'Mid-Career' is hard to define. If you find yourself between 'Emerging Professional’ and retirement planning, these events are made for you!
Wherever you are on your career journey – in the AEC industry or not – all are welcome. Bring a friend and let's recharge our professional batteries and elevate our careers together!
Questions / suggestions: contact Shawn Mulligan - shawn@designclarity.co
Join us for coffee! — Bi-monthly, third Wednesday of the month. Keep up with Mid-Career Professionals events on our calendar here.
Next Meeting:
Past Meetings:
2.19.25
Love and Design
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, we're talking about "Love and Design". What are you passionate about? What charges your battery or lights you up - is it your team, serving clients, sales, mentoring, design? Is there room for "love" at work? We'll discuss what excites us, and how we foster and maintain that spark, in and out of the office.
12.5.24
Year in Review
As we wrap up our first year serving AIA CV Mid-Career Professionals, we'd love to catch up and celebrate. We'll toast our wins, chuckle at our flops, and brainstorm ways to help each other shine in '25!
10.3.24
Changing Seasons
This month we're talking about 'seasons' - in life, work, and everything in between. As Fall brings new weather, food, routines, and foliage, it's a great time to reflect on the cycles of life and how they impact us, the people we love, and the work we do.
6.26.24
Conflict and Communication at Work - with HR Expert!
We’re excited to welcome Human Resources expert Amanda Moxham to answer your pressing questions and delve into the complexities of the ‘human side of work.’ From adeptly managing conflict to navigating change, fostering trust, handling difficult conversations, and mastering influential communication, Amanda’s expertise will provide valuable guidance.
4.17.24
Q&A with two local Fellows!
Alison Ewing FAIA (HEDs) and Doug Gilpin FAIA (W. Douglas Gilpin FAIA Architect) will join us to reflect on their careers and answer our questions.
2.21.24
How to approach - and enjoy - change.
12.6.23
Launch: Mid-Career Professionals!
This month, mid-career professionals from our Chapter met in a daylit gallery at Jbird Supply Coffee Roaster in Studio IX to kick-off our newest program, the ‘Mid-Career Professionals’ group. This ‘pilot program’ builds on the work of the AIA Virginia Mid-Career Taskforce and Mid-Career Roundtables, to give members a venue to discuss the joys and challenges of balancing work and life in one of its most demanding seasons. Our goal is to build a thriving community for Mid-Career members and try out different meeting formats to help inform program development at AIA Virginia.
The group’s far-reaching and engaging conversation about our paths in the profession, successes and challenges, and what a group like this can provide yielded a number of themes and take-aways we’ll explore in our next few meetings:
Comparison is the thief of joy - especially if you’re always ‘looking up’.
Who can you look to for advice, or a model - especially when you’re unfulfilled, overwhelmed, or stuck?
There are many paths to a good destination - but we have fewer choices ahead than behind.
How do you get ‘back in the game’ if you’ve been in ‘the safe lane’?
Community is what you make it!
After we met, almost half the attendees emailed me with ideas for future meetings and excitement about the possibilities of the group. It’s also encouraging that this group wants to keep ‘finding and celebrating joy’ at the center of our work together. I couldn’t agree more!
Thanks to all who attended, especially Allied Member Jeremy Boynton with Lighting Virginia, who donated the space!