Wendy Lim
In this AEC Community Member Spotlight, AEC Community Manager Wendy Lim met with Jowenn Lua, Autodesk Implementation Consultant and Community Expert Elite Alumni, to talk about his career in AEC, his experiences giving back in Community, and his advice for young designers.
What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?
I am an Implementation Consultant at Autodesk, which is a dream job for a guy like me who is passionate about learning new things and finding solutions to design problems. I love to innovate, teach, and share my knowledge. Seeing the ways that our customers innovate and create new workflows inspires me to learn new skills – I wish I had more time to study as I want to learn more and more each day! I advise young people who are starting out to value their time and use it to your advantage by learning new things that inspire you.
Before working at Autodesk you were a member of the Autodesk Community Expert Elite. Can you tell us more about your career journey?
In my career, I’m driven to do my best to help my customers to be successful. I started as an engineer, dreaming of becoming a successful designer, and went on to work with top engineering firms on high-profile billion-dollar infrastructure projects. Along the way, I learned that I’m passionate about finding new ways to solve complex design problems, which led me to discover the Autodesk Community and Autodesk University. I met lots of Expert Elites in the Community and realized that we shared that passion, which prompted me to start participating in the Community Forums. I tried to answer questions and help as much as possible during my free time and learn as much as I could. I also took part in the Autodesk beta testing program for Gunslinger and Inside the Factory. I was proud to be nominated and to become a member of the Autodesk Community Expert Elite. I have also been a speaker at Autodesk University, which gave me more opportunities to give back to the community and try to inspire young engineers to think outside the box and make new things.
What tips would you give to anyone aspiring to become an Autodesk Community Expert Elite?
Becoming an Expert Elite is a prestigious accomplishment. It is not easy to be selected, but it is a very rewarding journey to pursue. If you are aspiring to be recognised as an Expert Elite, then you should be as active as you can in the Autodesk Community and use your expertise to share advice, give support, and offer solutions to others. You could also become an ambassador for Autodesk by sharing your knowledge via blogs and social media, or by creating screencasts to showcase your best tips and tricks. I also recommend participating in Autodesk University.
So much knowledge in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry is experience-based. What do you think are the best ways to share knowledge?
Knowledge in the AEC industry is acquired on the job. Experience teaches you many things but continuing to learn and build on your experience is the key to being successful. Continuing to study and improve your skills will prepare you to adapt as technology changes. It is also important to share your knowledge and experience by being active in the industry community, creating blogs and online tutorials. Be willing to teach and impart what you have learned to help future generations.
What do you think will drive change in the AEC industry over the next few years?
Machine learning and artificial intelligence will probably be the next big things to drive change in the AEC industry. If we can remove all repetitive tasks and let AI handle it, then we can use our valuable time to do something more productive. We can also eliminate human errors and achieve better quality designs.
What advice do you have for students or new graduates who are just starting their careers in the AEC industry?
Get inspired! Check out Autodesk University classes and learn from the experts. Start thinking now about where you want to be in the next 5, 10, and 20 years. You need to be intentional in your career goals and focus your energy towards achieving those goals, but you also need to align your goals with your passions. Find a mentor that has the industry experience that you want to pursue and learn from their advice. Learn to appreciate guidance from your seniors as they can mentor you on things they have experienced. Retain the lessons that will help you in your career. Be an active and smart listener. Always do your best in each task. Be passionate and follow your dream. And leverage Autodesk products to help you build something new that is not available now!
We hope that you enjoyed this AEC Community Member Spotlight. Visit Jowenn’s Autodesk Community profile!
If you’d like to share your story, get in touch at aec.community@autodesk.com