1. Women in Architecture
January 28, 2015
Self-Marketing Super Highway
Placement By Design’s Placement Consultants share with you
strategies to market yourself
to get the promotions, salary increases, and opportunities
that you seek for a successful and fulfilling career.
by
Placement By Design, Inc.
Placement Consultants
Carole Steadham, SDA/C, Hon. AIA, Principal
bcarole@placement-by-design.com
Amy Rogers, CCC-SLP, Principal
arogers@placement-by-design.com

2. .
Year-at-a-Glance: Month-by-Month Guide
January
Map Out Your Personal
Strategic Plan
 Set Career Goals: short and
long term, achievable from
1 to 5 years, ie licensure,
certifications, etc.
 Create a check list for ST&
LT goals.
 Create a check list for each
accomplishment you
achieve in your firm.
 Select a good mentor.
Review your short term goals
every 3 months.
February
Research:
Knowledge is Power
 Take an inventory of your
present firm: do they have
succession plan, offer
educational opportunities,
support licensure, mentor
program? Look for ways
you can contribute.
 Keep abreast of industry
trends: magazines, articles,
studying other professional
organization’s web-sites.
 Invest in AIA
Compensation Report,
which includes ranges,
roles and detailed job
descriptions.
March
Design Your Best Route
for Professional
Involvement
 Join organizations that
would benefit your career
and your firm’s growth.
 Get involved and volunteer.
 Market yourself by sharing
your expertise and become
active on committees: AIA,
IIDA, SMPS, TEXO,
USGBC, SDA, etc.
 Networking = Business
Development.
April
Invest in Yourself—Is
There a Detour in Your
Plan?
 Continue your education to
help you grow into
leadership and add new
skills: MBA, Project
Management Certification,
other disciplines: landscape,
interiors, construction,
engineering, marketing/
business development,
graphics.
Review your short term goals.
May
Upgrade Your
Technical Knowledge
 Research industry software
trends, and stay ahead of
the curve.
 Enroll in technology or
software classes.
 Become a leader for new
technology.
 Teach technology classes.
June
Discover and Enhance
Your Personal Skills
 Discover and Develop your
unique talents and strengths
- Read “Now, Discover
Your Strengths” by Marcus
Buckingham and take
Strengths finder profile
using access code from
book.
 Take a Communication
Style Inventory on yourself.
 Get out of your comfort
zone—invest in a Toast
Masters Course—great for
presentations and business
development.

3. July
Become a Valuable
Asset To Your Firm:
 Visualize yourself as a
Leader at your firm!
 Take initiative to assume
leadership roles for
committees – review firm
inventory from February.
 Become a champion for
“Lessons Learned” on
projects - saving firm lost
revenue = more bonus
opportunity.
Review short term goals.
August
Diversify Your Roles
and Project Types:
 Take initiative to ask for
other responsibilities.
 Spend time with other
industry colleagues
learning how their firm
functions successfully.
 Be proactive and share
some new ideas for success
with your firm.
September
Prepare for Your
Annual Review:
 Review the
Accomplishment File you
started in January.
 Consolidate all project
related, leadership
responsibilities, and
volunteer activities, and
other into “Success Stories.”
 Carry copies into your
annual review.
October
Refresh Your Resume
and Project List
 Keep an ongoing resume
and project list in your
personal file for future
reference.
 Make sure your resume,
project list, and portfolio
are up-to-date.
 Invest in Career Consulting
for resume formatting.
Refocus on short term and
Long term goals.
November
Develop Plans
 Develop a plan to improve
on areas of weakness
identified in your review.
 Develop a Plan B, in the
event your Plan A is
derailed by economy
change, layoff, personal
changes, goals not being
met.
 Determine Plan B: change
firms? Relocation? Add
additional skills?
Moonlighting? side
business?
December
Take Home Your Bonus
 Reflect on accomplishments
and challenges of past year
– use these to update your
goals and plan.
 Become a good mentor, and
give back.
 Take some time for yourself
to refresh before the New
Year.
 Show appreciation to your
mentors and firm!
Review your long term goals.
Resources:
“Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D – Unique access code
found in new book to allow you to take the Clifton Strength’s Finder Profile – www.strengthsfinder.com
Orange Coast College’s “Communications Style Inventory”
“occonline.occ.cccd.edu/online/klee/CommunicationsStyleInventory.pdf
“Leadership is an Art” by Max DePree
AIA Compensation Survey www.aia.org
Toast Masters – www.dallastoastmasters.com