🔎第二階段: 怎麼找公司
🔺part 1: 了解自己的專業能力及清楚自己的定位
找公司容易，但怎麼找到一家適合自己的公司，或是能發揮自己所長的公司才是真正所需要探討的。每間公司都有各自的公司文化及專業範圍，很多人在工作一段時間後，總會怨懟公司待遇低、案子不有趣、公司環境差等基本外在因素，然而這些抱怨早在選公司/找公司時，就決定了這個可能性的心理壓力。唯有清楚了解自己的長處、未來想要怎樣的環境，才能讓自己處在相對舒適的空間。
1⃣ 找一個喜歡的城市/鄉村學習跟生活。
記得我找公司時，鍵入的搜尋關鍵字是: 景觀設計公司 + 地區。在這前一篇的搜尋是:英國 特色城市。 找公司，除了看公司性質，我也會看環境，在面試的時候順便感受公司所在的城市。 現在想起這樣的設定真的非常正確，因為我享受且滿足現在的生活。環境造人，工作環境佔據 了我一天1/3的時間，坐在望出去遼闊景觀的窗戶旁，總比處在冰冷水泥塊中，自在很多。
2⃣ 坦白的面對自己的能力範圍，放大自己的長處。
很多人說: 找公司、投工作，就海投! 到處散播一樣的作品集及一模一樣的信件內容，100家，總會有10家⋯⋯對，也不對。了解自己的專業能力及清楚自己的定位，才是說服公司錄取你的關鍵。幾個朋友在反省找工作的經驗，最終去的那間公司，總會最快回覆你前來面試，最短的時間內決定是否錄取，因為你的知識範圍最符合公司需求，而不單只是可以畫出漂亮的圖，容易被取代的 / 技術上的能力。景觀的專業範圍很大，如果知道自己未來的發展希望往水資源管理的方向，那海投公司的範圍就會縮小剩20家，自己的勝率也更大，奮戰時間也會縮短。相對的，在未來職涯，唯獨能發揮自己所長，才能帶來成就感。
知己知彼的策略，了解自己的專業能力及清楚自己的定位，不單縮短找工作的時間，甚至減少 未來所會面臨的工作壓力。
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🔎Stage 2: Finding a company to apply
🔺Part 1 - Understanding your niche and abilities
Finding a company is easy, but finding one which suits you, where you can play to your strengths is challenging. Office culture, design ethos, scope of works, business management and employee growth plans are one of the many factors that you should consider. It is often the case that individuals will start criticizing the company’s employee treatment, pay check, lack of interesting projects, poor office environment after working for a period of time. However, these “complaints” could have been avoided if a company which best fitted to your expectations and interest was chosen instead.
Hence, understand what you want, be clear of your strengths and abilities, both your short and long term career goals and what kind of environment you would thrive in. This would be the best approach to find a job which can offer you a fun and comfortable working environment where you can grow too.
1⃣ Choosing a city/ town which you like to live and work in.
Each city has its own unique culture and appeal, with infinite options and endless
considerations, narrowing down your choice can be a nightmare.
Recalling back to the time when I was looking for a job, typing in these keywords into the search bar: “landscape design firms + region” and “UK cities” kick-started my journey of working abroad.
Other than understanding the nature of the company, I also considered aspects such as the physical environment – the city where the company was located, population density, transportation and weather. When travelling down for an interview, experiencing the city’s character, culture and vibe in person also helped expedite the decision making process.
This guiding process allowed me to quickly settle in, enjoy and be satisfied with my current lifestyle and working arrangements.
The environment makes us who we are, with 1/3 of your time being occupied with work, it is really important to have a comfortable working environment – For me, sitting by the window, looking out towards the vast green landscape would definitely be much better than sitting within the compounds of a concrete working cubicle.
2⃣ Be honest about your capabilities, Magnify your strengths.
Most fresh graduates would often use the same portfolio and CV content to mass apply to companies, hoping to land a job in one of their several attempts. However, this one size fit all approach to seek employment might not be the best and most effective.
Finding your niche will help you stand out from the rest of the crowd. That being said, understanding your professional ability and what you can contribute to the company is key to persuade the company to employ you. A few of my peers shared their experience for getting employed – An interested company would normally respond and arrange for an interview at the soonest. Their hiring decision made within a short time frame because they believe that your thinking, knowledge, expertise and skills best meets the needs of the company and are not easily replaceable by technology means.
The scope of works for the landscape profession is very large. It would definitely help reduce the amount of time and companies you need to filter through, increase your chances of getting employed if you can be certain of a career path you wish to dive further into. For example, water resource management, wildlife consultancy, landscape journalism, construction etc. In view of future career prospects, only by playing to your strength, can you find a sense of achievement.
The strategy of knowing yourself and your market, understanding your abilities and niche not only shortens the time spent to find a job, but also reduces the work pressure you will face in the future.
