Nikki Crane ended up in architecture by chance. She says that she didn’t really know exactly what she was getting into, and she’d never met an architect by the time she was applying to colleges. Architecture was just on her list of possible majors that sounded cool at the time.
However, it also turned out to be the right major. She found a school where the students were doing work she was interested in, and she ended up going forward with her studies.
After getting her degree, Nikki first wanted to go and work out of the country. She was very interested in disaster relief and wanted to design for that, plus she didn’t want to work in a big firm. But after some searching, she found a job in Little Rock, AK that she liked, and she felt the company was committed to making changes she agreed with, so she signed on with them.
Nikki had some difficulty with her exams when she started taking them, which she partially attributes to her own pride. She considered simply remaining unlicensed, but found her way to the Young Architect Boot Camp instead. In today’s episode, Nikki discusses her licensure path and how Young Architect has helped her on the way.
What You’ll Hear on This Episode:
- What inspired Nikki to pursue a career in architecture
- Where Nikki went to architecture school
- Where Nikki is working now and what she’s doing
- Nikki’s licensing exams
- How the boot camp went for Nikki
- Nikki’s COVID experience
- Nikki’s advice for aspiring architects
- What Nikki knows now that she didn’t know then
- The book that changed everything for Nikki
- Nikki’s favorite resource, product, or gadget
- Nikki’s best time saving trick
- How listeners can find Nikki
Top Three Takeaways from This Episode:
- Don’t be too proud to ask for help.
- You can make a difference without your license.
- You only really fail when you quit.
Nikki’s Advice for Aspiring Architects:
“I think my biggest advice would be you can make a difference without your license, and it’s OK to start that before you start your licensure path.”
Favorite Quotes:
“As long as you keep moving forward, it’s OK to fail.” – What Nikki knows now that she didn’t know then.
“Used to, it was Design Like You Give a Damn.” –The book that changed everything for Nikki
“It’s been my AirPods.” –Nikki on her favorite resource, product, or gadget
“Probably writing things down.” –Nikki on her best time-saving trick
Resources Mentioned on the Show:
