Abigail Benjamin is a licensed architect at AECOM who focuses on fast-paced retail projects.
She kicked off the Young Architect Summer Series with her keynote address, "The Unapologetic Productivity System: Take Your Time Back & Feel Good About It."
As part of her speech, Abigail shared real-world and inspirational stories of success in the world of architecture, as well as practical tips for thriving in a career.
The Young Architect Summer Series is a 5-day online event created for Young Architects by Young Architects. It focuses on personal and professional development, learning from community leaders and unsung heroes, and helping each other reach the next level of success.
Discussing her career in a podcast
Abigail Benjamin grew up surrounded by and coloring on large-scale drawings. Her father was a New Jersey land surveyor, and he would plot full 24×36 drawings in AutoCAD and let Abby and her brother color on them. It’s one of her earliest memories.
Abigail grew up surrounded by construction, architecture, and engineering, so it’s perhaps not surprising that she attended a high school geared toward math, science, and engineering. She also worked for her father at the time. Abigail knew that she either wanted to become an architect or a civil engineer, and she recalls that the night before she was to send off her college applications, she was closely considering which she wanted to choose. She chose architecture and never looked back.
In an engaging podcast episode hosted by Young Architect, Abigail discusses her schooling, what happened after graduation, and how long she has been in her job with AECOM. She also discusses how she ended up becoming a licensing advisor and what her own licensing process was like.
Abigail also shares further career advice for aspiring architects: “I think that everybody needs to grab their career by the reins and take ownership. Know your career path, know your goals, and find a place that supports you – a job, a career, a boss, because without that you’re not going to be happy."
Listen to Abigail on her Take Your Career by the Reins podcast.
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