Once a government employee, successful in the private sector: Lesson 7 - Leaving the 'comfort zone' to become a good architect

Difficult decision

Since childhood, Tuan has loved painting and had a talent for this subject. When he was a little older, he had the opportunity to learn and decided to turn his love of painting into a career goal. The profession of architect has a harmonious combination of artistic and technical elements, which is true to his passion. He decided to study architecture at Hanoi Open University.

At that time, the profession of architect was known as "the most glamorous of all professions". Proud of his major and his passion, throughout his studies, he always strived to practice and constantly nurtured his passion.

In 2012, Mr. Tuan graduated from university. At that time, architecture was still a fairly new profession, so working in the right field and profession was difficult. In the 2 years after graduating, he tried his hand at many fields but was not successful. In 2014, he decided to work as a specialist at the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Thanh Mien district.

Both his parents are civil servants, so his family strongly supports his decision. The job is close to home with a stable income and opportunities for advancement. Not only that, during his time working in the district, he also met and married Ms. Nguyen Hong Ngoc, an officer of the Finance Department of Thanh Mien District. A stable life for the couple is the desire of many families.

However, Mr. Tuan is still troubled because the field of architecture has not been developed as expected. The knowledge of the architect profession has not been applied in practice. His passion for architecture has not yet had a "place to perform". Although his job is stable and is the dream of many people, despite his family's objections, he still decided to leave his "safe zone" to pursue his career passion.

"Leaving the government was a difficult decision for me. Working in the government environment, I was used to the daily work, so when I moved to an outside environment, I felt overwhelmed and worried about whether I could compete and adapt or not. However, I accepted and was ready to start from zero," Tuan shared.

For Mr. Tuan, the "safe zone" can bring comfort but it limits his passions. Many years working in the state environment have given him time to research and experience many new things. In particular, the environment has trained him to stay calm and composed to handle any situation. This is a necessary skill for an architect.

In 2017, he officially left his government job and entered a completely new working environment. With a wealth of knowledge but lacking experience, he wandered around looking for business opportunities. During that time, he realized that civil architecture was becoming a trend. This was also the field he pursued in his goal of becoming an architect.

There were many times when the young architect wondered if he had made the right choice? Because even though he had his "first" projects, he could not see the difference with countless other civil projects. Starting later, he always promoted the spirit of "not afraid of difficulties, not afraid of hardships". Knowing where there was information about beautiful projects with unique and convenient architecture, he went there to learn and refer to creative ways of doing things. Although he started late, he had the ability to learn quickly. It was the difficulties and obstacles in the working process that helped him mature faster in his work.

Harmonizing customer impression and professionalism

In a fiercely competitive environment, hundreds of large and small construction companies have sprung up. "Turnkey" projects are delivered to customers, but not all projects leave a mark and create trust for customers. To pursue his passion and be successful in this field, he had to choose a different direction and create a breakthrough.

Besides competition, the most difficult thing for an architect is to design aesthetically and conveniently but still bear the mark of the customer. He must give advice based on professional design thinking but also in harmony with the customer's wishes. Even though he has his own views, the architect still has to follow the homeowner's opinion to bring the best final result. Not to mention, from design to construction, many related problems will arise. These problems related to the quality of the project are all grasped and resolved promptly.

From small, unmarked civil works, he began to explore and build works with his own style.

"An architect is like a director. The design and organization of the living space for the client's family are all done by the architect. Convenience is not only reflected in modern interior equipment but more importantly, it must be suitable for each member and the circumstances of that family," said Mr. Tuan.

Simply, when designing a house for a retired couple, he prioritized designing a cozy kitchen space, functional rooms next to each other to conveniently serve the living needs of the elderly. In addition, he also designed a cool green garden space to create a fresh living environment in harmony with nature. When designing a house for a young couple, in addition to the basic functional rooms, it is also necessary to design other small spaces to meet the needs and preferences of each person.

Mr. Tuan shared: "After being consulted, most homeowners choose to trust and assign all the work to me. In addition to basic interior, even toothpick boxes, paper trays or green tree arrangements are also chosen by the architect."

In his work, Mr. Tuan also has his own rules. To reconcile his personal identity and the wishes of his clients, he does not force them to follow his will. But during the consultation process, he helps clients visualize their homes more clearly and understand more about the profession of architect. He also points out the inconveniences and unreasonable things that detract from the value of the project. For him, each project is his "brainchild". Therefore, he spends time and effort to design. Each project he has completed not only leaves a mark on his career but also leaves him with another friend.

Garden villa over 450 m2²The house of Mr. Nguyen Duy Tu's family in Thanh Hong commune (Thanh Ha) is one of the projects that Mr. Tuan is most satisfied with. Because not only is it beautiful, the project also brings convenience to customers.

"After completion, the house has a green space but is no less modern and luxurious. The space outside the house gives me a place to drink tea and watch the trees with my old friends. Although the inside of the house is very spacious, it is designed to be cozy and convenient for the elderly. Every time the children come home from far away, the house is filled with laughter. The young architect solves all difficulties and problems and we also maintain a close relationship," said Mr. Tu.

In nearly 8 years as an architect, although he did not establish a company, Mr. Tuan has built a quality working team with spirit and responsibility. Many large and small projects both inside and outside the province have been built, marking the name of this young architect.

With the goal of improving the quality of living space, he does not pursue quantity but focuses on projects that leave a mark on customers. Every year, Mr. Tuan and his team complete 5-6 housing projects with a total value of tens of billions of VND. The projects always have new designs that bring maximum convenience to customers, creating stable jobs for local construction workers. To gain customers' trust, he directly designs and supervises the construction of each project. In the interior design sector, he always designs and selects separate products suitable for each home.

Leaving the government environment, overcoming many difficulties and challenges, Mr. Do Van Tuan was not afraid of hardships and difficulties to pursue his passion. His success comes from the satisfaction of his customers. Leaving the government job to become a civil architect, to make life more beautiful was also his right decision.