Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

Architects, co-workers or informed clients of the future? Last Friday I had the privilege of being an ambassador – and potentially a recruiter - for my profession. I was at Shiplake College, near Henley-on-Thames, taking part in a Careers Fair for Year 12 (sixth form) students. It’s always interesting to be questioned by young people about what I do. The fresh perspective, curiosity and enthusiasm of the Shiplake students helped me see my job through new eyes and reminded me how architects are often perceived, both in good and bad ways! This was a very well-organised careers fair, with students circulating between stands in groups. The Head of Careers was keen that students expand their horizons by meeting a broad range of employers and informing themselves, instead of only targeting careers that they already knew about or were keen on. So I talked to a mix of students, some of whom were working towards a role in architecture and some who certainly were not, but were keen to k