COVID-19 is taking over discussions around the world. Sporting events cancelled. Television and movies stopped production. Restaurants and Bars are closed for service. Everyone is encouraged to practice social distancing. Most of the country is working from home and trying to stay healthy. Construction, for now, is still pushing forward. There is some positive light in terms of mentoring that the self quarantining and working from home life has brought to our industry.
It’s Time to Reach Out!
In person meetings and travel plans are being cancelled left and right. More senior professionals’ schedules are opening up due to these cancellations. It is a great time for you as a young professional to reach out to them to have coffee or lunch. This time it’s going to be virtually! Set up a virtual coffee date to talk! (Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, whatever your preference.) If you can, use a conferencing platform such as Webex, Zoom, or GoToMeeting to have a virtual conference with your video ON! It’s the next best thing to being in person. Take advantage of this time when people of all levels are more available.
The epidemic is bringing attention to the fact that we are in a digital age and you can have a virtual meeting with someone from anywhere. Don’t just think about having a meeting with someone in your office. If you are in a large firm, is there someone from another city that is aspiring? Reach out! I actually already have a virtual coffee meeting with a Principal from my Chicago office at the end of March. And I didn’t need to wait for the United States starting to get shut down by COVID-19. This is something you can actively be doing, and the epidemic is forcing people to learn that you have to get together virtually rather than in-person.
Don’t forget about opportunities for virtual happy hours with family, friends, and colleagues!
If you are a mentor, it is a good time to check in with those that are mentoring. For many professionals, they are not used to working from home daily. How are they getting used to working from home on a regular basis? Do they have questions regarding engaging remote teams? With so many forms of virtual communication, what is the best way to ask questions? It is also a good time for a general check in on how life’s going outside the office.
If you have a board of directors, take the time to reach out to each of them. Whether it is a virtual meeting, quick call, emails, chatting etc. Have no idea what I am talking about? Check out my post about creating your own personal board of directors rather than a single mentor.
Time to Plan and Set Goals!
Right now you can’t take any Architecture Registration Exams, but you can study and/or plan out a schedule of when you want to take your next exam or two. For many people working from home means there is no longer a morning and evening commute. If you can stick with your usual work time routine, you should have some more time in the day whether that’s 20 or 60 minutes more of your day back. Set a timer for when you typically would leave your home and study until you’d get to your desk. That’s using the time you have gained in your day towards a goal. Don’t forget about your study groups! You can still meet virtually. Or create a study group to keep in touch with other young professionals studying.
But what if you are done with the exams? What is something you’ve been wanting to get done? Have you wanted to read a particular book? What about getting back into that workout routine you started at the beginning of 2020? I know for me, I’m looking to make sure that for what was my total daily commute time (30-35 minutes) that I am doing a workout from home, and/or taking the dogs on an extra long walk over their daily routine. What will you do with this additional time?
Each of us will have our own goals during this time. How you can use your time wisely, stay in touch with loved ones, and try not get bored being at home?
Resources and Learning
Need some resources or new things to check out while at home? Keep an eye out for new and virtual/ live resources. Here are a few of my suggestions:
Young Architect Forum Connection Magazine, First publication of 2020.
Check out my article about the “Pittsburgh Equity in Architecture Report”
