Letter from the President - September 2019
September brings thoughts of school starting, high school football games, and my birthday! As I get very close to a number that shall not be named, I think about what I would have told my younger self, knowing what I know now. A few things come to mind. Things like...“Kimberly, do NOT get that perm in 7th grade two days before school pictures. It will haunt you for the rest of your life!” But even more importantly, “ Trust the path your career takes. You will do some pretty amazing things, meet some awesome people, and travel to places you’ve never been.” I would add, “Go directly to architecture school and do not wait 30 years to finish!”
It is often difficult as we are starting out in a career to understand the twists and turns we make. Staying in one position for more than a few years is commendable, and rare. Job security is often fleeting, and occasionally we find ourselves starting fresh when we thought we were set for life. In the beginning, we look to climb the corporate ladder, expecting the reward of a hefty paycheck and a corner office. But sometimes, we settle for mediocrity and stability. Sometimes, we are thrown into an unexpected job loss, and forced to reevaluate our chosen careers. At a certain point (and I am not quite there yet!) we look toward retirement and hope to leave a legacy for the next generation to build upon. Wherever we are in the journey, we often compare ourselves to others, to see whether we are ahead or behind, or right on target.
This issue of AUGIWORLD is one of our favorites—our Salary Survey issue! Members received notification of the survey in July, and the results have been tallied. The Salary Survey gives members the opportunity to compare their own careers with others in the industry from around the world. Results are broken down by industry, and can be a great icebreaker with employers to open up a conversation regarding salary or benefits. We appreciate ev-eryone who responded to the survey, and hope that if you missed it this year you will look for the Salary Survey next summer! The more responses we get, the better the data will be.
We are gearing up for Autodesk University in Las Vegas, to be held November 19-21, 2019. AUGI’s presence there may look a little different this year! Look for us in the newly formed Community Hub adjacent to the Expo Hall. We will also be hosting our Annual General Meeting Wednesday evening before the social (did I hear someone say “beer glasses”?). Check your schedule for time and location. And of course, we will have copies of our special AUGIWORLDAU edition. We hope you will make plans to join us. We have some exciting news to share!
AUGI is an international user group of design technology professionals across all walks of life. We welcome your input, and appreciate your contributions. We continually look to our members to guide the direction of our organization and provide content for our publications and forums. Please feel free to reach out to us with your ideas and articles. Together we can move AUGI forward for the betterment of the industries we serve.
