Opportunity knocking . . .

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. - Ephesians 5:15-17 (ESV)

The above passage of scripture is a rather familiar one to a lot of Christ followers. However, taken in proper context, it is a passage that we as American Christians honestly do a pretty bad job living out–myself very much included.

Since moving to Towson in July, Emily and I have been concentrating on improving our obedience to this passage. We consider it a core value in expanding the influence of the Gospel in our community.

This past weekend, Baltimore experienced record snow-fall, and more is on they way by the time many of you read this post.  Ordinarily, being “snowed in” doesn’t leave much of an opportunity to make the most of. Most of the churches in our region were forced to shut down on Sunday, because the snow plows were barely able to keep major roads open, let alone the streets where church leaders live and the church parking lots. We couldn’t really get out to Starbucks and meet people, because they were closed, too. So how did we make the most of this opportunity?

On Friday, with the impending blizzard upon us, I rode to work with my boss in his all-wheel-drive Volvo. Although the storm didn’t really settle in until after we were home, it gave me a great opportunity to talk with him 1-on-1 about the office, our personal lives, and a lot of other stuff. We got to sit in the parent-pick-up line together waiting for his son’s school to let out early, giving us even more time to talk.

On Saturday, as a temporary remedy to Cabin Fever, we went downstairs to hang out in our building lobby. We weren’t the only ones. We met a guy that had arrived in Baltimore Thursday night — moved here from Birmingham, Alabama, to temporarily live with his parents while he gets on his feet. Emily gives more of the story on her blog, but I was able to connect with him on several levels, encourage him, and talk a little about spiritual things. Meanwhile, Emily met a grad-student from the Middle East who loves kids and connected with Katie — again Emily tells the story on her blog.

On Sunday morning, we continued our bi-weekly habit of having church in our apartment with our neighbor and LifeChurch.tv. After the service, we were able to talk through her career and how she can make the most of opportunities she has to bring people One Step Closer to Jesus. She said our conversation was extremely helpful and will give her a lot to think about in using opportunities without risking her professional status. I told her, “You’re a counselor, you understand this concept, but always be thinking in Next Steps. It’s as true for the spiritual life as it is for recovery.”

On Sunday afternoon, a large percentage of our apartment building spent the afternoon in the parking lot digging out our cars. I wore myself out digging out both cars. (See how mine started here.) In the process, I was able to have some basic conversations with a guy digging his car out two spaces over. Additionally, I was able to talk about marriage, church, family, and jobs with one of our neighbors. I am confident we both left the conversation encouraged.

We still have a long way to go in really making a lasting impact in the lives of people in this community. But we have made progress and continue to improve.

How are you making the most of your opportunities this week?

Snowpocalypse

Here’s some photos from our 7th floor balcony as the snow continues to fall. About 18″ so far and counting (9am) . . . At 12:30pm, snowfall has increased and keeps on coming. Will keep posting pics as time goes on . . .

Towson Snow – 2-6-10-12:30pm

Towson Circle Snow – 2-6-10-12:30pm

Towson -Cafe Mykonos – Snow – 2-6-10-12:30pm

Roxie in the snow

Our parking lot – 2-7-10-8:30am

Roxie making her way through the snow

Andrew’s Car – 2-7-10-8:20am

What are we doing here?

A local friend and ministry colleague, Jeff Elkins, posted the following video on his blog. I think it gives a very simple overview of how we are framing our ministry and church-planting effort here in Towson, Maryland:

I hope you enjoyed the video! I look forward to your thoughts and comments!

Two Job Offers – Recap

In light of yet another once-famous architecture firm shutting its doors, and the fact that I’ve mentioned the series talking to people and wanted a sort-of index to refer people to, I’m creating this post. Thank for understanding!

• Part 1 – Career advancement – what didn’t help me get a job.
• Part 2 – Experience and productivity – what did help me get a job.
• Part 3 – Job offer #1
• Part 4 – Job offer #2 and the decision.

Incredible Commercial

If you haven’t seen it, go to Mark Clement’s blog and check out this commercial:

http://markclement.typepad.com/markclement/2010/01/incredible-commercial.html

Awesome stuff.  Speaks volumes without a single word.

Two Job Offers – Part 4

Over the past week, I have been reviewing the process of getting two job offers, and then making a decision . . .

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

At the end of my last post, I had 1 job offer that was not ideal, but offered some security for myself and my family. The other option was to stay on hourly and wait for something better. I was looking for some wisdom to make the right decision.

Since I had been open and honest with my hourly employer from the beginning through the entire process, I thought he and another coworker would be good sources of wisdom, so I asked them to set aside lunch to chat with me . . .

Instead, without me knowing, the two of them went off to a local restaurant and talked it over, apparently calling back to the office to ask financial questions several times . . . All this in order to offer me a full-time job.

In hindsight, this may have appeared to be presumptuous on my part, as if I was trying to force the issue with a threat to leave. This was in no way the case. I was honestly looking for insight and wisdom.

At any rate, just before lunch, they called me and asked me to meet them at the restaurant where they gave me the verbal offer before I even had an opportunity to ask my questions. Quite simply, the work I had done in the past month as an hourly employee made me valuable enough to them to take a small risk not to lose me.

Quite frankly, the base salary was slightly lower, but the cost of commuting would more than make up for that. The financial benefits were also slightly lower. So, the real decision was much more than financial.

One of my friends recently suggested that my aggressiveness probably helped me. In fact, it almost cost me this job before I got it. A couple of long-term employees almost rebelled at them offering me a job. Bottom line is a quote I came across recently: “At first, the line between confidence and arrogance appears quite thin. Time and teachability reveal the difference.” As time goes on, I think those employees will understand the decision that was made and will enjoy having me around.

But, in the end, being “the total package” I mentioned in my previous posts won out over any personal difficulties. They said, “There is just nobody else like him on the market right now.” In an industry with 17.8% unemployment? I’m quite surprised to hear that, but that is what they said.

The real deciding factor for me was that I had been open and honest with this employer about our ultimate desires and goals in moving to the Towson area. This employer not only will allow a certain level of flexibility for us to do these things, there are some things in the works within the office that will actually make it even easier.

I believe the work profile is a better match, the business organization is more in line with what I was looking for, I feel like I have made friends quickly with several employees, and several other more personal aspects of this job made the decision quite easy.

So, I made the decision, and am now working full-time as a Project Architect for Curry Architects in Baltimore, Maryland.

Two Job Offers – Part 3

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been reflecting on my sudden change in employment status last week.

• Part 1
• Part 2

The previous two posts were about why I believe the two firms chose me. I’m going to shift gears now and explain which firm I chose and why.

In all honesty, the fact that I was already working hourly for an architecture firm initially made my decision quite difficult, but in the end made it quite easy.

When the first job offer came, I was honestly very torn. Without the hourly job, I would have jumped at the chance at full-time employment at any architecture firm. But the hourly job allowed me a “safety net” to truly evaluate the job and decide whether or not it was a job I really wanted to take.

The firm profile was not a perfect fit, but I have experience in their area, and the position was in some ways a step up from where I’ve been in the past. I would be given significant leadership over other people, but would have the opportunity to produce projects myself while leading other people as they produce. I would also have some authority to help standardize certain elements of production, which is something I have done before.

The money was a little less than I expected, but I need to face the reality that architecture isn’t paying well right now. I know several firms that have dropped salaries from 15%-30% just to keep from laying people off (or laying off more than they want to.) If you’re looking for a job, go to Salary.com and look at base salaries, but understand that you may have to start well below that level in this economy. Know what current salary trends are in your industry. Knowing what I knew about the pay cuts, I was able to swallow the offer a bit better.

But these were not the primary issue. The firm’s office is literally on the exact opposite side of Baltimore from where we live. A total of 24 miles and a $2 toll. Thirty minutes without traffic. Probably over an hour during commuting time. The firm also had some specific policies regarding hours employees are in the office. With all this, it meant I would be lucky to see my daughter, Katie, for even an hour each day. It would also make meeting and influencing people in Towson even harder, further delaying our plans regarding a church plant. I would consider it, but it would not be a long-term option.

I really didn’t want to take the job, but I needed a job . . . I needed some wisdom . . .

Enter Job Offer # 2 . . .

Two Job Offers – Part 2

Click Here for Part 1

Yesterday, I brought up an article about unemployment in architecture:

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/business/9_hardest-hit_jobs_of_2009-80177617.html

I also began talking about my experience getting TWO job offers last week, and why I believe I was chosen over numerous other candidates.

Yesterday’s post primarily focused on all the “career advancement” I have done in the past year, and how it all turned out to be a minimal factor in why I was chosen . . .

So today, I’m going to talk about why I WAS chosen:

So what was it? What made the difference?

For these two companies, the deciding factor was being the total package: leader, designer, producer, and businessman.

1. Leader: ability to work with others, direct others to accomplish their work, and to improve the overall atmosphere and product of the company. Includes the ability to coordinate the entire team including consultants, draftspeople, and even clients when necessary.
2. Designer:  the ability to design buildings that meet a given program and are appropriate for the setting/purpose. (You’d think this would go without saying in architecture, but you’d be surprised!)
3. Producer: the ability to take a design and develop the entirety of construction documents within the desired medium (in both cases, AutoCAD.) Included in this is drawing, detailing, coordinating consultant drawings, code review, and even a basic understanding of what is happening in systems designed by consultants.
4. Businessman: the ability to do the work with an understanding that it has financial implications. Also includes an understanding of how an architecture office is run and what can and can’t be done. Additionally, being able to work with people in a respectful manner, not pushing away people, particularly clients or potential clients.

Of the 4 areas, the one that was the real kicker is being a producer.

During the current economic downturn, a lot of High-Level Architects have lost their jobs. Many have significantly more experience than me but are still searching for jobs. The problem is that they have been leading teams of producers so long, they haven’t drawn out a building themselves in a real long time. They may be able to land the client, design a beautiful building, lead the team, and run the office . . . but to sit down at a computer and produce the drawings they have been responsible for, they have relied on CAD Draftspeople far too long.

In large firms, this arrangement is commonplace. But large firms aren’t nearly as large anymore. Medium firms are now small firms. And small firms are smaller. In Baltimore, one firm that was over 100 employees a few years ago has shut down completely. [Article here] Finding that kind of job is going to be increasingly difficult.

Both companies had me bring in my portfolio, including sets of construction documents of jobs I had completed. Both companies looked at me and asked, “how much of this did you actually draw?” I wanted to exaggerate just a little and say, “all of it.” But, I needed to be honest and said, “over 80%,”  which on some projects was probably a little low. The funny thing is, I was concerned about making sure they knew I could work with and lead a team. They wanted to know I could produce.

One of the companies even has a simple “CAD test” they required me to take to verify that what I was saying was true. Apparently I drew their test in less time, in more detail, and a more complex system than any of the other candidates. That was the closer for them.

The other company brought me on hourly back in December to “test the waters” and to get some urgent projects out the door. I have apparently done well, because the prospect of losing me to the other offer prompted them to drop a full-time offer on the table, hoping it would be enough to keep me.

SO, my advice to my architect friends looking for a job: (or any career for that matter)

When looking for career advancement, what is the one area that will most improve your skills to be the “total package”?

Next time, I’ll explain which job I chose and why I made this decision . . .

Two Job Offers – Part 1

On December 27, 2009, NBC released an article stating the the Architecture profession may be the hardest hit in the current economic recession.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/business/9_hardest-hit_jobs_of_2009-80177617.html

This article has really been making the rounds in architecture circles through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.

I felt the pain of this reality. I spent almost 10 months on unemployment after being laid off in February. Like many people in architecture, there was nothing personal about it. Some people were laid off because their performance didn’t measure up. Others, like myself, were top performers, but the company just couldn’t hold on to us.

My situation was slightly different, because I was trying to relocate to a new state anyway, which prompted my employer to say, “If you didn’t want to leave, you’d be the last to go.” So much for being rewarded for honesty. But, I understand their perspective and have no hard feelings. God has been good to us even in the hard times. We are now where we want to be and are moving forward with life . . .

Which brings me to the real purpose of this post:

Despite the economic realities in architecture, last week, I received not ONE, but TWO job offers.

During the interview process, I discovered that I had been selected from over 100 resumes for the job I took, and the other company had 2 openings, with over 40 resumes for the position they offered me.

Both companies gave me the same reason why they selected me over the other candidates.

• I was interviewed prior to receiving confirmation that I had passed the ARE and am now a licensed architect (in Alabama, reciprocity to Maryland in process.) Therefore, being licensed was not the primary factor.
• During unemployment, I enrolled in the AutoDesk Assistance Program and learned the basics of Revit and Building Information Modeling. Along with this comes up to 30% AutoDesk discounts to the employer who hires me. Neither company currently has plans to move to Revit/BIM in the near future, so this also was not a factor.
• I have not yet started the process to become LEED AP (or associate.) While I probably will begin this process soon, it was not a factor.

All of the “career advancement” I’ve done this year didn’t really make the difference.

So what was it? What made the difference?

We’ll pick up here tomorrow . . .

Happy New Year!

I haven’t blogged in over a month . . . and it was actually by design . . .

I feel like my blog has been both neglected and overly random in recent months . . . so I took the month of December off to think and pray through why I have this blog and what it needs to be as we move forward . . .

Additionally, we have a monthly e-newsletter, occassional specific prayer update emails, and instant status updates on Twitter and Facebook. My blog needs to have a unique purpose and identity.

• Twitter and Facebook will continue to be my “instant-access” pass to what’s going on. Feel free to follow me there and join in the discussions.
• Our e-newsletter will continue to be our monthly general update for what is going on in our lives in ministry. It will be the basic framework for people to pray for us. If you do not receive it, but would like to, let me know.
• The occassional prayer updates will go to people who have committed to pray for us one specific day every month. In the past I have tried to update everyone before their day to pray. I will probably shift to using the e-newsletter for the overview and only send specific emails when date-specific or significant need prayer requests arise.
• So that leaves the blog . . .

The tag-line for APK’s Attic is: Christ, Culture, Vision, and Design. If there’s a tag line, it ought to describe the focus of the blog.

I feel like the blog turned into a bunch of random personal anecdotes that may be more suited for Facebook, or should be thought through more thoroughly before being posted. Therefore, future blog posts will focus on one or more of the 4 elements in the tag-line. Personal anecdotes will be included, but they will hopefully relate to the main blog focus.

I also feel I need to blog more regularly to keep my brain in gear and my thoughts fresh . . . but we’ll have to see how that goes . . .

At the same time, I strongly encourage my readers to respond to my posts so we can hold a conversation together and make this blog worth-while.

Happy New Year!