YOU are the Architect of your Career

Sharifah Alawiyah Al Habshi, founder and managing director of Designworks Architects+Consultants Sdn Bhd, speaks to Willy Wilson on Generation Y graduates and having the right attitude.

“Deciding on which university to attend should not be taken lightly, as it will be the place you spend the next three or four years of your life, and could well determine your future,” says Sharifah Alawiyah Al Habshi, the founder and managing director of Designworks Architects+Consultants Sdn Bhd, where she enters her 20th year of practice in 2011.

Alawiyah firmly believes that the right university sets the stage for success. Hers is a case in point. She read architecture at Syracuse University, New York, one of the most sought-after architecture schools in America.

“Back in my days, the drop-out rate for first-year students at Syracuse University was up to 70 percent. I remember that there were 140 students in my class during the first year. By the second year, the number was down to about 70, of whom only 45 made it to the graduation podium.”

Alawiyah argues that top-notch universities offer not only quality education, but also force students to become tough, disciplined and resilient – qualities that she rarely finds in young graduates these days.

With a career that spans more than two decades, Alawiyah has established herself as one of the leading architects in the country. She is the brain behind the innovative Tenaga Nasional Berhad research and development centre.

Going Places

Upon graduation in 1986, Alawiyah left America for Italy, where she stayed for six months to pursue a short course in urban design and architecture.

In 1987, she returned to Malaysia and joined Kamal Ismail Associates Sdn Bhd. “I was quite lucky to find a job as an architect then because the economy was weak. In fact, I was the first architect to be employed at the firm.”

The impressionable young Alawiyah was hardworking and had burning desire to learn. Money was not on her list of priorities.

“I didn’t even expect to get paid when I was told that I got the job!” she says with a chuckle, “It was naïve, but it just shows you how enthusiastic I was. Back in those days, money wasn’t a motivating factor for a lot of young architects I knew, despite the fact that times were tough.”

After practising as an architect for two years, Alawiyah sat for the mandatory examination conducted by Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) for those wishing to start their own firms. Even today, young architects dread the exam as the pass rate is a mere 45 percent. But as you may have guessed, Alawiyah nailed it.

Following her success in the examination, Alawiyah, who had also been working as a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, established her own firm in 1991. “I always knew that I wanted to be an architect in my own right, and establishing my own firm had always been my dream.”

Generation Y

As managing director of Designworks, Alawiyah crosses paths with young graduates often. She appreciates their creativity, but not the attitude of some who long for instant gratification and quick rewards.

“I think young graduates these days are creative, but they are not creative in a survival sort of way. This generation is a product of the push-button environment we live in. There is an obvious lack of resilience among young graduates across industries.

“My generation was tested by a bad economy, and we responded by working harder, being innovative, creative and finding different opportunities. That’s how we survived.”

Like many employers, Alawiyah puts a premium on attitude over academic qualifications and achievements when looking for young architects for her firm.

“I won’t be impressed by your résumé. You may be good when you are young, but with a bad attitude, you are only good for two years.

“But with a good attitude, albeit a less impressive résumé, I can make you into a really good architect. Of course, it will be perfect if you have both a good attitude and a good résumé!” she says with a chuckle.

Alawiyah also believes that Generation Y has no understanding of company loyalty, noting that a young architecture graduate typically spends a maximum of three years in one firm – just enough time to help in the completion of a project. “But the issue of loyalty may not be as bad as we think,” she says optimistically, “Younger architects jump around mainly because they want to learn new things.”

Alawiyah also acknowledges that young graduates today are quick learners and are able to think on their feet.

“They have a good ability to grasp new issues, but unfortunately, this ability is often discounted by the fact that they have short attention spans.”

Alawiyah advises young graduates to be humble if they want a long and successful career. They should also be open to different positions and roles when they join a company.

“If you are a talented designer, it will show right away. But if you are not a design-type architect, that doesn’t mean you are not a good architect,” she explains.

“If you are not very strong in design, a firm may put you in project management. Here, you will learn to manage everything from checking drawings from drafters, coordinating with engineers, working on the cost of a project and dealing with quantity surveyors – all of which are crucial elements in architecture.”