Heather McCruden

As I finished university job opportunities were drying up and were replaced with reports of redundancies. So after nine months of looking and applying everywhere, I was more than a little surprised to secure the post of architectural assistant within the Architectural Services section of West Dunbartonshire Council.

I work in the general services team dealing with projects for a wide range of operational buildings within the Council. The projects range from seemingly minor adaptations, to more significant internal alterations, to modest new-build facilities for buildings such as council offices, schools, community facilities, municipal buildings and children's homes.

Whilst a great portion of my job is administrative and technical, creativity continues even in the most commonplace design decisions. It is particularly rewarding when the outcome has clearly improved the way that services are delivered to the public.

Working here has definitely been a steep learning curve. I have been the lead designer and contract administrator on every project I have been assigned. This has been a little intimidating at times, however there is always a team around me to give advice, and I now realise that there is no quicker way to learn than to experience a project with all its problems and complexities. For example, work has recently finished on the amalgamation of the Council Registrars Offices within a significant historic building. This project gave me the opportunity to work with the Client from the beginning and valuable experience of dealing with the construction process right through to handover of the completed facility.

When I started (almost two years ago now) I wasn't explicitly employed as a post Part II assistant. Nevertheless, my managers have been really accommodating and supportive of my ambition to tackle the Part III exam. They appreciate that it would not only benefit me personally but that my qualifications are an asset to the council.

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