tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post4724452964462811997..comments2022-04-05T03:02:08.815-06:00Comments on Intern 101: Lulu's Mailbag: How does a girl get some respect around here?Lulu Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14713133001416080918noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post-15036401108965270152011-03-17T16:22:56.250-06:002011-03-17T16:22:56.250-06:00Anon/D: Great comment and perspective! I think yo...Anon/D: Great comment and perspective! I think you're right--there's likely just as much ageism in architecture than there is sexism (if not more). Because our profession is so much about experience, there's often this assumption that you "don't know jack" because you lack any grey hair or wrinkles.Lulu Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14713133001416080918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post-33592643405899974412011-03-16T21:10:51.137-06:002011-03-16T21:10:51.137-06:00I want to take on C's question from the male p...I want to take on C's question from the male perspective.<br /><br />A little background:<br /><br />I started in the profession right out of high school. My first gig was at a one man shop where my 'portfolio' was work I did in high school drafting electives as well as hand sketches. A small office can mean that you are doing a broad range of work a little above your skill level. It becomes a trial by fire experience.<br /><br />Anyway at 20 I was doing a lot of TI work and some residential. The principal had to go out of town and we had to get a permit rolling for one such project. I was sent down to the City of Denver to walk the plans through. The person I ended up with was a woman in her mid thirtes. When I told her I wanted to walk some plans through, her first response was that they "don't let couriers do that."<br /><br />After telling her that I met with the owner, discussed her needs with her, documented the existing space and put the drawing set together she agreed to go over the plans. This review quickly became a inquisition on what I knew about building codes and construction methods.<br /><br />As Lulu mentioned in an earlier post, the profession respects what you can do, not your sheep's skin. Being and looking young means more people are going to quiz you. It is much less about your gender than a perception in the profession that only 'grey hairs' have the knowledge it takes to do this work. I have heard clients and principals, ignorantly, say someone is too young and therefore can't be knowledgeable. Never heard it attached to gender before.<br /><br />So my advice is similar to Lulu's: educate yourself, show confidence and be firm yet polite. Add in there not to think it is about your gender, even if it is at times. Always take the approach that you just have to prove your skill level to certain people. You have control over your skill and not your gender. If you let it be about gender, ethnicity, orientation, or anything else you have no control over, you will develop a chip on your shoulder for everyone too see.<br /><br />D<br /><br />dintern101@aol.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685608788672533401.post-9422210068867301442011-03-15T10:00:48.264-06:002011-03-15T10:00:48.264-06:00I am a 20 yr old gal n would go for my first inter...I am a 20 yr old gal n would go for my first internship in june...if i get selected though!!<br />but yeah i feel this happens in my studio too when i am explaining my design my teachers(mostly males) behave as if i havent thought u know technically n i have done sort of a art work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com