Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Young Architect Podcast, and this one is about perseverance!
Today, we're diving into the story of James, a passionate architect whose journey is both unique and relatable. James has known he wanted to be an architect since childhood, inspired perhaps by his grandfather who started at NYIT for architecture but changed his major. Following in these initial footsteps, James too attended NYIT, igniting a love for architecture that he fondly reminisces about.
After the euphoria of architecture school, James faced the classic “what do I do now” moment. He started at a small residential firm but soon realized he wanted to explore different facets of architecture. This pursuit took him to New Jersey, where he worked on municipal projects until the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unexpected job loss. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. James landed his dream job in a firm where he gets to work on both commercial and residential projects.
Interestingly, James points out a gap in architectural education: the lack of emphasis on the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). Many, like James, only learn about the licensing process through personal networks or independent research. After seeing a friend pass an ARE, James was motivated to try but faced a setback with an initial failure. Instead of being discouraged, he took a break to study and immerse himself in the field, eventually discovering and committing to The ARE Bootcamp.
James's experience with failing exams is raw and honest. He shares how these challenges almost led him to a break, but his perseverance kept him going. In this episode, he offers invaluable advice to those starting their ARE journey and contemplating joining the bootcamp.
Tune in to hear more about James's inspiring journey and his nuggets of wisdom for budding architects. It's an episode filled with lessons on resilience, passion, and the importance of continuous learning in the architecture field. Don't miss it!
