Martin Gawthorpe

It was a huge decision for me to take to leave my 20 year long career in IT in the City and retrain in garden design. I did a huge amount of research before deciding that the Diploma in Residential Landscape Architecture at the OCGD was the right course for me. The course takes you on an incredible journey and, although it is fast-paced, the skills you acquire build in logical steps. The use of technology to run the course is excellent and it is good to see technology applied and used so effectively. Similarly, the training that the course gives you on utilising technology for 3D modelling, CAD and marketing is very valuable indeed in an industry where you will need to stand out above your competitors.What I hadn’t considered before starting the course was that a number of the skills that I built up over the years in the corporate world are equally relevant to a career in garden design. Skills such as time management, logical and creative thinking, project management, presenting material and ideas logically and clearly to obtain stakeholder buy-in, to name but a few. I can’t believe how far I have progressed since starting the course and have absolute confidence that selecting the course at the OCGD was a very good decision and will prepare me well for a successful career in garden design.