RGU alumna Kara Mutch graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Architectural Technology and has just started her career in the field. She shares more about her role and how RGU helped her in gaining the knowledge and skills she needed, as well as the support she received from the university in her job search.

Can you tell us about yourself?

I’m Kara Mutch, I graduated from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture & Built Environment at Robert Gordon University last year. I studied Bsc (Hons) Architectural Technology at RGU for 4 years. For the past 8 months, I have been working at Bancon Homes as a Graduate Architectural Technologist.

What have you been up to since graduating from BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology?

Just after graduating, I worked for a few months doing internal sales at a builder’s merchant. Even though this wasn’t what I ultimately wanted to do as a career, it was still a good starting point for me. Gaining experience working within the construction industry was enriching, as this is something I hadn’t done before.

In July last year, Lorraine, one of the careers consultants at RGU got in contact with me about a graduate job at Bancon Homes. I was never entirely sure about wanting to be an Architectural Technologist and applied to a wide range of jobs. But as soon as I left my interview with the Operations Director and Technical Manager, I knew that job was the one for me.

What is a typical day like in your role as a Graduate Architectural Technologist?

No two days are the same for me! This is due to the wide variety of sites and the extensive amount of work that goes into them all. I spend most of my time doing drawing work, creating new drawing packs for each individual site, and updating current drawings for active sites. This is the most exciting part of the job for me. Every day I am gaining new knowledge from carrying out the drawing work.

I would also typically carry out tasks such as managing drawing registers, keeping the filing system up to date and distributing the architectural information. Recently, I have started to get involved with doing some visualisation work. This is something I found a love for doing in my final years at university and which I still really enjoy.

I still find the amount of detail that goes into the design of the homes and sites incredible. It really makes me proud to be a part of this process. I love working collaboratively with the whole team at Bancon Homes to produce stunning, quality homes. 

How did the course at RGU help prepare you for this role?

Studying Architectural Technology at RGU helped to prepare me for my role. I would say the simulated practice module that I had in third year was extremely beneficial to me. I gained a good understanding of what is required in terms of forming drawing packs for both planning and building warrant applications, which I get involved in a lot.

Generally, everything that I learned at university has been useful and very relevant to me within my role. Looking back now on my time at RGU, the industry professionals that participated in the studio modules were also a great help. All their knowledge on what’s currently happening within the construction industry helped in preparing me for the world of work. 

What would your advice be to any prospective or current students who aspire to work in Architectural Technology?

For any students that aspire to go into my field of work I’d say to keep an open mind when initially searching for a job. Take every opportunity that is given to you as they’ll undoubtedly benefit you in some way. You will eventually find yourself happy and where you want to be.

Get in touch with the careers consultants at RGU as they are amazing at what they do. They’re good for checking over your CV, sharing job opportunities with you and preparing you for any interviews. If it weren’t for my careers consultant, I wouldn’t be where I am today!

Something I wish I realised sooner when I was a student is that LinkedIn is a powerful tool. Share all your university projects on there and build connections with people in the industry as many job opportunities come up on LinkedIn. The careers consultants can help you with this too!

Kara Mutch

Read more about Kara’s experience studying BSc (Hons) Architectural Technology.

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