Importance of Foundation

Architecture and engineering alike are built on strong foundations, both literally and figuratively. Learning how to become the best architect or engineer requires a firm educational footing. While learning the fundamentals can be mundane, there is no denying how important they are for future knowledge and success. The fundamentals are critical building blocks. 

Often, senior engineers and architects specialize in one aspect of their craft to gain subject matter expertise. Still, for a junior engineer or architect, it can hinder growth. A significant component of starting in these roles is learning the practical skills required to become a well-rounded professional. There is a lot to be said about mastering the basics to gain the practical skills needed to reach the top of your field.  

As an aspiring engineer or architect, you must expose yourself to all aspects of the project life-cycle and gain practical skills often unavailable through classroom education alone. By demonstrating patience, flexibility, and eagerness to learn, you will reap numerous benefits in technical skill progression and upward career development. Managers and senior leadership are more likely to delegate tasks to someone who shows eagerness and interest. By establishing said interest early on, you create a positive feedback loop in which your attitude toward ongoing learning will lead to more opportunity to do so. That loop will lead to early exposure to new skills and concepts. It’s a positive self-fulfilling prophecy.

Outside of the foundational technical skills learned in the workplace, you should also focus your efforts on communication. As you progress through a firm’s organizational structure, it will become increasingly valuable to have robust communication techniques to interface with clients and colleagues effectively. Early on, connect with people who perform different functions in your respective organization. The more involved you get, the more you will be able to flex and enhance your communication muscle.

Many firms aspire to be highly mission-driven. It’s what attracts such phenomenal talent. That said, junior employees can feel disconnected and far removed from that mission by nature of the relatively repetitive, foundational tasks they handle daily. One way to combat this distance is to frame routine functions by highlighting their contribution to the overall project and firm goals. For example, for an Architectural Designer, rather than just saying, “I review shop drawings and RFI’s,” you can view this deliverable as “mapping out necessary design specifications for the betterment of the building.” Or, engineers who “design and create technical documents in AutoCAD” can frame this as “building out specifications for the betterment of a building or roadway for increased efficiency.” This elevation of the repetitive, foundational tasks can heighten an employee’s connection to the company’s global mission. 

Setting a career path and knowing what you value in your career is essential to recognize and visualize your professional development course. Once you have a solid foundation of technical skills and project work under your belt, the path to growth and expertise becomes clearer. Understanding this path while simultaneously attaining more responsibility will help you become a master in your craft. Know what is expected of you and continue to show eagerness in learning new skills at each stage of your career. 

Learning the fundamentals of architecture or engineering is paramount to set yourself up for long-term career success. Understand that building this skill-set will be exciting but requires repetitive and foundational tasks along the way. Rephrase those deliverables to stay close to the company mission, expose yourself to as many different aspects of the business as possible and continue to show eagerness, regardless of where you are on the company’s organizational map.