SOCIAL MEDIA ZEITGEIST

Roshan Dsouza shares practical insights on networking, personal branding and building meaningful connections, highlighting how visibility and initiative can help aspiring communicators find their place in the sector:

Choosing a communications career in the built environment is rarely a linear path — at least in my experience. How does one define built environment comms in the first place? I see it as a multifaceted discipline promoting our man-made built structures and the wider socio-economic effects surrounding them across industries such as architecture, engineering, real estate, planning and interior design, to name a few.

Unless you’re a designer in a fee-earning capacity who’s transitioned into a business operations role (like comms) or were savvy enough to nab that entry level assistant role from the very beginning, the reality is that most applicants struggle to find their way in or are simply unaware of the opportunities available. So broad yet so niche. It’s frustrating given that the built environment is one of the most rewarding sectors out there.

I remember feeling perplexed a few years back on where my career was headed as I desperately wanted to work in architectural communications but found the profession to be quite insular. In some ways, it still is with many practices seemingly preferring to hire candidates with an architecture/design background, potentially discounting those who have genuine passion but lack the immediate intel or contacts required. For context, I previously worked in the legal and recruitment industries and now lead communications for an AJ100 architecture practice. How can one get a foot in the door then? Having mentored a few NextGen professionals along the way, here are my 4 practical tips on networking your way in:

1 . Define your why

I stand by one principle. To thrive in a comms career, you’ve got to live and breathe the subject matter you’re communicating. Despite nestling under the broader built environment umbrella, the comms deliverables for an architecture studio will vary to that for an engineering practice, a construction consultancy or a real estate developer.

Other aspects can include industry specific jargon, the types of publications that senior leadership want coverage in and approaches to storytelling. One might choose to prioritise narratives around sustainability or social value while others might focus on office leasing trends instead. I’m conscious not to generalise here as they all tend to overlap to some degree but defining your ‘why’ from the outset will prove beneficial during the application process.

2 . Networking

I’ve always maintained the view that being a well-rounded candidate on paper isn’t enough; it’s also about who you know in the industry and making yourself visible. The current state of the job market has caused vacancies to fall to an all-time low with UK unemployment figures at their highest levels since January 2021. Young graduates have, by far, fared the worst economic prospects in years. In amongst fake job adverts and questionable AI screening processes, one thing that’s never gone out of style is the art of putting a face to the name.

There are some great active networking groups worth joining that bring together comms, PR, marketing, business development and bids professionals. I recommend BuildUp, Profile Network and the Northern Comms Collective. Reach out to recruitment consultants at Bespoke Careers, The Crowd Creative and Dezeen Jobs who also offer great advice. Having a solid support group has been incredibly beneficial for knowledge sharing or general ranting about working as in-house or agency comms professionals (more on that below).

3 . Personal branding with a cause

Alongside your in-person interactions, I strongly encourage building your unique personal brand on social media. Whether it’s sharing your key takeaways about an industry event, a piece of research you found interesting or a cause you’re passionate about.

I’m not saying be an influencer, just be authentic. Small actions like this pay dividends when it comes to perception in the industry as you never know who’s watching from afar.

Utilise LinkedIn to its full potential by connecting with the relevant recruiters, hiring managers and key decision makers who’ll be able to view your profile and content. Want to take it a step further? Start a blog or visual diary on WordPress, Substack or Medium.

Most people say they’re passionate about an issue but you immediately set yourself apart from the competition when you start writing about the built environment. This also doubles up as your written portfolio, serving as a point of discussion as you progress through interviews.

4 . In-house or agency?

You never know unless you try so you might want to consider the type of working environment that would best suit your approach to work. There are broadly two types in this specialism: in-house (working within a company as an employee) or agency (external firm working on multiple client accounts). Some agencies I recommend reaching out to are South Facing, ING Media, SALT, Goodfellow Communications and Caro Communications. The experiences of each will vary significantly in terms of your day-to-day role and what you’ll be expected to achieve so think carefully.

“Un unconventional career path breeds a curious, receptive and agile mindset so embrace your diverse professional and educational experiences along the way.”

Communicators have a key role to play in telling the stories of our built environment, they just need to be given a chance, especially early career applicants. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn if you have any questions.

Roshan Dsouza is Communications Manager at Purcell, and steering committee member of the BuildUp Network / @iamroshy on Instagram.