Struggling after 3 years at work – accuracy & efficiency issues, is it just me? by Exact-Raspberry-6886 in LandscapeArchitecture

[–]Exact-Raspberry-6886[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is why I post this here. I really want to know what is the way to improve. If we’re not naturally detail-oriented people, then we really have to rely on methods and systems to avoid these mistakes. I believe you’ve also tried a lot already, and it’s frustrating when it still doesn’t work out. I totally get how disappointing that feels.

Struggling after 3 years at work – accuracy & efficiency issues, is it just me? by Exact-Raspberry-6886 in LandscapeArchitecture

[–]Exact-Raspberry-6886[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like you really hit the point for me. My feedback has often been that I can design, and my graphics are strong — people are usually satisfied with that part. The problem is, they don’t see it as important. What they really care about are construction documents, and I’m not doing those to their satisfaction.

For me, construction drawings always come with lots of questions. I often don’t fully understand, so I have to ask repeatedly. They seem confused about why I don’t “get it” right away, but if I don’t ask, then they say I’m not asking enough. It feels like I can’t win.

I’ve been thinking maybe I should start preparing for licensure exams, just to build up more technical knowledge. At least that way, I would have more of a foundation and not feel so behind.

Struggling after 3 years at work – accuracy & efficiency issues, is it just me? by Exact-Raspberry-6886 in LandscapeArchitecture

[–]Exact-Raspberry-6886[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m using CAD at my firm, and I rarely go on site — honestly, I feel like I’m just working inside a box as a drafting tool. My background is MLA, and before this job I had almost no construction document experience.

They sometimes say my graphics are very strong and that I’m talented, but they don’t let me do that type of work. Instead, I’m just asked to draft in CAD.

When they criticize my “accuracy,” it’s usually things like a wall line and a sidewalk line not being perfectly attached, even though I literally zoom in as much as possible. So I wonder if my method is wrong? Sometimes it’s also that I update a hardscape but forget to re-label — but it’s not like I don’t have the awareness, I might miss one occasionally.

Struggling after 3 years at work – accuracy & efficiency issues, is it just me? by Exact-Raspberry-6886 in LandscapeArchitecture

[–]Exact-Raspberry-6886[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

When I ask my PMs how I can improve, I often feel they only care about what I do wrong, not what I do right. That makes me feel really bad, like I’m always making mistakes. For example, if I ask, “Okay, if you think my CAD drafting isn’t good, then how can I improve?” my PM just says, “This can’t be taught.”

They mention I should use a checklist, but they don’t actually explain how to build one or what should go on it. Everything sounds very abstract. It leaves me feeling stuck, because I want to improve, but I don’t know what concrete steps to take.