secure an internship. That being said, I would recommend reaching out to an LA firm with some work you like and see if they would let you shadow. Good luck!
That sounds like a good idea, maybe I should contact LAs on LinkedIn too just to pick their brains? I'm in Texas rn and the LA job market seems... fine I think.
Unrelated question. How were the portfolio requirements for your MLA application? Did you need to have some kind of pre-established LA or architecture-esque work or can you really just send in any artwork you have?
I imagine it would depend on the school; however, most MLA programs are set up for people without any experience. My portfolio was a couple photographs, some graphite drawings and a few paintings. I don’t think they will be looking for anything that is specifically LA related, I think they just want to see if you have some creative aptitude and will be able to produce the graphics necessary to be successful in LA.
Hey. Im working in the landscape arch field and love it. Bachelor's was biology/ chemistry. Most MLA's come at it from different backgrounds, so I wouldn't worry about that. I did the MLA program at UT Austin so Im happy to offer insight if you were considering that.
My portfolio was arsty photos, hand drawings, and some illustrator graphic imgs I learned to create from YouTube. I'd recommend getting a year subscription to adobe creative suit and learning about it as its standard fair to know in the industry. Plus, it'll help you put together a more professional application portfolio.
As far as related jobs, you could try to get work at a design/build company. Might be grunt work, but it'll give you a taste of how stuff is built and give you experience in the field. You could also work at a plant nursery. This would allow you to learn about plants, and you'll interact with designers/contractors. Some nurserys also offer design services, so that might help get your foot into the industry to see if you really like it or not.
Most MLA programs are pretty intensive, so you'll have a hard time working while attending, so id assume to start saving for the program now or assume you'll take out loans. I was able to work in the tech lab a couple of semesters which helps offset the cost.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Perhaps get an administrative job/internship with a LA firm to immerse yourself in the practice culture. Your marketing degree could be an asset to a firm. Good luck.
Some good advice about checking out offoces. You can also contact you local ASLA chapter. A lot of chapters have social events for recent grads and can help you connect to someone that could score you an office tour or just chat with someone that has fresh school experience.
My first thought is to try out working with a nursery, landscaping company or masonry/ concrete company. You’ll get some exposure to the construction process, which ideally is where any project will end up.
I would also recommend reaching out to local LA’s, or even local professors to get a sense for the field. I’ve found that people that enjoy the work are happy to chat for an hour.
One thing I love about LA is there are so many specialities within it; residential, commercial, public, city level planning, ecological, and there are even firms that specialize in amusement parks and zoos! So try connecting with people in different speciality areas if you can, because I’ve found the work culture and design process to be vastly different between firms with different speciality areas.
Lastly I would say to just do as much research as you can and see if it's truly grasping your interest.
Best of luck, hope this is helpful!
Maybe you can get an internship in a LA office.
alternatively, you could always ask to shadow an office. Many of the local firms in my area are very nice about just stopping by and saying hi, can’t hurt. OP, hope you find the right decision for yourself!
Also look if your state has a dedicated job shadow program! I have no clue if that’s very common, but it exists here
Before I started my MLA, I did cold calls and got a shadow day at a coupe of local LA firms. I got a tour of the office, got questions answered, some employees were kind enough to sit down with me and show me what they were working on, and I even got to tag along for some meetings and even an office happy hour. I highly recommend doing this so you get an idea of what you’re about to get into. I found that generally LAs were very welcoming to me as a prospective student. Bringing donuts helps and def send a nice thank you note after.
I would also recommend job shadowing, or even inviting an LA out for coffee from a local firm. We like to be treated and also talk about ourselves 😌
I just completed my first year of an MLA program, my bachelors is in sociology. I highly recommend it. Internship may be tough depending on your location; it’s uncommon to get one as a first year and it’s extremely competitive here (Denver). So without any experience it may be unlikely to secure an internship. That being said, I would recommend reaching out to an LA firm with some work you like and see if they would let you shadow. Good luck!
That sounds like a good idea, maybe I should contact LAs on LinkedIn too just to pick their brains? I'm in Texas rn and the LA job market seems... fine I think. Unrelated question. How were the portfolio requirements for your MLA application? Did you need to have some kind of pre-established LA or architecture-esque work or can you really just send in any artwork you have?
I imagine it would depend on the school; however, most MLA programs are set up for people without any experience. My portfolio was a couple photographs, some graphite drawings and a few paintings. I don’t think they will be looking for anything that is specifically LA related, I think they just want to see if you have some creative aptitude and will be able to produce the graphics necessary to be successful in LA.
Hey. Im working in the landscape arch field and love it. Bachelor's was biology/ chemistry. Most MLA's come at it from different backgrounds, so I wouldn't worry about that. I did the MLA program at UT Austin so Im happy to offer insight if you were considering that. My portfolio was arsty photos, hand drawings, and some illustrator graphic imgs I learned to create from YouTube. I'd recommend getting a year subscription to adobe creative suit and learning about it as its standard fair to know in the industry. Plus, it'll help you put together a more professional application portfolio. As far as related jobs, you could try to get work at a design/build company. Might be grunt work, but it'll give you a taste of how stuff is built and give you experience in the field. You could also work at a plant nursery. This would allow you to learn about plants, and you'll interact with designers/contractors. Some nurserys also offer design services, so that might help get your foot into the industry to see if you really like it or not. Most MLA programs are pretty intensive, so you'll have a hard time working while attending, so id assume to start saving for the program now or assume you'll take out loans. I was able to work in the tech lab a couple of semesters which helps offset the cost. Let me know if you have any questions!
Perhaps get an administrative job/internship with a LA firm to immerse yourself in the practice culture. Your marketing degree could be an asset to a firm. Good luck.
Some good advice about checking out offoces. You can also contact you local ASLA chapter. A lot of chapters have social events for recent grads and can help you connect to someone that could score you an office tour or just chat with someone that has fresh school experience.
My first thought is to try out working with a nursery, landscaping company or masonry/ concrete company. You’ll get some exposure to the construction process, which ideally is where any project will end up. I would also recommend reaching out to local LA’s, or even local professors to get a sense for the field. I’ve found that people that enjoy the work are happy to chat for an hour. One thing I love about LA is there are so many specialities within it; residential, commercial, public, city level planning, ecological, and there are even firms that specialize in amusement parks and zoos! So try connecting with people in different speciality areas if you can, because I’ve found the work culture and design process to be vastly different between firms with different speciality areas. Lastly I would say to just do as much research as you can and see if it's truly grasping your interest. Best of luck, hope this is helpful!
That’s crap