Diary of a DAAP Kid: "So, What are You Doing After Graduation?"




That is the number 1 question I get when talking to friends, family and acquaintances anymore. It's a valid question and good conversation starter. Right now my answer is a cheery smile, a small laugh and... "well, I've gotta graduate first!" I may be laughing it off, but as the time ticks ever closer - and my bank account drops lower and lower - finding a job after graduation is on my mind.

Please indulge me in a small rant. As we are all well aware, the job market sucks right now. It has for the last two years. When I started college, recent graduates were turning DOWN job offers. As of now, only 2 of the 40 people in my class currently have full time jobs post graduation. That is 1/20th of my class - the soon to be graduates of one the one of the best programs in the country.

DesignIntelligence consistently ranks UC's program high because of the co-op program, which gives students paid professional experience working in the field, and helps to build resumes and occasionally turns into full time positions down the road.  We're all graduating with 18 months of paid professional experience under our belts. In five years, I've worked at three well known and well respected architecture firms in the Cincinnati area. I've done free lance consulting and design work. I started the student chapter of IIDA at UC. I'm a writer. I volunteer. On top of all that, I've got the knowledge and skill set using cutting edge technology for my trade, and I'm good at it. I'm creative and passionate, and I am itching to use my experience and talents at a place that will help me to grow, where I can do amazing things.

Under normal circumstances, these qualifications would surely get my foot in the door somewhere. The one thing my classmates and I don't have right now is multiple years of experience. And unfortunately, with so many professionals in the architecture world being laid off, experience is the key that is opening doors. Nearly all the open positions I've researched are asking for registered designers with 5-8 years of experience or more. Employers know these people are out there, and they can afford to be picky.

This puts my class in a quandary. We can't get a job without experience, but we can't get experience without a job. It's a frustrating circle. These people who have been laid off, at least they have unemployment to fall back on. I am graduating with nothing but the promise of student loans coming due. Not only that, but there are professionals being laid off who don't want gaps in their resume, so they are applying for (and getting) unpaid internships. This sets a terrible example for firms, who then get the impression they can "hire" workers, have them do the same amount of work as a full time employee, and reap the benefits for free.

Everyone says that Gen Y suffers from a sense of entitlement, that we feel we don't have to work for what we're given, and that we don't know how to handle rejection. From March 2009 to September 2009, I applied to nearly 70 firms in the hopes of landing a co-op job for the summer and fall in locations all over the country. I got two interviews and one job.

My fall co-op experience was me doing part free-lance graphic design work and interior consulting, part contract work for a construction firm, and part designing for / managing a condo project in downtown Cincinnati. All of these opportunities I obtained through my personal network, not through the school's co-op program. Rejection and I are on a first name basis, and I'm prepared to face even more of it as I continue my search. This isn't a bad thing, and has made me more resilient and forced me to look way outside the box in terms of gaining experience and making money.

My graduating class has worked unbelievably hard to get where we are right now, and it's going to pay off eventually. I'm confident we're going to do amazing things, and just have to get through this rough time.

So, what AM I doing after graduation? The lease on my house isn't up til September, so hopefully I can get it figured out by then! I will be applying for a part time job in the area and continuing to free lance during the summer while I apply to jobs and continue making connections with potential employers. Every day and every person I meet and connect with is another new opportunity. So, if you hear of anything... please, send it my way!

Walking... er... Biking... the Walk

I've been preaching the good news of safe and responsible bike riding for quite a while now, but in my heart of hearts I have felt I've been living a lie. How could I possibly rail about idiots riding the wrong way down the sidewalk when I didn't even own my own bike?!

But now... redemption. I purchased my own little bike last week from a lovely gal on Twitter, and now I am proud to say that Laverne is my very own. I know it's kind of late in the game, but hopefully wherever I end up, Laverne will be my new companion and help me explore my city in an energy burning kind of way.


So, I'll see YOU on the road (riding the right way on the road wearing a helmet, of course!)

Diary of a DAAP Kid: The Importance of Portfolio

For most soon to be graduates, having a finely crafted Microsoft Word formatted resume crammed full with campus leadership positions and summer internship experience will be enough to land them in their desired post-college position.

Not so with the dedicated DAAP-er. Because the work we do is visual in nature, it is necessary to have a compiled selection of past school and paid work that is graphically pleasing. For those out of the loop, this is called a portfolio, and can be the bane of many student's existence. Now not only do the cover letters and resumes need to stand out, but the very way one's portfolio is arranged speaks volumes about one's design sensibilities, and yes... they will be judged.

I have successfully constructed a digital portfolio that is printed out into a booklet I can bring to interviews and discuss with potential employers, but it is also necessary to leave an impression upon meeting new design colleagues. I have been directing people to this blog, and today I am proud to say that it will be easy to access my online work as well as my writing and various outlets!!

Please, check it out and let me know what you think. I will eventually be adding my senior project work... as soon as it is complete!!

Hell Week, part 1

So my "final" design is due on Wednesday. It doesn't have to be finished yet, just has to be on the way. I wanted to let you know I'm still alive.


Here's a pie.


32 days!

Late Night Rambles

It is late. I am overbooked with things to do. I'm taking two midterms in the next two days, neither of which I've studied adequately for. I'm incredibly behind in studio..

This is mostly because I redid my design. AGAIN. We're talking the sixth or seventh complete and utter redesign over the span of 14 weeks or so. But... I'm really happy with it. It's actually working out this time.

Remember how before I had random meaningless shapes as cutouts in my nook? Cool concept, boring execution. It needed meaning.

Enter meaning:

It's an anagram poem by the lovely and OTR-centered VisualLingual. So now my random shapes are lettters, that harken back to the neighborhood the library is centered in...

Just a screenshot of my Sketchup model, but you can get the idea, right? You won't actually experience the space like this, but it's cool to look at overall.

Yes.

Okay. Back to work!

Diary of a DAAP Kid: Am I a Young Professional?

With the thought of Real Life and the Real World looming so quickly over my head, I have continued to deepen my social networking roots as I test the waters of Cincinnati's potential hiring ground for June 2010. For me, this goes beyond brushing up my LinkedIn profile.

Over the last year I've been priviledged to gain access to the incredible network of bloggers and Twitter folk in the greater Cincinnati area, and across the country. Forging these connections has led me to great opportunites - I've gotten freelance work, office furniture, heck, today I even learned a little bit about the house I currently live in!

A lot of people my age do not understand or appreciate the value of social networking in a professional context. In fact, I get mocked regularly (in a loving way of course) by my friends who just don't get Twitter. It's okay guys. I love you too, and so do the aliens that live in my phone and tell me where the best places to eat in Lexington are.



The point is, all my tweeting has finally paid off! This Thursday I get to be a part of HYPE Cincinnati's social media team for their big Bold Fusion 2010 event.


It's a conference-style event for Young Professionals, by Young Professionals, designed to get us thinking in different ways about our life, professional and personal. So then the first obvious question is... am I (a college student getting ready to graduate) a Young Professional? Wikipedia says it generally refers to a young person not in school who is employed in a profession or white-collar occupation. Well, crap.

I'm still in school... barely. But in reality, between working 6 jobs over the last 5 years in my field of study as a paid professional intern, I've got more experience than many recent graduates who have started their first "real" job. So, yes. Pretty sure I've got the whole YP thing covered.... except for maybe the whole power suit thing. Obviously I don't have it all figured out yet, and I'm really excited for Bold Fusion to help show me the way and connect me with awesome people!

If you haven't registered yet, and you want to... you totally should! It's only $35 for college students!! You can register online now or by calling (513) 579-3111.

If you're coming to Bold Fusion on Thursday, or if you're not and want to follow along, be sure and use the hashtag #cincyhype and follow along with my thoughts and ramblings during the course of the afternoon. AND please come find me and say hi!!

Diary of a DAAP Kid: 50 DAYS! (+ photo project 1)

The title says it all.

I. Am. Graduating. In. Fifty. Days.

Holy cow. One of my classmates got a job offer at a firm in Chicago. She's the first one to go, and it's very exciting stuff. The challenge right now is to balance and focus on my school work, enjoy the time with my friends while I can, and top it all off with some job hunting. So far so good.

My studio project has evolved yet again! I'm really excited. I'll fill you in with a post on Monday, when it's a little more developed.

In the meantime, my first assignment in my Intro to Photography class was due yesterday. We were to focus on landscapes. These are the two I had printed at a large scale.


Spring Grove Cemetery


 Under the Bridge at Sawyer Point

I Just Gotta Be Me...

The journey that has been this whole "recycledbin" thing has been a great experience. However, I am more than 300 plastic bags melted together. My design ideas are a part of me, but I have let them completely define my identity.

With graduation soon approaching, it's time to take control of my online destiny... so, I've got to make some changes.

I yam what I yam..

My goal is to roll out a new website that will be a venue for my writings about sustainability, Cincinnati, and design, as well as a venue to showcase my design work and experience. I don't have a handle on this yet, but look forward to it soon.

For now, the big thing that has changed is my Twitter handle. I've given up the recycledbin moniker in favor of my real name. Alex Shebar recently posted some great thoughts on hiding behind crazy names on the internet, and it really got me thinking.

So, don't freak out - it's still me! Just... me.

The Lorax Gives Yet Another Update.

Faithful readers may remember that I live directly across from an empty lot straddling Calhoun and McMillan Streets in Clifton Heights. Last year people got the bright idea to park in the grass, ruining a potential green space for those of us without yards. It was a pretty lame situation, and I got a little fussy over the whole ordeal.

Well, almost a year later, the property owners have finally got the situation under control. They installed a permanent chain link fence around the existing gravel parking lot, which is quite an upgrade from caution tape and post and chains that were easily torn down by asshole Jeep drivers.

Before:



After:


And yesterday, I saw people hanging out under the single tree in the grass lot!! This is great news. If more people start using it as green space, there is potential for the developers to maybe someday use it as a park space.



This is your eternal optimist, signing off.

Compost Update

It has now been over a year since I have been composting at my home in Clifton!! You may remember how excited I was to embark upon my smelly little journey of fermenting my food scraps.

My happy little bin, one year ago:
 
brand spankin' new!

Today:

well used and well loved!

I am extremely proud to report that I actually have something to show for all my hard work: crumbly black (only slightly smelly) composted food soil!! It needs to be mixed in with some regular dirt, but considering my house is all gravel and broken glass, it will have to come from another source. Back in the fall a friend helped me with some fill dirt and dry leaves, which definitely helped.

 isn't it beeeeautiful?!?!

The 5chw4r7z's have already laid claim to some of the dirt. I'm hoping to donate the rest to a community garden, or maybe YOUR backyard! Do ya want it? Let me know!!


*PS*

I just realized that I've now been doodling around in this thing for over a year! It's been an insanely awesome year. Thanks for coming along for the craziness. I'm hoping to transition to a big girl website before graduation. I hope you all follow me there!

Women Need To Ask: Salary Negotiation

This past Thursday evening I attended a seminar sponsored by the UC Women's Center entitled "$tart $mart." It is a workshop teaching college age women about the need to benchmark and negotiating a starting salary. I have taken 20 weeks worth of classes on Professional Practice, and I learned more in Thursday's 3 hour session than I did during both of those classes. This information is too important NOT to share. So, here you have it:

(image link)
Start Smart originated by the group Women Are Getting Even (WAGE) and the AAUW. Their aim is to educate others about wage discrimination in the United States, (yes it still happens) and inform and empower women to stand up for the compensation we deserve.

Women make, on average, .77 to every $1 an equally qualified man makes in the workplace. That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. Over a life time, a working woman will potentially make 1.2 MILLION dollars less than her male counterpart.

One. Point. Two. Million. Dollars. What the HELL??

If a man and woman start on the same career track in the same position, but the man negotiates to get a bigger salary, he will consistently make more across the board. His bonus will be bigger, pension will be bigger, and every raise will catapult his salary higher and higher. Add in deeply rooted stereotypes (albeit sometimes unintentional) and lower expectations on the woman's part ( "I don't need as much", "I'm not as well qualified", "I want to be liked so I won't make a fuss") and you have a formula that is unfair and needs to be changed.

It starts with the first salary after graduation. Oh hey, I'm graduating in June... so this is pretty flipping relevant to me.


The way to get what you deserve in the workplace is to know what you deserve to be making in the workplace. Wageproject.org is a website that catalogs salary and benefits for practically every job in the US, and lists high, low, and average salaries in a particular location. So for a beginning interior design position in Cincinnati, the average salary is about $38,000. This is good info to know, especially since in the workshop we calculated a basic budget coming out to approximately $32,000 a year. Eep!

When you know what the median salary for your potential position is, set that as your benchmark salary goal for the position. If you're qualified for the job, you deserve the money! Do not let the economy scare you into settling for a salary. It will hurt you in the long run.

It's also important to know about and negotiate your benefits. Sometimes a lower pay will be worth it if the benefits (health, life, disability insurance, 401K contibutions, paid time off, vacations) are good. But if you don't know, you can't negotiate!

After you benchmark your target salary, you know what you are worth in the marketplace. Be prepared to justify the reasons behind the salary you want. Employers admire someone who has a clear understanding of their worth and how to explain it.

We also learned how to negotiate a salary, with tips and tricks, do's and don'ts.

* If you are filling out a job application, do NOT fill in a desired salary if it is requested. Put something like "negotiable." If it's online and you can't proceed until filling it out, then put 2% above your midpoint salary. But only if you absolutely have to.

* You can only start negotiating your salary AFTER you have a job offer. Not a peep about it before they want you to work for them. After they've offered you the job, they are invested in you and will be willing to discuss your needs.

* It's all about your tone. Be positive - you're starting a professional relationship with this person, no need to get defensive. It's a conversation. Don't be emotional. Be persuasive - put all the research you've done to use and let them know why you deserve to be paid what you deserve to be paid. But also be flexible - Know what you want (your target), but know what you need (the absolute minimum you've decided you need to live on). Listen to your employer's needs and brainstorm ways to meet their needs and your goals.

* Tactics: Let them offer a number first. Don't be the first to offer. Aim high, but be realistic. If you've got the skills, you deserve the money, honey. Tell them why!! Do your homework on the company and organization, so you know how you can fufill your employer's needs from Day 1.

* Tips: Sell yourself! - Don't assume they've read your resume, so be prepared to go through it and highlight specifics. Anticipate any objections they may throw your way. Be prepared to listen, and respond with how you can help them. And seriously... don't get personal.

An employer is looking for an assessment of your ability to get their job done and how you fit within their organization. They don't need or want a sob story of how badly you need the job.

If you get an offer, don't accept it right away. Don't be afraid to have a discussion. If they refuse to budge on the money you need, be prepared to walk. It wasn't the right choice anyway. Be sure to ask hard questions.


The bottom line: If you don't ask, you won't get it. You are not a bitch for asking for the money you deserve. Be knowledgeable. Be honest. Be professional. You'll come out ahead.

The UC Women's Center is an amazing resource, and they are super helpful if you have any questions or want any more information on this and other women's issues. You can go to their website or check them out on campus at 571 Steger (right next to Subway.)

Plastic Bag Love: Josh Blackwell

Major hat tip to the fabulous site Design Sponge who shared this great artist with her readers this morning. Josh Blackwell is an artist who celebrates the disposable by embellishing the lowly *my favorite* plastic bag.

He's been educated on both coasts and boasts a healthy resume of gallery shows, fellowships, and written work. I love how he's created beauty from something we consider ugly and easy to throw away.


My favorite thing is his studio. I can really relate.


Paper and Plastic
A Manifesto for Casual Use
Carelessness with carefulness
Soft-build not athletic
Vintage and future
Casual and formal
Mountains not beaches
Volume after flatness
Grace Jones and Leigh Bowery
Ballets before musicals
Demy and Tati
Trousers or sweaters
Oxford Bags and Nantucket Reds
Sandals instead of shoes
Booking versus tooling
Imi Knoebel and Donald Judd
Paper and plastic
- Josh Blackwell

all images copyright Josh Blackwell

Spring Quarter: Let's do this Thing!

After the small hiatus that was Spring Break, I'm back with a bang. It's the third day of classes, and so far, so good. I'm down to 15 credit hours (a first for me... seriously) and the official countdown to graduation has begun (73 days.)

Yay Spring Quarter!! 73 Days til graduation!

Now is the final push. Now is my last quarter to truly do my best work. Now is my last quarter to sleep in, stay up late, take chances, and live my life out to the fullest. Many people have jokingly warned me that this is it, and I'll miss college after it's gone. They are probably right. Part of me is eager to move forward, but I know it's important to live in the moment and fully enjoy every second I'm here.

I'm taking Yoga for Stress Management (yes, a real class!) on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and it's one of the better decisions I've made this year. The first day of class our homework was to think about and decide upon an Intention for the quarter. My instructor explained that an Intention is sort of like a goal, but with more purpose (thus the Capital Letter.) I've put some thought into my Intention, and decided that the thing I need to focus on this quarter - especially in but not just in my yoga class - is to simply Be Me. Be Jenny. It's a concept expanded upon by Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project, and in a nutshell, it's accepting and realizing exactly who I am, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.

I'm kind of a nut. I get excited easily, and sometimes I speak up when I should shut up. It's who I am. I can work on it, but at the same time, I have to accept the flaws and reality that is me and stop projecting others' desires upon myself. I'll let you know how it works out.

***

One last thing - Today my professors have organized a Career Day of sorts for all the senior interior design students. Professionals from Cincy, Chicago, Louisville, Columbus and Indianapolis are coming in to critique our work and presumably suss out the graduating class of 2010 for future job opportunities. Jeff Reuschel, Global Design Director of Haworth is giving a lecture at 5 pm, and there is a reception after the lecture for friends and family to come check out the student work from 6-8.

I'd really love if you could come to the DAAPWorks at the beginning of June, but if you want to see my stuff in real life, you're welcome to stop by. Just wander into DAAP and ask someone to point you towards the Grand Stair.

If you can't make it, no big deal. Look at this - it's another perspective of my space I whipped up last night. My professors wanted to see what my library space looks like outside of the Nook. Pretty snazzy.

Final Quarter Work!

So, exactly a week later, I am showing you my final quarter's work. There's still more to be done with it. This is more like a big midterm. I'm happy with what I've come up with, but I still want to push further.


And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Diary of a DAAP Kid: School / Life balance?

Is there even such a thing? My first four years of DAAP involved way too many late nights, tears, and frustrated outcries. I turned down a lot of social events, conversations, and potential memories to focus on my school work. I wonder now if it was worth it.

Because I officially now only have 98 days until graduation, it's important to me to make every moment count. I'm a lot more involved with my friends and my city now, and there are many options available to me for various entertaining ways to spend my evenings and weekends.

My mom told me that I have an option: I can spend 80% of my time getting 20% of my work done (by distracting myself along the way, or I can spend 20% of my time getting 80% done, by focusing like a boss and Taking Care of Business. Due to my generational lack of focus I feel like it's more 30/70, but I like the idea and am looking forward to implementing it (ya know, after this blog post.)

So far this quarter I've done a great job with not turning down opportunities to make great memories. I've gone dancing, imbibed great beer, played broomball, taken yoga, eaten great food, and more. Up until this week it's been a good balance, and I've gotten my work done to a degree that satisfies me.

Now it is Project Week... the week before Finals week, in which the studio classes in DAAP require the final work in the class to be completed. Basically, I have two final weeks. This week for studio, next week for the rest of my elective classes.

I am presenting my final work this coming Wednesday (are you excited? I am!), and I have a ton of work to do before now and then. So this weekend (the best weather of the year so far) I am entombing myself within Eisenman's four many faceted walls and not coming out until I have a product I'm satisfied with. It sucks, but hey... graduating is important to me.

I got to participate in the Bockfest parade yesterday, which fulfilled my need to be social and not feel like I was completely missing out on the weekend's festivities.

Okay. Here we gooooooo!!
 
yaaay Bockfest!!

yeah, yeah, Shepard Fairey

I'm in art school. It's practically required for me to take awkward self portraits in front of art.


He's a plagiarizing jerk. He's a bonafide genius. The point is, he came to Cincinnati and made it that much more awesome. Not only did he improve some already beautiful buildings, but he got the city excited and proud. That's an artist I can stand behind.

I went on an adventure to find all the buildings that Shepard Fairey pasted his propaganda. I love the closeup shots that people have been posting, but it's just as or more interesting to see the artwork in its context.

Check it out!





My favorite aspect about the whole trip were a series of white helium balloons that actually tied in with a different show at the CAC by Shilpa Gupta. They were tied flying close by several of the Fairey pieces. Beautiful, with a message I can really stand behind.

Midterms!

I'm halfway through winter quarter. Instead of exams, students in my program put together a series of drawings to illustrate their design. It's definitely a halfway point, and I have a long way to go in my thoughts and ideas. I thought you might like to see what I've come up with so far.

The amorphous shapes in the middle of each floor represent the "nook" spaces developed for different groups of people. I think they're going to change, probably a lot.

Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for improving my work!



Daddy's Girl



It's a crazy busy day in a crazy busy set of days as I rush around preparing for my midterm presentation. College "midterms" usually include several tests and some papers for most students, but in design it's different. I present my entire set of ideas surrounding my senior project to a panel of critiquers, who then grill me for an hour, giving feedback on what I've done so far. To put it mildly, there's a lot of work and not much sleep ahead for me this weekend, but I'm excited about my ideas and take comfort in the fact that if I take my time, I will turn out an excellent project.

But anyway... today is the 11th anniversary of my father's death. He died of liver cancer on Feburary 5th, 1999, after living far longer than any doctor expected him to. He fought incredibly hard in order to be with my sister and I for as long as possible, and I'm grateful for that.

Eleven years is a long time. Yes, I am sad, but mostly I work hard to remember, good and bad, the man was Darrel Kessler. It's kind of awesome that I end up in design. He initially started a college career in architecture at Ball State University, but dropped out after a year because it wasn't exactly his bag. He went on to become an EMT, meet my mom, and eventually go to chiropractic college.

He worked incredibly hard and was a fierce learner. Even after he graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic, he still returned to St. Louis on weekends to complete continuing education credits in order to stay on top of the field. He was also really into technology, and I know that if he was around today, his mind would be totally blown from all the advances we've made (and he would be on every social network known to man!)

Keeping this in mind, I know I am a Daddy's girl. I'm finishing what he started with the whole architecture thing (and my sister, ironically enough, is attending Ball State!) I know he would be proud of me with the things I've accomplished thus far, and excited and okay with the choices I've made in my life. I keep the spirit of my dad in mind, especially today of all days.

So don't be super sad for me. It's been a hard thing to go through, but I'm stronger, my family is stronger, and I know he would be cheering me on 100%. (and if you're looking for a tearjerker, check my post from last year. Don't say I didn't warn you...)

Diary of a DAAP Kid: money in the bank, bank.

money well spent.


So I'm kind of in between jobs right now. A few things here, a few things there, but I'm in school, not a working full time co-op job with full time pay. On top of that, school's expensive. And time consuming. Most college students spend their money right off the bat in the beginning of the quarter purchasing textbooks. Not only do I purchase textbooks for my elective classes (Hellooo "Sustainable Urban Development Reader, 2nd edition") but I also have to purchase art supplies and cover the cost of printing ($12 a linear foot for plots, anyone!?) periodically during the quarter. These costs are less predictable and can easily skyrocket, depending on my project and how many supplies I have to start with. Basically, being a design student in DAAP is expensive!

I'm okay with spending money that I need to, but my supply is dwindling. I've taken a look at the books, and I've really got to be careful about what I'm spending my money on, or get a more consistently paying job (with super flexible hours, that I don't have to spend too much time with... yeah...) I've picked the latter, and am attempting to curtail my weekend spending.

This weekend I gave myself a limit of $20. Seems like no big deal, but it goes quickly!! I basically blew my cash all on Friday night - and that was okay. Let's get the breakdown.

Wine tasting with studio gals at Ludlow Beer and Wine: $5
Cafe de Wheels chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries: $8.50
Crappy overly hoppy beer at Grammar's + tip: $5

so in less than 6 hours, I had spent $18.50 out of $20.00. Don't get me wrong, it was amazing (as was the Final Friday gallery walk with free food and beer that went with it!!!) However, it stifled the rest of my weekend. So Saturday night I stayed in with my roomies and made a delicious meal with ingredients I already had on hand. Free movie, free meal. A pretty great Saturday.



I'm thrifty and tenacious, so I don't imagine I'll have a hard time staying within whatever budget I set for myself. The point is being more thoughtful with my credit cards so that I don't blow through money... so, if I have food at home, I need to eat it and make it, not get take out. Thinking before purchasing. It's a good goal.