>>You realize, I assume, we will both be speaking on the Careers in
Preservation panel in Boston in March. We should take the time to field this
across BP and get feedback on same.<<

I did not know, but think this will be great, for us and for the audience. Who
else is on it? I have not gotten any materials from them. I did have the
Careers panel in the back of my mind in talking here on the list about my
father, etc. (trying out presenting these idea in public, which I am *not*
used to doing).  The two points I want to make on the panel are:

1. Experience is far more important than education.
 It takes significant depth of experience to really know enough about what is
going on with these historic and older buildings to sort out problems and
issues effectively. It is not a realistic  to come out of four years or even
eight years of academic study and expect to tackle old building issues
eficiently and effectively. Someone is giving these kids in preservation
studies the idea that they will be so valuable they can easily pay off a
$40-80,000. education debt. Some of them will be that valuable, but only after
years, or more likely decades of experience.

My advice: begin pounding rocks or eating sawdust by age 8 (or look back to
see what you were doing then and find ways to apply those activites to
preservation)

2. People are more important than buildings.
In my own career there was a dramatic jump in my effectiveness when I shifted
from my love for wood  and early buildings to helping people. It makes
absolutely no difference what paint or mortar is used if the building owner
suspects the  contractor is a criminal and the tradespeople hate their work.

My advice:  study motivational techniques, psychology, psychiatry and marriage
counseling (to help you understand yourself and your clients)