How Bhumi Gupta Redefined Her Career

'There are opportunities everywhere; my advice to all would be to not wait and just start.'
'Keep honing your skills you will see fruits of your labour.'

If she had stuck to her original plan, Bhumi Gupta would have been an architect today.

But she knew she would not have been truly happy because she was also fascinated with writing. And she wanted to merge these two skills in her professional life.

So Bhumi, who has a master's degree in architecture from the Pratt Institute, New York, pivoted and currently works as a marketing coordinator with Architects Mosher Drew in San Diego.

She tells Nishtha Gupta-Vaghela why this is one of the best decisions she has ever made.

What motivated you to choose architecture?

I was always creatively inclined and, being part of a design-oriented family, I knew it was my calling.

When I reached high school, I realised that I was not just artistic, I loved maths as well. Architecture seemed a good blend of art and tech.

Right from elementary school, I was fixated on doing something out-of-the-box for a career.

What made you move from mainstream architecture and choose to be become a marketing coordinator for Architects Mosher Drew?

While I was in architecture school, I began exploring things I loved doing beyond design; one of them was reading.

There were theoretical subjects in college that intrigued me and pushed me to start writing.

I enjoyed having opinions, having a voice and the ability to pen down my thoughts.

That flame of doing things out-of-the-box was always lit so I decided to make a career out of something that I enjoyed and was good at.

My experiences of dealing with different people across industries like architects, designers, marketers, technicians, entrepreneurs, educators and writers, and doing different job roles over the years as a researcher, writer, editor, reporter, architect, designer, teacher and marketer has guided me and led me to become who I am as a professional today, a marketing coordinator with Architects Mosher Drew.

I love being in this sweet spot between architecture design, writing and marketing.

How has your professional education and experience helped you in your current role?

As a trained professional and licensed architect, I've learnt and experienced the nuances of the process of design.

It taught me to appreciate the details and to see beyond what's visible, enabling me to make the most of the opportunities that came my way so that I could create a niche for myself.

Currently, I am working with an architecture firm in the marketing capacity and I deal with all things architecture.

There is always room to grow; I am always growing as a writer, a design thinker, a researcher... but I can never stop being an architect. There is a saying that architecture is the mother of all arts and that's something I truly believe.

Did you do any additional course or opt for any additional training to prepare for your new role?

Before I did my masters, I did a diploma course in Indian aesthetics from Jnanapravaha in Mumbai. It has helped me understand the world of art and culture and has given me perspective on aspects of the industry that I wasn't exposed to at the Lokmanya Tilak Institute of Architecture and Design Studies, Navi Mumbai, where I did my undergraduation.

Other than this, I took some writing, image and text electives in my master's programme at Platt that really helped me polish my skills as a writer. I learnt the technical aspects of writing and observational interpretations. I also learnt how to emote through words and tell a story.

I constantly keep enhancing my knowledge through online courses on HarvardX, Interaction Design Foundation, Google Cloud and Coursera. Some of the courses I have taken include architecture imagination, user experience, short form writing, etc.

What are your views on evolution of careers in your profession and the scope of growth in your current profile?

Architecture writing is a niche but growing field. And now, with so many social media platforms available, everybody has a found a way to express their voice. I know of many who choose to be in that space. A lot of students are now showing interest in architecture writing, journalism and graphics.

Personally, I feel there is a lot more for me to do and explore, so many forms of content that I have not delved into yet like writing a book or writing for video.

What are the potential opportunities for people to study architecture?

There are opportunities everywhere; my advice to all would be to not wait and just start.

Keep honing your skills you will see fruits of your labour.

It is not easy to get into this competitive industry but nothing good in life is ever easy.

Persistence is key.

I would also recommend learning transferable skills like design thinking, research and analysis, project management, technical tools and software and other interpersonal soft skills; it always helps.