55 work in one of the bigger offices around these days so I’m not constantly trying to win my next project on my own. But at the same time, given the size of most of our projects it’s a leap suddenly to expect to be given the lead on a full 18-hole project with minimal experience. I just need to keep pestering Jeremy [Slessor, EGD’s managing director] and prove my ability with any small opportunities I get and I’m sure they’ll start to fall on my desk eventually! AH: It’s a slow game. You have to be very patient and not get despondent when you miss out on work. Learning from the jobs you don’t win, and asking for feedback regularly has been useful for us in Canada. As a newcomer to the industry, how did you go about building your network? RJ: Slowly and over time. I tend to let the networking happen organically rather than planned or forced. It’s a small profession which is helpful, and golf has a special way of bringing likeminded people together anyway. JD: Persistence, persistence, persistence. There are roles to play in every firm, and sometimes there isn’t always an inherent opportunity to get in front of people and interact to create those relationships that are so important for finding work. So, for example, if you are just starting out in a firm and want to be more than a draftsman or ‘office employee’, you need to ask for opportunities and prove that it benefits the business. It can be tricky because the firm’s needs must come first, and you may find much of your time being spent on deliverables. For me, taking the initiative to be inserted into situations where I could meet people and form relationships was vital. Attending trade shows, participating in a panel discussion, giving presentations, writing articles and using your voice to gain exposure are just a few ways to accomplish this. AM: My network started with having one contact in the industry. My fellow student Anton Ortner (Olazabal Design) got me my first CAD monkey job. Over the years, I met and got introduced to a wider circle, but the game changer was when I pulled all my courage together and reached out to the people I was inspired by. Now I understand that the golf industry is one big family and you will meet most of them over time. It will come naturally once you are in it. TK: It started off with lots of letter writing and thankfully there were a few kind people who responded with advice and even offered some work experience early on. After some seasonal greenkeeping work which came out of one of those work experience visits, I was then lucky enough to work for MJ Abbott for six years who work with a wide range of architects and consultants from across the industry, which was a fantastic experience, providing plenty A good architect will require a broad knowledge base and understanding of disciplines like agronomy, drainage and irrigation, says Tom Kelly, much of which will require some ‘classroom’ training Photo: Jeremy Slessor
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