In a departure from traditional career panels, the FAMU School of Architecture and Engineering Technology (SAET) recently hosted an intimate, no-frills conversation between current students and alumni now working at some of the world’s most influential firms.
Titled “From Studio to Site,” the event featured recent graduates now employed at Gensler, Walt Disney Imagineering, HKS, and RSH Architects. There were no slideshows, no rehearsed presentations, just honest, often blunt, advice about the realities of transitioning from academic life to professional practice.
The discussion, moderated by a faculty member but driven entirely by student questions, covered the aspects of early career life that rarely make it into university brochures: what truly surprised them, how to navigate a competitive job search, the unglamorous grind of licensure, and the skills they wish they had honed before walking across the graduation stage.
“No one tells you how much you’ll be communicating with people who don’t speak the language of architecture or engineering—clients, contractors, city officials,” said Marcus Thorne, a structural engineer at HKS. “I wish I’d taken more writing and public speaking courses. The technical knowledge is a given; being able to explain it is what makes you valuable.”
For many of the nearly 100 students in attendance, the most valuable insights came from hearing about the alumni’s own missteps and recalibrations. Regan Green, a project designer at Gensler, spoke about the importance of a tailored job search.
“I applied to 40 firms and heard back from two,” she said. “It wasn’t until I stopped sending out generic portfolios and started designing specific proposals for the firms I truly admired that I got a real response. They don’t just want to see what you can do; they want to see that you understand what they do.”
A recurring theme was the ongoing journey of learning after graduation. Madisyn Hunter, with Walt Disney Imagineering, emphasized that landing the job is just the beginning.
“In school, you learn the rules,” Hunter said. “In practice, you learn all the exceptions to the rules. And then you have to get licensed, which is like a second full-time job. You have to be proactive about your own growth; no one will manage your career for you.”
Andrew Chen, dean of the school, said the event was designed to close the gap between theoretical education and practical application. “We can teach them to design and to calculate,” he said, “but this kind of wisdom, about office culture, professional negotiation, the business of design, has to come from those living it. We’re incredibly grateful to our alumni for returning to pour into the next generation.”
The alumni underscored that success isn’t just about technical brilliance but about ownership of your career path. As one recent graduate shared: "The first job isn't a destination, it's a launchpad. Be proactive, stay, humble, and always be ready to learn."
Another panelist told the group, "Don’t wait for feedback—ask for it proactively. Find a mentor who challenges you. And never say no to a critique, it’s how you grow.”
The conversation lasted well beyond the scheduled hour, with students clustering around the panelists afterward, asking for email addresses and seeking further advice. For senior architecture major Amir Johnson, the takeaway was clear.
“It was reassuring,” he said. “It’s one thing to feel imposter syndrome sitting in a classroom. It’s another to hear someone from Disney say they felt the exact same way, and then to hear how they got through it. That’s the real blueprint they can’t give you in a textbook.”