Looking for a career in landscaping? Wondering if T.Lake is the company for you? We’re always on the lookout for top talent, so if you think you’re a good fit we’d love to hear from you. But before you do, let us give you a little peek into what it’s like to work at T.Lake, because we’re not for everyone.
If You Don’t Like Variety, We’re Not Going To Get Along.
Back in the day, when I was fresh out of college looking for a job, I remember checking out some of the larger landscape architecture firms out there. I took the time to talk to some of their employees, and some of them were pretty frank. “You just draft for years,” they confided. “You’re stuck to a desk, just cranking out other people’s stuff.”
That kind of thing wasn’t for me then, and now that I’m on the other side of the hiring desk it’s still not. Here at T. Lake we’re not going to train you into a corner doing the same robotic tasks day in and day out. Our approach is holistic: if you work for us you will have the opportunity to become diverse, quickly. We want all our people to know all the jobs. You will get hands-on experience in all the different roles—including field crew experience—and learn what makes everything tick in our world.
We also place high importance on learning to understand what it’s like for the customer. if you don’t understand what the customer feels and needs you can’t do any job right.
If You Like To Coast On What You’ve Learned, Don’t Apply.
Your education begins in earnest when you come to work at T. Lake. The common thing our interns always write on their evaluation forms is “I learned more during my internship at T. Lake than I did in 3-4 years in college.”
We like to stretch people, to round them out. We provide and encourage continuing education. This includes management training, technical training for more field-based people, and our own internal training program. We want our design staff to become licensed landscape architects, so we cost share in that.
Beyond the typical, we also provide training on personal financial management, via Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace. And, we really work hard to teach people about the principles of business. So many people in our industry focus almost exclusively on the joy of building beautiful things and well designed spaces, without awareness of the other side of the picture, which is “what is the customer really looking for and how can I help them create ROI?” We train on management principles, giving people the skills to fulfill their responsibility to themselves, their families, and their communities to stand in good financial shoes.
Quite simply, if you’re looking to grow your professional muscle mass, this is the place to be. We’re looking for high achievers, folks who want to continually learn and grow and be well rounded.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to coast and put your feet up and have it easy we’re not going to get along. I won’t beat a dead horse about this, in light of my recent rant on the topic. Just know: if we hire you, we expect you to work (and work sober). ‘Nuff said.
If You’re Not Active, Maybe We’re Not A Good Fit.
Finally, we have a distinct culture here at T.Lake, and we find that people who appreciate this culture tend to stick around better than those who don’t. The typical T.Lake employee has a thing for outdoor life and personal fitness. Whether they are into running and hiking, or hunting, fishing and camping, we are people who live to be outdoors. Even those of us with desk jobs would rather be “out there.”
We don’t force people there, but if you’re a couch potato at heart you may feel the odd man out. On the other hand, if you’re the type who is looking for a place that may subject you to the Navy Seal workout and climb mountains, we’ll probably get along great.
Still Interested?
We offer paid internships, and in addition to that the folks who really fit are invited back to work summers, holidays, and grow into permanent employment when they graduate. We’re also always glad to hear from high-achieving folks already in the industry who are looking for a company that will help them reach their full potential.
To inquire about a career at T.Lake, contact us here.
