7 minute read
Career path stories: Navigating a large firm
Career path stories:
Navigating a large firm
Carrie Parker, AIA, LEED AP BD+C Parker is an associate vice president at CannonDesign’s D.C. office, filling the roles of student life/student union subject-matter expert, client leader, and project manager. She is serving as the young architect representative for Virginia and as an architect-representative on the AIA Manufacturers Council. She is also a co-chair for the Buildings and Urban Design Solutions group with the Washington Board of Trade’s Connected DMV initiative. She was awarded an Emerging Professional Award from AIA Virginia in 2020.
We know that everyone’s career path is different, and some are even non-traditional. Members of the YAF Strategic Vision Group, are offering our insights into how we got to where we are, paired with contributing authors. The contributing YAF members of this career path series are Malcolm Watkins and Carrie Parker.
Malcolm Watkins (MW): Tell me a little about yourself.
Carrie Parker (CP): If you ask my parents, they knew I was always going to be an architect. As an only child of an engineer and interior designer, I can think like each of them. I was one of those children who loved building with anything I could: Legos, Lincoln Logs, sticks and rocks. When I started thinking about careers, I wanted something that would leverage my talents in math, science, and art. I didn’t know it at the time, but it has also been important for me to have an opportunity to serve others and my community through my profession. I started considering architecture as my calling in the ninth grade and had my first internship at HKS Inc. in Dallas the summer after 11th grade.
While at this internship, a principal recommended I apply to Oklahoma State University. Though initially skeptical, I fell in love with the campus community the minute I visited. I had also done considerable research and wanted a five-year B.Arch degree within a day’s drive of home that would give me the flexibility to get my architectural license and freedom to get advanced degrees in something else should I desire.
When I graduated, I moved to Washington, D.C. Again, I leveraged the alumni network and found the firm I have been working at for almost 10 years; navigating a large firm has become my career path.
MW: Did you always want to do what you are doing now?
CP: When I was a new graduate, I knew I wanted to work at a firm that supported my professional and licensure goals; that usually means a larger firm who has the resources to invest in their people. But I’ve always been a little risk-averse and didn’t want the liability and financial risk of starting my own firm. I have always preferred the path of working my way up in an already established firm that is diversified and positioned to weather economic downturns that frequently plague this profession.
MW: How did you get to where you are now?
CP: I am now an associate vice president at CannonDesign in the Washington, D.C., office. When I started, I was the office renderer, educating my colleagues in a design process informed by renderings, as opposed to only including them as a final deliverable. I was open with my bosses and told them of my goals to become licensed as soon as possible. When the time was right, I was added to project teams that provided the experience I needed to fulfill my AXP. The projects I was part of and managed continued to scale up, all the while asking for more responsibility, asking the tough questions, and in some cases asking for forgiveness and not permission.
Throughout my tenure, I have been the person wearing many hats for office functions, the first to volunteer to organize events and pursue engagement opportunities with the profession at large. This has led to a unique and varied network, each with their own opportunities to improve my skills and visibility.
It was purely by accident that I became a subject-matter expert in student life and student unions. The projects I worked on during my initial growth fell into this category. Now I am all-in as a recognized expert in the field, creating content and articles, participating in client conferences, and collaborating on project pursuits across the firm. I believe my tenure has helped shape me in this role; by having so much of my portfolio
— Carrie Parker, AIA
Above Groundbreaking ceremony at the University of South Florida’s Student Wellness Center
reflective of my current firm, it positioned us more strongly to win more similar projects.
I can’t stress this enough — the reason I have stayed so long at the same firm is because I have had great bosses who have recognized my potential and given me opportunities to fail and succeed. My firm and office culture is collaborative, supportive, and values mentorship at all levels. Because I have been here so long, I have forged lasting relationships with people who want the best for me and for the firm. Knowing that I am a future leader and firm owner has led to investing in my growth. The best bosses and firms know that their employees are the future.
MW: What have been some challenges and failures you have faced?
CP: I spent my whole academic career overworked and overcommitted. But I emerged with a strong portfolio, lengthy résumé, and high GPA. So I became very task-oriented in my vision of what success looked like because everything had a deadline (end of semester, graduation). Since working, and especially since becoming licensed, I have had to completely change my frame of mind because now the schedule is on my terms and how I want to live my life. Learning to say no, understanding where I place value in how I spend my time, and defining what “success” looks like to me are still challenges I am learning to navigate.
MW: What advice do you have for others who may be interested in following the same path?
CP: SAY YES to any opportunity that will let you learn a new skill, increase the size of your network, or make yourself a more indispensable employee. What took me a long time to learn is that IT IS ALSO OKAY TO SAY NO when there may be a negative impact on your time or mental health.
BE PATIENT. I don’t mean this like “wait your turn.” I mean it more in terms of knowing how your firm/office pursues and performs work and working within those constraints. It can take YEARS to turn over projects, whereas college projects do not last more than a few months. You may need to re-frame your perspective, goals, and timeline. But when those opportunities arise, do not be afraid to …
BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE. Be the squeaky wheel. Be a self-promoter. If you don’t, no one else will. You need to do this first and communicate your goals with your bosses/team so that when opportunities arise and you are not at the table, someone is in your corner to say, “I think that person would be good for that role/task.” Just be sure to have a good attitude and BE HUMBLE when asking — you may turn advocates against you if you only complain.
SOMETIMES THE GRASS ISN’T GREENER. Sometimes the impact on your career in forging lasting relationships and investing in the evolution of a firm you want to have ownership in is better than bouncing between firms every few years. You’ll have to balance the pros and cons of staying vs. pursuing new opportunities.
TRUST YOUR GUT. If it’s not the right fit, if the culture is not supportive, if you are not comfortable … or many other reasons: Leave. Your company needs to work for you as much as you work for them. Don’t be afraid to make a change, or at the very least have a tough conversation.
Above Meeting with the AIA Manufacturer’s Council
MW: What is next for you?
CP: I am looking forward to continuing my personal and professional growth. There is a reason it is called the “practice” of architecture — it takes work, and I am forever learning, advancing, failing, and succeeding. My priorities may change with my life stage, but I will always be an architect drawn to serve others.
Malcolm Watkins, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
Watkins is a vice president with SJCF Architecture in Wichita, Kan. He serves on the management team with an emphasis on design technology, quality control, and recruitment. He is also the young architect representative for the central states.
