At times the best leaning experiences are found when things don’t go exactly as one had hoped. Robert Martin learned that lesson during his Sedalia FIT Internship.
It isn’t that Martin had an unpleasant experience — in fact nothing could be further from the truth — but Martin discovered architecture wasn’t exactly what he thought it would be.
“It was a really good week and if I could I would complete another internship,” Martin said. “I learned a lot and got to see all of the behind the scenes work, which I really appreciated.
“I am more interested in civil engineering and I thought this may be a similar field,” Martin added. “It’s really not what I expected but it is something I may consider.”
Martin’s mentor for the week, Rob Rollings, of Robert Rollings Architecture LLC, said Martin’s experience was somewhat similar to those of other students who have interned or job shadowed at the firm.
“We have had several students job shadow in some form or another since we started the firm,” Rollings said. “Most of them were more certain that architecture was the career path they wanted to follow.
“I always have the students jump right in and let them experience all that the job entails,” Rollings added. “Many of the students are surprised because there tends to be more mundane moments in what I do for a living, but I want them to have that experience as well.”
Martin went with Rollings to Columbia to a USDA meeting, which Rollings admitted could be pretty dry but he felt it was important for Martin to see what the job is all about.
“The meeting wasn’t really interesting,” Martin said. “But I was given a lot of other opportunities to use some of the computer software that they use here and watch them complete their sketches.
“I went to a job site the second day I was here, which really looked just like a pile of dirt,” he added. “I stood there though and I realized that a building would be coming out of that pile of dirt so it was pretty amazing and exciting when I thought about it in that way.”
Learning early that a career field may not be what a student had hoped is important because it can save years of time spent in college and the cost of the education that ultimately may not be chosen.
Rollings commented that the thoughts he had for his future in architecture were very different 23 years ago when he started than where his career has taken him to today.
“When I first started we were still drawing most plans by hand,” Rollings explained. “Today virtually everything we do is 100 percent computer-driven, it has been a good thing because it makes plans so much easier to modify.
“Today, I only spend about 10 to 15 percent of my job designing,” Rollings admitted. “My job as owner has become much more clerical in nature and that is something that is important for the students to understand.”
Rollings added that he wished Martin could have had a more exciting work week but part of the experience was seeing the job first-hand.
“I think two days were probably enough to talk Robert right out of wanting to become an architect,” Rollings said with a chuckle. “But if the timing of their internship is right it truly is a great experience.”
Martin said he was interested in many aspects of Rollings’ job but added that he is still considering all his options.
“I have no idea where I am going to go to college at this time,” Martin said. “There are several I am still considering.
“I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to be here because if I hadn’t I never would have really seen what the job is truly like,” he added. “I learned a lot and met some very nice people so the experience was definitely worth it.”
