Breaking Into Architecture: Hayden Federico (Interview)

Breaking Into Architecture is a short series by Chaim Lieder, a recent job-seeking Bachelor’s graduate based in Melbourne. Chaim launched this initiative to re-frame his own challenges into an opportunity to help others in the same position.

Interview 2: Hayden Federico

Hayden is an ambitious and motivated fourth-year graduate who has transitioned into the industry with a growing passion for architecture at Buchan’s Melbourne studio. Hayden is also a current committee member of EmAGN Victoria and is an advocate for fostering the development of students and young graduates as they transition into the architectural community.

Hayden predominantly works on large scale commercial architectural projects, ranging in sectors from mixed-use retail to hospitality and large scale commercial and residential. His design approach and belief is that “Design is subjective. Good architecture shouldn’t be judged on its visual effect, but purely on its ability to creatively evoke emotional and personal connections between its user and place.”

What attracted you to a career in Architecture?

I was lucky, architecture was something I knew I wanted to do since I was in early high school. My parents built their own house at that time and I remember going through all the CAD software and observing the process alongside them. My dad realised my liking for that and set up a computer for me to draw my own plans. I’ve always had a creative flair and a skill for drawing so from there it was a natural progression that led me to study architecture. I tailored my school subjects to make sure I did all the creative ones. By the time I moved into university, I was approaching it as a passion rather than simply a career path. It was something I wanted to do because I enjoyed it.

What is the most rewarding part of a career in Architecture?

There are so many rewarding things about a career in architecture, especially large-scale commercial architecture. I find that it provides you with a unique opportunity to design socially inclusive spaces and advocate for local communities, even within "private" developments.

You’re in a really powerful position as an architect because you are the one that dictates what gets designed and built. You play such an important role by advocating for sustainable and ethically designed buildings that respond to the social context. You also play a pivotal role in the progression of societies through the built environment.

Knowing that you have a responsibility to change the world for the better is probably one of the most rewarding things about being an architect.

How did you land your first job in the Architecture industry?

When I was in university, I was working in a local cafe in my area. One of our regulars that I got on with quite well and always knew as ‘latte one sugar’ one day asked me what I was doing, to which I responded that I was just finishing up my final review for my master’s in architecture. It turned out he was the director of an architectural firm in Melbourne and he offered to help me out along my journey. I never asked, it was something that he did voluntarily. I believe it's purely based on the relationship we'd built on a platonic level.

Although he didn’t have a position to offer, he was happy to pass around my resume and portfolio. It landed on the desk of a senior associate at Buchan who passed it along to HR, and I was invited for an interview.

What advice would you give students & fresh graduates who are struggling to land a job?

Develop your personal brand:

When people think about you, what comes to mind? What do they know about you? How would they describe you to other people?

Every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen your personal brand, always be friendly to your peers and everyone you interact with. All of your tutors are professionals in their own fields, and they've got connections throughout the industry, spending time getting to know them is really going to be beneficial. It’s so important to develop your personal brand. That’s how I got my resume into the right hands and ultimately that’s what secured my role at Buchan.

Strengthening my personal brand also allowed me to accelerate my career.

I really took the time to invest in Buchan, through hard work, initiative and passion but also culturally. I made sure that I was always at events and positioned myself within the company so that people began to understand me and my brand. Slowly, people found out what my skills were and what I was capable of. When I first started at Buchan I worked in isolation with a singular Principal and Associate, fast forward to today, I've worked with all principals within the Melbourne studio across a large range of projects, working on some of the largest projects that the studio has seen in the past 3 years. Without developing my brand and allowing others to see it, I would not have had the opportunities that I've had to date."

Network

Sometimes it's more about who you know, than what you know. And that's why I think it's really important to network and put yourself out there as early as possible when at university. By doing things like joining SONA and going to events you will meet other students and professionals who work in the industry. Not only will you get the chance to get a face to face introduction with industry professionals, but you may also pick up little bits of advice that you wouldn't have gotten anywhere else.

Make yourself the most employable

When we look for students, we're looking for people that are willing to learn and show potential. We want to see that they can turn into an amazing asset for our company. Show what you could contribute on a cultural level and back it up with relevant technical skills.

Learn all of the software you think you'll need to know. Take the time now, whilst you've actually got it, to get all of those skills, because once you get into the workplace, it's very hard to put time aside to upskill and learn new programs.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your student/young graduate self?

Invest in your relationships

I studied in Geelong and lived in Melbourne, so to me, university was a necessity to get to where I wanted to go in terms of my career. I've realized that I had the wrong mindset and that I should have invested more time in getting to know my peers because those networks result in friendships and professional friendships further on in life, which can potentially turn into job offers and business ventures.

Have fun

Enjoy university for what it is and really get creative with your ideas, because when you transition into the real world, there are real-world implications. At university you don't have those, so really take your ideas and push them as far as you possibly can and have fun!

Actively apply

Don't wait until you finished your degree to start trying to find a job. Be proactive about it and start looking at an early stage.

For more Job Seeking advice, please check out our free Job Seeker Workbook.