How to be heard as a Part 1

When you’re at the beginning of your career, having just completed your first few years of study, there are naturally lots of questions but tons of ideas and excitement about starting to work on live projects. Often it can be difficult to get your voice heard and share your ideas but Rachel Hoolahan, Architect & Sustainability Co-ordinator at Orms and judge of AJ Student Prize, has highlighted three things to raise your profile…

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions - If you feel intimidated asking questions within meetings, speak to the project architect after the session. This allows you to ask your questions one-on-one and may give you more time for discussion. You can also ask questions to the Practice Manager or HR. Make sure you figure out the support network in the practice, how you can utilise it and identify the people who are approachable.

2. Speak up for yourself - Speak up for yourself and be aware of your knowledge and experience. It’s also important to be aware of the experience of others and take this into consideration in the way that you phrase questions. Think about how to raise your points/questions in a positive way, be sure to enquire and not question why decisions have been made. So many factors will have been considered to progress the project and what you’re really trying to do is understand why some ideas have been discounted.

3. Ask for feedback - Another great tip is to run external comms, such as draft emails that you are sending, passed your practice mentor to get their input and accelerate your learning and experience. It’s a really quick way for you to get comments and feedback and will quickly help to build your confidence.