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IDEAS for Landscaping my Garden
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Ideas

IDEAS for Landscaping my Garden

Being able to manage projects, solve problems and work creatively makes you attractive to a wide range of employers

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. If you haven’t already done so, take a few minutes to answer the Job Match questions to find out what careers would suit you.

Work experience

Try to make use of any placement opportunities your university offers within the landscape and garden design sector. Some universities offer an optional placement year abroad and some encourage students to enter student design competitions, which provide the opportunity to work on show gardens at high-profile events.

Part-time work and/or voluntary work is also useful. While many such opportunities help you develop important employability skills such as teamwork and communication, try to get experience relevant to landscape and garden design, such as working as a landscape assistant. Opportunities exist with charitable organisations, as well as with commercial nurseries, organic producers, public and privately owned gardens, parks, local community organisations and garden centres.

Membership of organisations such as the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) or The Landscape Institute (LI) is also useful for building up a network of contacts who may be able to advise on work experience opportunities or setting up your own business.

Typical employers

These include local authorities, nurseries, garden centres, publicly and privately owned gardens, commercial landscaping companies, private landscape architectural practices and consultancies, and government advisory and heritage agencies. Opportunities also exist with voluntary organisations, public sector bodies such as the Forestry Commission, and large engineering and construction firms.

Some graduates go on to set up their own gardening, landscape design or landscape architecture business. After developing your expertise and building a reputation, you may choose to be employed or self-employed as a consultant.

Find information on employers in environment and agriculture, property and construction and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying landscape and garden design provides you with a mix of creative skills and practical horticultural techniques that underpin garden design. In addition to gaining plant knowledge, design skills and an understanding of the theories behind landscape architecture, you also develop a range of skills that are useful in many job sectors. These include:

  • practical knowledge of construction and project management;
  • media skills, both digital and non-digital methods, used to develop and express ideas;
  • communication skills, through written, verbal and visual means to discuss theories, ideas, findings and solutions;
  • presentation skills, in particular presenting ideas and visions to clients;
  • self-management, with the ability to manage your time and to carry out personal reflection;
  • teamwork, being carried out to achieve a common goal;
  • attention to detail;
  • IT skills in data handling, research and presentation of solutions.

Further study

Some landscape and garden design graduates go on to study landscape architecture at postgraduate level, undertaking a PgDip/MA Landscape Architecture accredited by The Landscape Institute, the chartered body for landscape architecture in the UK.

Others choose to undertake further study in areas such as landscape management or garden and landscape design, and other more specialist courses, such as landscape ecology, land reclamation and restoration, and urban design. A business course could be useful if you intend to start your own company.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses.

What do landscape and garden design graduates do?

More than half of landscape and garden design graduates in employment in the UK are working as landscape architects/designers six months after graduation.

Destination Percentage
Employed 79.7
Further study 11.4
Working and studying 4.9
Unemployed 3.2
Other

 

Source: www.prospects.ac.uk