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How do I get a Landscaping Job?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

An associate's degree or higher in landscaping is a good start at being employable in a landscaping job. After completing education and training for landscape design jobs and then gaining some experience, it's possible to get a landscaping job in one or more different career areas. The most effective way to get the best landscape jobs is to build up a resume of client references.

Landscape architect jobs take experience and a thorough understanding of outdoor architecture. Architect landscaping jobs are done mainly in an office setting as opposed to a maintenance and labor kind of landscaping job that is done outdoors on work sites. Strong computer design skills with some experience or knowledge of urban planning can help landscapers beat the sometimes intense competition for landscape architecture jobs.

Someone interested in landscaping work might begin as an assistant landscaper.
Someone interested in landscaping work might begin as an assistant landscaper.

Starting as an assistant landscaper can help build both knowledge and experience for future design landscape jobs. Landscaping assistants are often needed on an outdoor landscape crew. With some education or landscaping training, aspiring landscapers may be able to find labor and maintenance landscaping jobs by contacting local landscape companies. Spring and summer are the busiest seasons in gardening landscaping jobs and local companies often need help to fill in for vacationing crew members. Since at least 49 states require landscapers to be licensed, getting experience by being supervised on a labor crew is a good start for a landscaping job while aspiring landscapers work on getting their licenses.

Landscaping jobs may include working for parks and other green public spaces.
Landscaping jobs may include working for parks and other green public spaces.

The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that the rate of landscape architects who have their own businesses is about double the rate of entrepreneurs in other occupations. Continuing to get landscaping jobs for one’s landscaping business relies on marketing and building good client references. It’s important for landscapers to gather client references and testimonials and use them in their advertising testimonials to attract new clients.

Many landscapers with their own landscape businesses work in residential landscaping. They must train and hire crew members who are motivated, talented and reliable. Time must be devoted to promoting the business and constantly looking for new landscaping job leads.

Government parks services are another possible job source for landscapers. Landscape designers working for the government may have to prepare reports on how their park designs fit in with sustaining the environment. Many landscape designers work for commercial real estate companies to do landscaping for shopping centers and business developments.

Discussion Comments

Moldova

Sunny27- I also wanted to say that landscaping job opportunities are found in commercial and residential real estate.

Many luxury housing communities need landscapers to maintain the landscaping on the grounds. Landscapers also are hired by home builders in order to enhance the new property development.

Sometimes individual homeowners will seek a landscape designer to enhance the value of their home. Landscape designers can be used to create a more useful backyard for example.

This enhances the properties appearance and usefulness.

A landscape designer may also be hired just to update the home's landscaping in order for it to be more attractive to buyers and increase its curb appeal.

Most landscaping designer jobs available offer a salary from $45,000 to $86,000.

Sunny27

BrickBack- Also a landscape designer job might just include the design layout. This is for a smaller garden in which the client has a limited budget.

The landscape designer would offer the blue print design to the client and they would buy the suggested plants and place them as detailed on the layout.

A landscape designer could also manage the installation of the project and often hires additional subcontractors to finish various aspects of the installations.

These projects include installing waterfalls and irrigation systems and laying brick.

Sometimes the client will keep the landscape designer on retainer in order to maintain the landscaping of the property. This is considered the maintenance phase of a project.

BrickBack

Landscaping job titles include a landscape architect and a landscape designer. The landscape architect is licensed and actually creates the entire landscaping project on a blueprint.

The blueprint includes all of the materials that should be used where everything should be placed and takes into consideration irrigation and complex design issues.

A landscape designer is not licensed but can function the same way. They are involved in the design phase, the installation phase and the maintenance phase of a landscape project.

Sometimes they are involved in all three phases depending on what the client wants.

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    • Someone interested in landscaping work might begin as an assistant landscaper.
      By: alinamd
      Someone interested in landscaping work might begin as an assistant landscaper.
    • Landscaping jobs may include working for parks and other green public spaces.
      By: JulietPhotography
      Landscaping jobs may include working for parks and other green public spaces.