Archive through October 22, 2009

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Author Message Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 20 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 11:48 am:    In order to obtain better data about potential young specifiers, I would propose a survey about how we all got started to see what the norm was as we became specifers. What is your current age? Did you receive education beyond high school? What was your your major? At what age did you first prepare some significant specifications? Did you have a mentor in specifications? How was the mentor related to you (office, CSI chapter, etc.)? At what age did you first take a formal education seminar or course in specifications? Who provided the education? At what age did you achieve CCS (will be later for many because of when the program started)? At what age did you first become a full-time specifier? A complilation of the above data from a significant number of today's specifier's will provide us good information to compare with what is happening today. To make the complilation easier, please copy and use the following outline for responses: Current age: Higher education: Yes or No Major? Age when first prepared specs: Have a mentor: Yes or No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: Education provider: Age at CCS: Age as full-time specifier: Edward R. Heinen, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edwardheinen Post Number: 15 Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 11:55 am:    I'll try the survey: Current age: 45 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 34 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: CSI CDT/CCS Education provider: self Age at CCS: 35/36 Age as full-time specifier: 35 G. Wade Bevier, CSI, CCS, LEED-AP, Assoc. AIA, SCIP affiliate Senior Member Username: wbevier Post Number: 17 Registered: 07-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:05 pm:    Current age: 55 Higher education: Yes Major? Photography Age when first prepared specs: 44 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Director of Specifications Age at first formal education: 44 Education provider: CSI CDT Certification through the Firm Age at CCS: 48 Age as full-time specifier: 44 Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 909 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:09 pm:    Current age: 65 Higher education: Yes Major? Psychology (undergrad); Architecture (Masters) Age when first prepared specs: 49 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Coworker/supervisor Age at first formal education: For spec writing? 51 Education provider: CSI, mentor Age at CCS: 55 Age as full-time specifier: 51 (while working towards CDT) Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 28 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:15 pm:    Current age: 44 Higher education: A.B then M.Arch Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 29 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Director of Specifications Age at first formal education: 27, M.Arch class on professional practice. Education provider: Graduate school Age at CCS: 29 (4 months after first job as specifier) Age as full-time specifier: 30 Mark R. Jones, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: mjones Post Number: 6 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:18 pm:    Current age: 43 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 29 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: na Age at first formal education: 31 Education provider: CSI, CDT Seminar Age at CCS: 35 Age as full-time specifier: Not a full-time specifier Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 29 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:19 pm:    Robert: One year at a SCIP meeting, I asked several specifiers (particularly women) how they got started as specifiers. There were many interesting stories, but no 'norm' path. I'll be interested to see what your survey finds. George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 474 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:20 pm:    Current age: 58 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 32 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: 49 Education provider: CSI, CDT Age at CCS: 51 Age as full-time specifier: 49 George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1020 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:23 pm:    Current age: 73 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 30 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Firm Partner Age at first formal education: 32 Education provider: Private seminar Age at CCS: 74 hopefully Age as full-time specifier: 60 George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 475 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:28 pm:    Bob- Are you going to post your own response to the survey? Most of us know your background, but it might interest those who don't know you to understand the depth of the experience you bring to these discussions. By the way, I answered "no mentor" because I assume it related to when we first prepared a spec. But I must credit you, and several others who regularly post here on 4specs, as being wonderful mentors when I finally got around to specifying full-time and realizing how little I knew for the first 20 years of my career. Thank you all. George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 775 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 12:56 pm:    Current age: 48 (as of tomorrow) Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture (B. Arch) Age when first prepared specs: 23 (but I hadn't a clue as to what I was doing) Have a mentor: Yes, sort of... Mentor Relationship: Various senior architects I worked with, but none in regard to specifications preparation Age at first formal education: 39 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 41 Age as full-time specifier: 42 Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Richard A. Rosen, CSI, CCS, AIA Senior Member Username: rarosen Post Number: 48 Registered: 08-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:12 pm:    Current age: 64 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 35 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: 40 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 55 Age as full-time specifier: 42 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 21 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:22 pm:    Yes George I was planning on responding - waited a little bit to see if people were willing to participate. Looks like they are. Robbin - Norm was probably not the best term to use. I guess the goal is to see "how young" we were when we got into the spec biz. I plan on doing a complilation that would include highs, lows, average, and maybe means. So the results would indicate the extremes as well as the average. This would then give us some historical data upon which to evaluate the situation today. Current age: 70 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 26 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: CSI chapter member Age at first formal education: 28 Education provider: CSI chapter - before CDT/CCS Age at CCS: 43 Age as full-time specifier: 43 Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 231 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:23 pm:    Current age: 62 Higher education: Yes (Canada) Major? Architectural Technology Age when first prepared specs: 26 Have a mentor: Yes. Mentor Relationship: Firm principal who did the specifications and over the years, other specifiers, and 4Specs.com. Learning never stops. Age at first formal education: 27 Education provider: Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) via their correspondence course. Pre MOPs. Age at CCS: 43 Age as full-time specifier: I think I was 27 or 28. I eventually took over from my mentor. Over the years I have been a consultant in private practice (pre SCIP), inhouse dedicated specifier, and occupied combined roles as specifier, contract admin, job caption, etc. At the outset I used the cut and paste method with a typist and Xerox copier. Tools of the trade were triangle scale for cutting, stapler and clear tape for pasting, red "Stylist" pen for edits and new text, quad pad, typist, copier. Fax machines came later. Have been a dedicated specifier for firms in Canada and the US (Hawaii and WA). Currently 1 of 5 in firm. William C. Pegues, FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: wpegues Post Number: 789 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:34 pm:    Current age: 62 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 29 Have a mentor: Initially, no - years 3 through 7 yes. Mentor Relationship: Head of Specifications for the Office Age at first formal education: 27 Education provider: University of Tennessee, School of Architecture, before CSI Age at CCS: 41 or 42 Age as full-time specifier: 30 William C. Pegues, FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate WDG Architecture, Washington, DC | Dallas, TX Russ Hinkle, AIA, CDT, LEED AP Senior Member Username: rhinkle Post Number: 64 Registered: 02-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:36 pm:    Current age: 47 Higher education: Yes Major? M Arch and MBA Age when first prepared specs: 30 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: 41- CDT, 42 - CCS Education provider: Local Chapter study group Age at CCS: 42 Age as full-time specifier: 40 Russ Hinkle Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 22 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:49 pm:    Lisa - don't know why I called you Robbin - that's what happens when you get old - please accept my apologies! Vivian Volz, RA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: vivianvolz Post Number: 123 Registered: 06-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:02 pm:    Current age: 41 Higher education: Yes, B. Arch. Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 30-ish Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Spec leaders in other offices of large architecture firm Age at first formal education: 33 Education provider: Self-study, CSI materials Age at CCS: 34 Age as full-time specifier: 33 Julie Brown Senior Member Username: jkbrown Post Number: 16 Registered: 06-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:11 pm:    Current age: 50 Higher education: Yes Major? Business Age when first prepared specs: 27 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Owner of firm Age at first formal education: 29 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 33 Age as full-time specifier: 33 Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 175 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:17 pm:    Current age: 56 Higher education: Yes Major? Engineering Technology, Construction Mgt '93 Age when first prepared specs: 22 Have a mentor: yes and no Mentor Relationship: Manager of the NEX Maintenance Department, purchased Hans Meir's Specifications Handbook to guide me in writing specifications, and converting NAVFAC Guide specs into 3Part format for Navy Exchange renovation jobs. Otherwise, it was SOP (seat of the pants). Age at first formal education: 21 Education provider: Community College 73-74, 80-82; Old Dominion University 86-93 Age at CCS: 31 Age as full-time specifier: 30 Richard Baxter, AIA, CSI Senior Member Username: rbaxter Post Number: 94 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:19 pm:    Current age:45 Higher education: Yes or No Major?BAchelor Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science of Architecture, & Master of Architecture Age when first prepared specs:38 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: NA Age at first formal education: 34 Education provider: Masters of Architecture program, University of Utah (wasn't particularly helpful) Age at CCS:46 Age as full-time specifier:38 G. Wade Bevier, CSI, CCS, LEED-AP, Assoc. AIA, SCIP affiliate Senior Member Username: wbevier Post Number: 18 Registered: 07-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:28 pm:    I would like one more piece of information if it is available. Of those of you that consider yourselves as being full time specifiers and are CSI members how are you catagorizing your membership when you renew. I know there are many specifiers who are also licensed and degreed architects. The membership form only allows for one occupation designation and I have a feeling that our numbers are somewhat skewed and that there may be many more specifiers than are indicated on the data base because the member indicated they are a "100 Architect' and not a "109 Specifier or Specification Consultant". When the Board is looking for direction from the membership demographics this is the tool that is being used and the Specifiers on the database might not be getting the full attention that would otherwise be given if the numbers were to show a larger proportion of the membership. Then again we might just be only 7% of the membership in which case that too is useful information. Marc C Chavez Senior Member Username: mchavez Post Number: 347 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 02:34 pm:    Current age: 52 Higher education: Yes Major? BS Sociology, BS Anthropology, Barch (5 year pro degree),masters work in Geology - no degree Age when first prepared specs: 42 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Friend who was going to an office to write specs as I was establishing my own practice for architecture and spec writing. and CSI member Age at first formal education: 6. Oh! you mean specs, age 28 or so. I had a pro practice class in school and read Hans Meier's books Education provider: University of Idaho and then later - CSI CDT/CCS class Age at CCS: 41 Age as full-time specifier: 42 (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:10 pm:    Current age: 51 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture (B.Arch) Age when first prepared specs: 32 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Supervisor Age at first formal education: 42 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 44 Age as full-time specifier: 42 Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 335 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 03:07 pm:    Current Age: 64 Higher Education: Yes Major: BA Sociology (Started as an English major - 18 months) Age when first prepared specs: 24 (Doors/Hardware) Mentor: Yes - An in-house specification (technical) writer & a Senior Architect/Project Manager Age at first formal education in specs: No formal education - learned on the job Age at CCS: 59 Age as full-time specifier: 50 Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 187 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 03:25 pm:    Current age: 55 Higher education: Yes Major? BArch, but somehow took degree in Philosophy Age when first prepared specs: 45 Have a mentor: Yes, previous specwriter at this firm and the firm we were at before Mentor Relationship: Obi-Wan-Kenobi, travel guide, wine coach Age at first formal education: 44 Education provider: seminars at local AIA by CSI Age at CCS: when time permits Age as full-time specifier: 45 J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 344 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 03:34 pm:    Current age: 60 Higher education: Yes (BA, BArch, MBA) Major? Architecture/Fine Arts and Management Age when first prepared specs: 31 Have a mentor: Yes (although no specific mentor) Mentor Relationship: Colleagues at CSI Chapter Age at first formal education: 35 (actually don't remember if I every had a course; I am talking about the one I helped to teach) Education provider: CSI Chapter Age at CCS: 35 Age as full-time specifier: 31 Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 336 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 03:39 pm:    I did forget to mention the spec school I attended in Phoenix given by the Phoenix CSI Chapter, just before I took and passed the CDT in 2001 (Age 56) Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 309 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 04:29 pm:    Robert: What year did the CCS program start? All I remember is that I took the exam in it's first year. I had to take the exam because I missed the 5-year grandfathering requirement by 6-months. David R. Combs, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: davidcombs Post Number: 305 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 04:45 pm:    Current age: 48 (but feel - and sometimes act - much younger) Higher education: Yes Major? Construction Engineering, then switched to Architecture. Age when first prepared specs: 25 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Spec writer at competing firm (and fellow member of local CSI Chapter) Age at first formal education: 31 Education provider: CDT/CCS Study Class (self-taught prior to that). Age at CCS: 31 Age as full-time specifier: 30 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 23 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 05:05 pm:    Ron I cannot remember exactly. I was either working as a govenment owner's representative or as a general contractor at the time and did not need it for the responsibilities that I had. I took it in 1982 (or very close to there) when I became a spec consultant and I know it had been in existence for a few years at that time. I believe it was in the late 1970's but don't know the exact year. Someone else on the forum might have worked on the program or taken it as it came out and can give us the year. Hans Meir was chair of the committee that produced the first CCS program. Weldon Nash was one of the members. A little history for those not active in CSI at that time. CCS was the first certification program. At the beginning there was a "grandfather" clause that allowed experienced specifiers to obtain their CCS without taking the exam. The CDT certificate program came later in the 80's - again can't remember the exact year. It was made a prequiste for CCS at that time. CCCA became a working certification program in the mid-90's with a CDT prequiste requirement. For quite a few years, almost three times as many people are receiving their CCCA each year as compared to CCS. James M. Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 52 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 05:06 pm:    Current age: 48 Higher education: Yes Major? BS (Biology), Master of Architecture Age when first prepared specs: ~42 Have a mentor: Yes, a very good one. Mentor Relationship: Full-time specification writer in the same office. This individual has an architecture degree and forty+ years experience, almost half of those as a specification writer. Age at first formal specification education: 39 (joined CSI and passed the CDT exam) Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 48 (last April) Age as full-time specifier: 44-1/2 I received my M. Arch and started practicing in 1991. I benefitted greatly from my first boss' "benign negelect" (his term). Because I got to "do it all" from the outset, I learned a lot and learned it fast - like first learning to swim in the ocean instead of a back yard pool. After about a decade of "normal" architecture I was internally motivated to concentrate on specification writing. Having that particular skill set has been a boon to me in the current economic situation. My mentor is simply the best in terms of knowledge and attitude. It's like taking driving lessons from Mario Andretti. Bob Woodburn, RA CSI CCS CCCA LEED AP Senior Member Username: bwoodburn Post Number: 297 Registered: 01-2005 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 05:30 pm:    Current age: 66 Higher education: 6 years Major? BA in Humanities (art, English/other languages, music) + 2 years toward M.Arch. Age when first prepared specs: 34 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Apprenticed to firm's other fulltime specifier. Age at first formal education: No formal spec education. Education provider: -- Age at CCS: 44 (?) Age as full-time specifier: 34 years. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 233 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 05:33 pm:    Robert, I attained my CCS in the 2nd quarter of 1990 and do not remember the CDT being a prerequisite at that time. Perhaps it existed but was also grandfathered in for existing specifiers? Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 234 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 05:49 pm:    Average so far = 46.16 years Richard Howard, AIA CSI CCS LEED-AP Senior Member Username: rick_howard Post Number: 216 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 06:01 pm:    Current age: 57 Higher education: BS Arch Age when first prepared specs: 25 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: senior architect in firm Age at first formal education: 25 Education provider: on the job and CSI Age at CCS: 29 Age as full-time specifier: 32 George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 476 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 06:04 pm:    We had the "when did it start?" discussion at the Certification Committee meeting last weekend. Here are the "authorized by the board" dates: CCS - 1977 CDT - 1985 CCCA - 1991 CCPR - 1989 However, the concensus guess on when they were first offered was: CCS - 1978 CDT - 1988 or 89 CCCA - 1995 or 96 CCPR - 2000 Interesting to note that although CCPR was authorized first, we are fairly certain that CCCA was first offered before CCPR was. Dates in the "authorized" list were verified, but dates in the "first offered" list are best guesses. We'd welcome all confirmed corrections to the "first offered" list. George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 24 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 07:18 pm:    Results from first 26 responders: Age: High: 73 Low: 41 Average: 55 Median: 55 Age at writing first specs: High: 49 Low: 22 Average: 32 Median: 31 Age at first formal spec education: High: 56 Low: 21 Average: 36 Median: 34 Age at achieving CCS: High: 55 Low: 29 Average: 41 Median: 42 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 38 Median: 40 So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 55 years old with an architectural education (80%), wrote their first specs at about 30 years old, had a mentor in their office (79%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (76%) in their mid 30's, achieved CCS certification at about 40, and became a full-time specifier at about 40. We can update this data if we get a significant more number of responders. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many. This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the professional they are most interested in. John Guill Member Username: specmonkey Post Number: 3 Registered: 07-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 07:28 pm:    Current age: 50 Higher education: BS Major? Construction Age when first prepared specs: 21 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: NA Age at first formal education: 35 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 42? Can't remember Age as full-time specifier: 43 Lapsed back into part-time architect, part-time specifier. I was tracked into specifying by an employer who saw it as less "important" than design work and since I didn't have an architecture degree, I couldn't be allowed to do design in his firm. I found that I enjoyed it and had an aptitude for it, but no opportunities to learn more until I moved to civilization and joined CSI. That happened late. John Guill AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 30 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 08:13 pm:    For more on the when did it start question, I took the CDT and CCS in April 1994, and I believe John Bunzick was in the same room taking the beta test version of the CCCA that day. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 04:19 pm:    Current age: 45 Higher education: Yes Major? Construction Technology (B.S.) and Architecture (M.Arch.) Age when first prepared specs: 25 Have a mentor: No Age at first formal education: 20 Education provider: Purdue, as part of a Construction Documents class Age at CCS: 37 Age as full-time specifier: Not full-time, but have written all specs for the firm for ~12 years David E Lorenzini Senior Member Username: deloren Post Number: 83 Registered: 04-2000 Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 10:40 pm:    Current age: 70 Higher education: Yes Major? B.ArchEng, M.BldgSci Age when first prepared specs: 42 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Associate who worked for me Age at first formal spec education: 22 Education provider: Univ. of Penna. Age at CCS: 43 Age as full-time specifier: 42 Note: Started spec consulting firm before writing my first spec. SOP all the way. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS Architectural Resources Co. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 310 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 04:17 am:    Current age: 68 Higher education: Yes Major? Civil Engineering Age when first prepared specs: 28 Have a mentor: Yes [Everett Spurling] Mentor Relationship: CSI member and employer Age at first formal education: 37 Education provider: CSI MOP in preparation for CCS exam Age at CCS: 37 [based on CCS starting in 1978] Age as full-time specifier: 30 Robert: It might be interesting to add gender to the final tabulations to find out what % of our profession are male or female. Ronald: Happy Birthday!! Curt Norton, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: curtn Post Number: 151 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 07:53 am:    Current age: 42 Higher education: Yes Major? BS Construction Administration Age when first prepared specs: 33 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: The firm’s previous spec writer was my supervisor and a terrific mentor Age at first formal education: 33 Education provider: CSI spec writing Seminar in KC and MOP in preparation for CDT exam Age at CCS: 34 Age as full-time specifier: 33 (although it took most of a year to shed my CA responsibilities) Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 883 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 11:43 am:    Current age: almost 56 Higher education: Yes or No yes Major? BA Urban Studies Age when first prepared specs: 24 for interiors projects; 26 for a small building Have a mentor: Yes or No ; yes, Director of Architecture; Director of specifications (two people) Mentor Relationship: boss's boss Age at first formal education: none Education provider: self taught (took CCS when first offered, before classes were offered) Age at CCS: 27 Age as full-time specifier: 24; was an assistant to a consultant before that for 1 year Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 331 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 12:00 pm:    Current age: 63 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 33 Have a mentor: Yes, two of them Mentor Relationship: CSI chapter member; business partner Age at first formal education: 26 Education provider: community college Age at CDT: 57 Age as full-time specifier: 43 Bill DuBois Member Username: billd Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2003 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 12:21 pm:    Current age: 58 Higher education: M.Arch Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 30 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Director of Specifications Age at first formal education: 37, study for CDT and CCS. Education provider: CSI CCS Instructor Age at CCS: 37 Age as full-time specifier: 35 ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 30 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 04:45 pm:    Current age: 54 Higher education: Never really stop, do we? Major? Physical Sciences Age when first prepared specs: 21 Have a mentor: More of a motivator Mentor Relationship: Firm Owner Age at first formal education: 25 Education provider: DC CSI Avoiding Material Failures Class at AIA HQ,~1980. CCS prep class at VA HQ in DC - 1987. Been teaching ever since. Age at CCS: 32. CCCA: 43 Age as full-time specifier: 24 Listed as Specifier w/CSI. Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 311 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 06:48 pm:    <<Education provider: DC CSI Avoiding Material Failures Class at AIA HQ,~1980.....> Ken: I recall this education program well; especially since I was the EdComm chairman [toot toot]. IIRC, it was conducted over a 6 to 8 week period with 60+ in attendance. I think Metzger in there also. Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 332 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 - 07:25 pm:    yes I was there Ron; may even still have my notes squirreled away somewhere. They were good classes (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 12:16 am:    Current age: 42 Higher education: MArch, MBA, working on my JD. Major? All the above Age when first prepared specs: 24 ish Have a mentor: I had several for the first 10 years of my career Mentor Relationship: Firm Owner, co-workers Age at first formal education: 23 ish - took CDT class Education provider: Phoenix Chapter CSI Age at CCS: 32. Age as full-time specifier: 32 Listed as Specifier w/CSI. This is me - Robin Snyder - can't seem to remember my username and password... Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 225 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 11:52 am:    Current age: 59 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 31 Have a mentor: No, actually sort of but not really Mentor Relationship: Outside consultant to firm Age at first formal education: 36 Education provider: Baltimore CSI Age at CCS: 37 Age as full-time specifier: 40 +/- Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 25 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 01:14 pm:    Revised results from first 36 responders: Age: High: 73 Low: 41 Average: 55 Median: 55 Age at writing first specs: High: 49 Low: 21 Average: 31 Median: 30 Age at first formal specification education: High: 56 Low: 20 Average: 35 Median: 33 Age at achieving CCS: High: 55 Low: 27 Average: 40 Median: 39 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 38 Median: 38 The expanded results from 36 people are not significantly different from the first 26. So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 55 years old with an architectural education (75%), wrote their first specs at about 30 years old, had a mentor (75%) in their office (81%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (76%) in their mid 30's, achieved CCS certification at about 40, and became a full-time specifier at about 40. We can further update this data if we get a significant more number of responders. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many (16%). This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the profession they are most interested in. Response to Ron Beard: 19% of the responders have been female. One significant difference with the females in compared to males is that on average they seem to have started in specifications a few years earlier in life. John Regener, AIA, CCS, CCCA, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: john_regener Post Number: 445 Registered: 04-2002 Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 - 01:44 pm:    Current age: 63 Higher education: Yes. B.Arch., University of California, Berkeley, 1970 Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 32 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Instructors in CSI chapter education series Age at first formal education: 32 Education provider: San Francisco Chapter, CSI Age at CCS: 35 Age as full-time specifier: 48 Doug Frank FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 242 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Friday, July 24, 2009 - 08:32 am:    Sorry I'm late in responding. My data won't change the median numbers much. Current age: 64 Higher education: Associate Degree; Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 32 Have a mentor: None specific Mentor Relationship: CSI members Age at first formal education: 33 Education provider: Univ. of Wisconsin; “Construction Specifications” (1978): Univ. of Wisconsin; “Construction Contracts” (1981) Age at CCS: 36 Age as full-time specifier: 33 Doug Frank FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate FKP Architects, Inc. Houston, TX Ronald J. Ray, RA, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: rjray Post Number: 80 Registered: 04-2004 Posted on Monday, July 27, 2009 - 03:45 pm:    Late as well: Current age: 56 Higher education: B Arch (5 year) Master Arch. Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 27 Have a mentor: None Mentor Relationship N/A Age at first formal education: NA Education provider: N/A Age at CCS: 40 Age at CCCA: 45 Age as full-time specifier: 37 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 27 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 04:03 pm:    FYI here are progress results of the survey which includes responses in CSI Forums: Age: High: 73 Low: 41 Average: 56 Median: 56 Age at writing first specs: High: 49 Low: 17 Average: 31 Median: 30 Age at first formal specification education: High: 56 Low: 20 Average: 34 Median: 33 Age at achieving CCS: High: 55 Low: 27 Average: 39 Median: 37 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 38 Median: 40 So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 56 years old with an architectural education (77%), wrote their first specs at about 30 years old, had a mentor (74%) in their office (81%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (73%) in their mid 30's, achieved CCS certification at about 40, and became a full-time specifier at about 40. We hope to further update this data if we get more rssponses from specifers. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many (14%). This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the profession they are most interested in. Again, we would like to expand the number of specifier responses to see if the above results are accurate. Tomas Mejia, CCS, CCCA, LEED Senior Member Username: tmejia Post Number: 48 Registered: 09-2003 Posted on Saturday, August 01, 2009 - 09:22 pm:    Current age: 53 Higher education: Yes Major? BS Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 28 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Vice President of firm (FCSI) Age at first formal education: 29 Education provider: LA Chapter CSI CCS prep class Age at CCS: 29 Age as full-time specifier: 29 J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 349 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Sunday, August 02, 2009 - 12:10 pm:    Robert; what is the size of your sample? Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 28 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Sunday, August 02, 2009 - 12:20 pm:    43 as of 7/28 in the summary above. Have the responses from a few more that have not been imputed into the spreadsheet yet. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 350 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Sunday, August 02, 2009 - 10:58 pm:    Current age: 60 Higher education: Yes Majors? Chemistry, physics, biology, architecture; BS, BArch Age when first prepared specs: 36 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: 38 Education provider: MSP Chapter Age at CCS: 39 Age as full-time specifier: 36 John McGrann Senior Member Username: jmcgrann Post Number: 75 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 08:12 am:    Current Age: 54 Higher Education: Yes Majors? B. Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 27 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Employer (AIA, CSI) Age at first formal education: n/a (just read the MOP and took the test) Education Provider: n/a Age at CCS: 32 Age as full-time specifier: 35 John T. McGrann, Jr., AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1074 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 09:46 am:    Current age: 56 Higher education: Yes Major? BA in org. behavior Age when first prepared specs: 30 (Added item) Age when first worked for design firm: 30 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal education: None in architecture or specs, other than self study of CSI Manual of Practice. Education provider: School of Hard Knocks Age at CCS: Not sure, 36? Age at CCCA: 41 (Lisa G.'s memory is better than mine) Age as full-time specifier: 34 as CA-then specs. Half my career has been spent doing CA and half doing specs. Proportion has varied. Gerard Sanchis (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, August 03, 2009 - 05:54 pm:    Current age: 66 Higher education: Yes. Major? Architecture. Age when first prepared specs: 25 Have a mentor: Yes. Mentor Relationship: Firm principal. Age at first formal education: 22 Education provider: School, Mentors and CSI. Age at CCS: N.A. Age as full-time specifier: 27 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 29 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - 11:32 am:    FYI here are progress results of the survey at both discussion forums after 50 responses (no significant changes): Age: High: 73 Low: 41 Average: 56 Median: 56 Age at writing first specs: High: 49 Low: 17 Average: 31 Median: 30 Age at first formal specification education: High: 56 Low: 20 Average: 34 Median: 33 Age at achieving CCS: High: 57 Low: 27 Average: 39 Median: 37 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 38 Median: 38 So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 56 years old with an architectural education (74%), wrote their first specs at about 30 years old, had a mentor (72%) in their office (83%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (74%) in their mid 30's, achieved CCS certification in late 30's, and became a full-time specifier in late 30's. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many (12%). This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the profession they are most interested in. Again, we would like to expand the number of specifier responses to see if the above results are accurate. Tony Wolf, AIA, CCS, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: tony_wolf Post Number: 16 Registered: 11-2007 Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - 01:29 pm:    Current age: 58 Higher education: Yes Major? M.Arch. Age when first prepared specs: 32 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: chief specifier Age at first formal education: 33 Education provider: CSI thru local construction association Age at CCS: 40 Age as full-time specifier: 32 Chris Sawyer, CCS LEED AP Senior Member Username: csawyer Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2009 Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - 01:39 pm:    Current age: 39 Higher education: Yes Major? MFA Writing Age when first prepared specs: 28 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: N/A Age at first formal education: 35 Education provider: CSI Age at CCS: 38 Age as full-time specifier: 36 Chris Sawyer CCS LEED AP Dale Hurttgam, NCARB, AIA,LEED AP, CSI Senior Member Username: dwhurttgam Post Number: 43 Registered: 10-2005 Posted on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - 05:28 pm:    Current age: 60 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 51 (First formal preparation of Spec Sections at this age - had previously reviewed specs as an Architectural Department Leader and assisted with spec development via providing and coordinating spec criteria with spec writer as a Project Archtitect. Was placed in charge of specs at large A/E at this age - considered this area by "weak link" at the time). Have a mentor: Yes, the two senior, well experienced spec writers that I worked with at that time). Mentor Relationship: Spec writers that worked with and for me. Age at first formal specification education: Have not had formal spec education - CSI meetings - Spec Round Table - group of local area spec writers that periodically get together to review specification process, products, systems, etc. to mutually assist each other. Education provider: CSI thru monthlhy meetings. Age at CCS: Have not achieved. Age as full-time specifier: Not full time - but majority of time - 51. Jonathan Miller, FCSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: jmma_specs Post Number: 9 Registered: 04-2009 Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 - 03:50 pm:    Current age: 54 Higher education: Yes, B.S. Design; M.Arch Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 37 Have a mentor: No one person Mentor Relationship: Many CSI friends Age at first formal education: 36 for CDT/CCS Education provider: Mpls-St. Paul Chapter CSI 11 week prep course Age at CCS: 36 Age as full-time specifier: 49 Jonathan M. Miller FCSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP, AIA, NCARB... EIEIO (a SCIP designation) JMMa Specs Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 698 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 06, 2009 - 11:19 am:    Current age: 17 years younger than Ralph - do the math, its good for your brain power...no calculators now! Higher education: Yes, is this question really necessary?...ok - BD and MAA. Major? Architectural Design Age when first prepared specs: 31, I was too young to know better. Have a mentor: a senior architect with the firm, promised me big money preparing specs and never a dull moment...well he was right about one thing. Mentor Relationship: Partner in Charge of project working on at time. Age at first formal education: who can remember that far back? Does that mean when I started college? Education provider: CSI & Books Age at CCS: 41 Age as full-time specifier: 45, though still practicing as an architect, maybe I will get it right one of these days. Jerry Tims AIA, CSI Senior Member Username: jtims Post Number: 89 Registered: 04-2005 Posted on Thursday, August 06, 2009 - 11:24 am:    Current age: 53 Higher education: Yes Major? Architecture Age when first prepared specs: Around 40 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Was one of our partners Age at first formal education: Around 40 Education provider: CSI local chapter Age at CCS: Still on the todo list Age as full-time specifier: Around 40 Rich Gonser AIA CSI CCCA Senior Member Username: gonserarch Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Friday, August 07, 2009 - 01:24 pm:    Current age: 54 Higher education: Yes Major? BS Arch Age when first prepared specs: 34 Have a mentor: No Mentor Relationship: Indirect through other Orange County(CA) Specifiers Age at first formal education: 38 Education provider: CSI local chapter Age at CCS: Have CCCA = 50 Age as full-time specifier: 45 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 30 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Saturday, August 08, 2009 - 05:15 pm:    FYI here are progress results of the survey at both discussion forums after 58 responses (no significant changes): Age: High: 73 Low: 36 Average: 55 Median: 56 Age at writing first specs: High: 51 Low: 17 Average: 31 Median: 31 Age at first formal specification education: High: 56 Low: 20 Average: 34 Median: 35 Age at achieving CCS: High: 57 Low: 27 Average: 39 Median: 37 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 38 Median: 38 So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 55 years old with an architectural education (78%), wrote their first specs at about 30 years old, had a mentor (72%) in their office (83%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (82%) in their mid 30's, achieved CCS certification at about age 39, and became a full-time specifier at about age 38. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many (12%). This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the profession they are most interested in. Doug Frank FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 243 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 08:10 am:    Bob, I was amazed to see that someone was only 17 years of age when they first prepared a spec. I wanted to know who that was and searched through the whole list. The youngest I could find was 27. Is it possible that the 17 in the summary should really be 27? Doug Frank FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate FKP Architects, Inc. Houston, TX Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 31 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 10:14 am:    It was on CSI forum rather than here: Kerin Dodd-Hansen: Current age: 67 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 17 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Father (Practing Architect) Age at first formal specification education: None Education provider: CSI Manual of Practice (Self) Age at CCS: 36 (took & passed test 1978) Age as full-time specifier: 47 Believe it was because he worked in his fathter's architect's office as a teenager. Seems like a little stretch that he actually wrote specs at that age but it is certainly possible. Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 32 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 02:04 pm:    Dane's comment in reaction on CSI forum: Since there seems to be some discussion on other Forums about my post of having written specifications at the age of 17, I would like to clairify...... I started working in my fathers architectural office when I was 13 years old as an Office Boy. Although I had already learned to use all of the drafting instruments to help with school work, my father refused to allow me to do any drafting until I "Knew what I was doing.....". So he imposed the condition that I could draft when I had learned what the products used in construction were. To accomplish this he assigned me the job of reading ALL of Sweets Catalogs, and being able to write a specification before I could do any drafting. Sweets was then 39 volumes and it took me 9-1/2 months, but I read them.......and then produced (with his guidance) the specification for our house on Twin Peaks in San Francisco.....which he also let me help design.....and draft the construction drawings. I wrote my first unassisted specification for a house in Pacific Heights when I was 17. It was one hell of an education....and it remains the most significant educational element of my becoming an Architect. Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 33 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 02:30 pm:    Side comment to Dane's. I started work in an architect's office at age 17 as a senior in high school - afternoons after school and Saturday mornings - standard 45 hour work week then - full time the following summers. I got to run errands, transfer submittal review notes, a little lettering on schedules on drawings, some simple drafting later, etc., and help proof read specs. Specs were hand typed by outside secretarial service. Combination female draftswomen and telephone answerer in our office and I would read out loud the draft or final to each other to proof read the typing job. So I got a little education about what specs were about, but certainly not the education that Dane got from his dad. One of the other thing about that job I remember was the respect I got from that women in our office - she would always tell someone our "young man" is coming to pick something up - never referred to me as the "office boy." Amazing how some small things like that stick with you for many years and how they teach you how to treat others later in life. Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1031 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 03:07 pm:    Wonder if those old specs were typed-back-carboned-onion-skins [then blueprinted!], dittos, or Gestetner mimeos with blue gel stencils [icky!!!]? Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 34 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Monday, August 10, 2009 - 04:24 pm:    I was thinking about that after making the post and actually I can't remember how those specs in the middle 50's were reproduced. I just remembers sitting there reading specs out loud to each other for hours. I know that they were not reproduced inside the office - this was a small office of about a half-dozen people. Prints of drawings prints were all done at the print shop - they had a delivery man going around downtown constantly and you ran them yourself when it was time emergency. I can say that we used typed stencils and the the ditto machine to crank out specs into the late 60's and early 70's. I remember that you thought long and hard before going to the sectretary to make some changes on a spec where the stencil had already been typed. I remember trying to ditto on both sides of the sheet to save paper on a project at that time - that was a major mistake I didn't repeat. I can also remember having my wife and kids help collate the ditto produced specs around the conference room table on a weekend to meet a deadline. They thought that was fun!!! Andrew Marolt New member Username: andrej Post Number: 1 Registered: 08-2009 Posted on Tuesday, August 18, 2009 - 06:35 pm:    What is your current age? 32 Did you receive education beyond high school? Yes What was your your major? Wilderness Management At what age did you first prepare some significant specifications? 24 Did you have a mentor in specifications? Yes How was the mentor related to you (office, CSI chapter, etc.)? Director of Specifications At what age did you first take a formal education seminar or course in specifications? 24 Who provided the education? Twin Cities Chapter CSI At what age did you achieve CCS (will be later for many because of when the program started)? 29 At what age did you first become a full-time specifier? 27 Andrew Marolt, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Ellerbe Becket www.ellerbebecket.com Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 341 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 06:34 pm:    Here's an add-on to the Specifier's Survey - How many of you type your own specs vs marking them up and having someone else type them? I know that's how we did it before computers. Also, if you could indicate whether you're in-house or an independent consultant. The reason I'm asking is that I have some people who think we are still doing it the way we used to B.C. (before computers) Thanks Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 36 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Thursday, August 20, 2009 - 07:26 pm:    You have got to be kidding!!! The last specs I did by markup and typing service was 1982 when I became a partner in a spec consulting business. That only lasted a few months until I got my own word processor and started processing myself. At the beginning I still used an administrative assistent to do heavy input typing of voluminous new material until I regained my keyboard skills. I must admit that doing that was probably not the norm during the 80's but it was changing rapidly and certainly became common by the 90's. When I moved to one of the largest A/E firms in the late 80's I believe it was still relatively revolutionary - at least in that firm - the word processing group in that firm wasn't too happy loosing their specifications work. I have done my own editing/processing on a computer ever since - that includes experience as specifier within several firms and back to consulting. Doug Frank FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 245 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 09:07 am:    The last time I marked up hard copy for keyboarding by others was around about 1990. I had just changed employers and the new one was still in the process of computerizing everything (they questioned my asking for a computer as a condition of hire). Prior to that I had been doing my own on-screen editing for a few years, first on a dedicated word processor system with those giant floppy discs, and then on a PC. I sympathize with you Richard because I still occasionally run into Owners who ask for marked up hard copy to review at about 50% CD. Even when we’re required to use an Owner’s master specification, they are now providing it to us electronically. The added effort, and expense, of printing out their master and marking it up with red pencil prior to electronic keyboarding can easily double the spec hours on a project. Doug Frank FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate FKP Architects, Inc. Houston, TX Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 354 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 09:54 am:    My first project at my first job as a full-time specifier in 1986 was to write specifications for a word processing system for the office. As presented, it would have had four networked computers, one each for the architecture, civil, mechanical, and electrical typists. I had already had my own computer for a few years, and I was able to convince the boss to let me add one more computer for my own use, so I never had to do mark-ups. Doug, I still have an 8-inch single-side, single-density disk, pinned to the tackboard at my desk. I like to show it to newbies and tell them it's a new high-capacity disk. As I recall, it held about 100K. You could have printed a couple of paragraphs from all the documents on the disk and put them on the envelope; no problem remembering what was on the disk! Now I have a pocket full of flash drives and no idea what's on them. ;-( Doug Frank FCSI, CCS Senior Member Username: doug_frank_ccs Post Number: 246 Registered: 06-2002 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 10:08 am:    I feel your pain Sheldon. I still remember using Wordperfect 5.1 (the best word processing program ever written IMHO) to do a “Print Directory” and then taping it to the disc envelope for future reference. With the flash drives now you’d need several pages just to list the files it contains Doug Frank FCSI, CCS, SCIP Affiliate FKP Architects, Inc. Houston, TX Margaret G. Chewning FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: presbspec Post Number: 177 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 10:18 am:    Back in '82 I was hired to start my employer's first computerized spec system working with the big floppy disks also. Amazing how far we have come since then. The next two employers provided a typist for me to work with,(which had mixed levels of success) but any moonlighting work I did I typed myself. As an Independent all of the processing has been done by me, and I've learned quite a bit about Word, PDF docs and SpecsIntact as a result. I believe it has made me a better specifier because not only do I need to work through the "puzzle" of the construction products and how they relate to the project and each other, but the challenge of presenting the information in a comprehensive form understandable to all parties to the construction project. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1096 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 01:34 pm:    When I started specifying in the early 80s, I had no choice but to have them done by the word processing pool since I didn't have a computer available. Then our department got one and I started typing my own reports and correspondence. (Still couldn't get at those specs, though.) I could touch-type from high school days. My boss chastised me for typing my own memos because he couldn't imagine that it was much quicker, more accurate, and spent fewer hours that way. Interestingly, here in my office there are still a handful of engineers, some younger that I, who do the hard copy mark-up routine. They claim they're working on the train, but I'm suspicious. Mark Gilligan SE, CSI Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 197 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Friday, August 21, 2009 - 02:02 pm:    The modern day equivalent of marking up the specifications occurs when the consultants are asked/told to use the architects master and the architects specification writer wants it marked up so that he can personally make the changes. I electronically edited a copy of the master because otherwise the markups would have been too messy to interpret. My understanding is that the specification writer then updated his copy of the specification. My experience in consultants offices is that the engineer will edit the specification for content and then hand it off to a secretary who will make sure that it is formatted per the project requirements. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 919 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:29 pm:    I'm an in-house specifier; I do my own word processing, but will use an admin. assist. to create PDF's (especially the entire manual PDF) and sometimes to update footers and things of that ilk. She's quicker at it than I am, and, perhaps more importantly, gives me another pair of eyes on the finished product. She catches errors in coordination between Table of Contents and contents and stuff like that. She's invaluable. Mark Gilligan SE, CSI Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 199 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:49 pm:    Lynn Your experience reinforces an observation in the literature that senior professionals spend significant amount of time time doing work that could be delegated to more junior staff. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 920 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 12:53 pm:    Since I am, I expect like most of us, a control freak, delegating is something I had to learn to do. And I'm still a work in process! Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 895 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 01:15 pm:    when I work with a good spec assistant, I can double my output -- the one I've been able to work with compiles all the project manuals, (including all contents from consultants); does the table of contents; turns the document into pdfs (or one pdf); and takes care of all distribution. Not to mention formatting issues, and the like. that leaves me able to meet with teams, travel (when I did that); and do first pass editing at the difficult stuff. However, it HAS to be someone who knows specs, and isn't a project administrator who has additional tasks, otherwise specs gets dumped to the side. If you have your own business, an assistant can make you considerably more productive.. Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 227 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 01:33 pm:    Will the specifier please raise your hand. Will the typist please raise your hand. Looks like the same hand to me. Delegation? I'll need to look that up in the dictionary. Sounds interesting. Marc C Chavez Senior Member Username: mchavez Post Number: 348 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 01:40 pm:    When I joined my current firm, an architect approached me and asked if I could format and print a spec section written by an engineer. My response (said with a smile) was, and I quote "I'm not your bitch and I'm not your typist" We all type now-days even CAD operators type. the definition of typist is a different conversation but I would assume that it is 1. information poor 2. style, grammer, syntax rich. Something exactly the opposite of most professionals, excluding spec writers who have some knowledge of #2 as well as a lot of #1 Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 194 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 01:48 pm:    I took over for our previous spec writer when they retired about ten years ago. They were old school and did not have a computer on their desk (when everyone else had for some time) and worked through a dedicated word processing assistant with an elaborate code of colored pens and edit marks. I was able to keep the assistant and use him more like Ann notes above, for formatting, global edits, and producing copy ready for the printers. Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 791 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 01:57 pm:    Steven: "spec writer" (singular) "they retired" (plural) "they were" (plural) "their desk" (plural) Did he have a multiple personality disorder? ;-) Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Richard L Matteo, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: rlmat Post Number: 342 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 02:02 pm:    Mark G. - I'm not sure what you meant, but the basic problem is handing things off to junior staff when they don't have the experience or knowledge. I have to agree with Lynn, I have a similar assistant who is invaluable to me. However, she is also an office administration person who has other duties besides specifications. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 33 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 02:12 pm:    Once upon a time, when I had a hand injury, the A/E firm assigned me an admin assistant. I could hold a red pen, but I couldn't type. She was a recent college grad, just starting at the Boston Architectural Center (BAC), hired for her typing skills. I asked her to sit with me while I reviewed a small set of drawings; she'd never seen a set of drawings before. I talked her through it; she took notes for me. Shortly thereafter, she left the firm and dropped out of the BAC. I'm still not sure if I did her a favor or not.... Richard Baxter, AIA, CSI Senior Member Username: rbaxter Post Number: 95 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 02:17 pm:    Personally, I enjoy doing the things that some of you have passed on to your assistants. I welcome an occasional break from spec editing to make some PDFs, e-mail some requests to the consultants, or compile a set of documents. Delegating those responsibilities would only give me a few extra hours per project, at most. I try to delegate some responsibilities back to the project architects. I want them to understand that specs go with the drawings and are an important part of the contract document set. I push the project architects to take care of distribution of the whole set of contact documents. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 248 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 02:24 pm:    Richard, I am with you and I will even ride bitch for a consultant. Wayne Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 195 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 02:53 pm:    Ron, Steven: "spec writer" (singular) "they retired" (plural) "they were" (plural) "their desk" (plural) No, I revised it on the fly to remove gender and did not proofread. Dale Hurttgam, NCARB, AIA,LEED AP, CSI Senior Member Username: dwhurttgam Post Number: 44 Registered: 10-2005 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 03:29 pm:    I am at the opposite end of the spectrum from most of you per recent posts in this thread. Although I am relatively new to the world of spec writing, I operate more as a "relic" with respect to many of you. Like Lynn and Anne, I work with an Administrative Spec Assistant who is invaluable. She handles word processing, pdf's, special formating, working with consultant and in-house engineer spec sections, assembling, and many other tasks as requested. She has 20 years or more experience in this area - I have been directly involved with specs for about 10 years. It has generally been our company's policy to have the word procesors process the specs rather than the spec writers. She also proofs specs and I am sometimes amazed at items that she catches that go beyond "simple proofing". So...I still mark-up hard copies for her to process. Although I have the capability of editing electronically, I find that I can work much faster just marking up the masters, adding inserts, etc. in the "traditional way" and letting her be concerned with processing an formating. Only major drawback to this is that this process utilizes "more trees" to accomplish the work. Ironically, when it comes to memo's, reports, and other types of writing - I work much better writing and word processing myself. So...this is what works best and most efficiently for me currently....although based on other posts, I believe that I may experiment more with processing Sections myself. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 353 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 03:43 pm:    I have always edited my own specifications (going back to the late 1970s). I have usually found that I know more of the tricks and tweaks especially when it comes to handling multiple file documents. I have had too many instances where the admin asst was supposed to be a good word processing operator, but was a crack typist instead (there is a difference). When I have had to mark up specs for someone else to do, I have been much less efficient. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1098 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 03:46 pm:    Ron, It is now considered acceptable grammatically by many word mavens to use "they" and "their" as a non-gender-specific singular pronoun. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1099 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 03:50 pm:    I too have access to an assistant for the same kinds of things others mention. But I do all my own editing and typing of technical content. One crucial thing this allows me to do is provide continual simultaneous updating of our office masters as I research products, hear of problems on-site, and see language needing improvement. These edits may be simple editor's notes to check this or that, short-lists of vetted products, or alternate versions of paragraphs. With a hard-copy approach, I don't see how that happens so smoothly. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 897 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Monday, August 24, 2009 - 06:07 pm:    the issue is: if you do your own word processing, you are limited by the number of hours in a day. if you have help with the mechanics of production, then your limitations have more to do with how much work you can do, rather than how many hours there are. when I was working for multiple offices, I simply wasn't at my desk enough to do the production work, and I came to realize that the actual production was the least important part of what I did for the office. I don't always get the choice of having an assistant, but I am certainly more productive, and more executive in the office when that is the case. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 354 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 10:43 am:    Anne makes a good point about productivity. I was rarely given the opportunity to supervise production and when I was, the turnover made getting to the point of having a good system nearly impossible. I never knew when some rookie was going to be foisted off on me and then laid off just about the time we had reached a good level of productivity. I have always thought that dictation was the most efficient way to go. It is paperless and lends itelf to a virtual relationship, but that it does take some skill to dictate properly. Those who dictate poorly will often create more drafts than some one who is used to the process. Very early on (before word processing), I became pretty good at composing at the keyboard. Word processing became a tool to assist me to write more efficiently. If I could compose and then have someone polish and format, that would probably be optimal. If I could effeciently compose in dictation and have someone polish and format, that would probably be even better. Bottom line is productivity which is related not only to efficiency (quantity/time) but also to quality. Different people will use various means to be productive in different settings. Organizations may believe that there is an optimal means to the most productive process, it is up to the individual to either adapt to this environment or identify what does and doesn't work and modify the procedures to increase productivity. (This doesn't mean adapting to procedures to fit an individual eccentricities.) James M. Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 56 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 12:09 pm:    What is a "maven?" Merriam-Webster indicates that the word derives from the Yiddish for "one who is experienced or knowledgeable." The definition also points to "Freak: an ardent enthusiast." One would think that an enthusiast would be enthusiastic about being correct. Absence of pronoun agreement is just wrong. I will continue to use "his" to mean persons of both sexes (yes, sex not gender is the appropriate word here) in a mixed group and "her" when talking or writing about a group understood to be made up of only females. If everyONE wrote or spoke the way he/she/they(?) felt like writing or speaking it would not be long before we went from "their" to "there." Trust me. I HERE it often. John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1101 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 12:30 pm:    Uh oh! A strict-constructionist! I believe that language constantly evolves, right before our eyes. Many who study it agree. Some of the stuff I was taught as a youth was posited as if it was "always so," yet it often turns out that fifty years ago some crank wrote a book and invented a rule that didn't exist until then. When a need arises in a language, definitions of words do change, and I'll go with the flow! Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 921 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 12:31 pm:    James, I've seen (s)he written quite often in an effort to be inclusive. And that's fine, but I'm not sure how to speak that. I've also seen the masculine pronoun and the feminine pronoun used alternately in a paragraph. Again, that's OK, but I don't think it would work well in speaking. As one of the sex who often gets overlooked in this type of thing, I'm usually more upset by those who refer to a person in the non-animate fashion...a person "that" is doing something instead of a person "who" is doing something. Isn't language fun? Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI Senior Member Username: rliebing Post Number: 1044 Registered: 02-2003 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 01:28 pm:    For books [not Project Manuals or whatever we call them now] I've found that this works, at least to degree. This book uses established, standard construction vocabulary, which is replete with words of masculine gender [manhole, journeyman, manpower, for example] This reflects a traditional use of the words. As far as practicable, the use of gender-specific words has been avoided throughout this book, or both genders have been used. Since the English language does not include neuter personal pronouns, where masculine pronouns are used, it is the author’s intention that they apply equally to women. Also, female readers are advised that many construction associations now address and facilitate the interests of women in this industry. In many cases, inquiries can be made to local chapters of national/regional organizations. I agree with Lynn, when speaking you do have to "dance around" a little to be correct, proper, and inclusive. Richard Baxter, AIA, CSI Senior Member Username: rbaxter Post Number: 96 Registered: 12-2004 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 04:52 pm:    I researched this gender-neutrality issue recently when I was considering changing our CSI chapter bylaws to eliminate the use of the word “Chairman” in favor of “Chair”. I discovered that long ago, the word “man” was intended to be a gender neutral term for any human being. Hence, “mankind” merely meant “humankind”. A male was a “werman” and a female was “wivman”. “Wivman” evolved into “woman” and “werman” evolved into just “man”. Thus, it is at least partly the uncontrollable evolution of language that has gotten us into this mess. We don’t need to stop referring to women as men. We need to start referring to males as wermen. I know. Not gonna happen. Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 922 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 05:10 pm:    I love it! (I can also see the relationship to "werewolf" (man/wolf)) I am going to start using werman and wivman whenever I can... Tim Werbstein, AIA, CSI, CCS Senior Member Username: tim_werbstein Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2006 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 08:13 am:    Long a proponent of gender-neutral language, I was the first in my group of professionals to have a first edition of Val Dumond's "Elements of Nonsexist Usage." Yet, the practice needs finesse, and I was taken aback when a writer replaced "workmanship" with "workpersonship"! James M. Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 58 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 08:58 am:    John, I accept that language evolves. The other day I almost used the pharse "hew to" but decided I would sound less anachronistic, and in fact more correct, if I used "conform to." By the way, I did not end the sentence with a preposition. Also, rules are meant to be bent - in fact doubled over on themselves - but that belongs more to poetry than prose and definitely has no place in technical writing. Yes I am a strict constructionist and I make no apologies. Someone needs to maintain the standard. The junior high and senior high schools I attended were in a rural area that was rapidly becoming suburban at that time. The leadership was determined that the schools in that district would have a good reputation in this burgeoning area north of the city. To that end the students had rigorous instruction in grammar from the seventh grade on. I thougth I had been sufficiently tortured until I enrolled in a freshman honors composition class in college (the final circle of "Grammar Hell" as it turned out). I came by my compulsion honestly. Though I am highly in favor of gender neutrality (more so in deed than in reference) it does seem to be at odds with proper grammar most of the time. Most English speaking people have enough common sense to realize that "him" and "his" often include "her" and "hers" and, like I wrote before, only a real jackass would address the 1963 class of Vassar College by saying,"would everyone take his seat." For those who are not sure Vassar did not become coeducational until 1969. I also agree with Lynn that I would rather be a grammatically incorrect "who" than a "what" though "what" in that case is just as incorrect. The improper substitution of the words "that" and "which" are also a source of minor aggravation. How does this recent digression relate to the subject of this thread? Perhaps Mr. Johnson should add this question to the survey: "Who believes he or she (not they) was (not were) adequately prepared for the role of specification writer with regard to the technical aspects of writing?" Tony Wolf, AIA, CCS, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: tony_wolf Post Number: 17 Registered: 11-2007 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 09:47 am:    The goal is clear communication. I began college as an English major, but I long ago replaced my concern for perfect grammar with a satisfactory answer to the question: Does the reader know what I mean? The first rule of communication is to consider the audience. If I was writing theses for academics, I'd certainly use the prescribed style guide. But I'm writing for normal people ;-) whose language is that of the various media. As long as I effectively communicate the intent to the contractors, attorneys, judges and jurors, etc., I move on. I've also discovered that "most English speaking people have enough common sense to realize that if I use" 'her' and 'hers' that I am including 'him' and 'his' as well. So I often use the former as well as the latter, as long as clarity is not sacrificed. I've also used 's/he' upon occasion, with no problem. [I hope I haven't made too many grammatical faux pas in this post.] James M. Sandoz, AIA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: jsandoz Post Number: 59 Registered: 06-2005 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 09:55 am:    Why has no one pointed out the error in my last post: "from the seventh grade on."? Tony is right. Communication of all kinds needs to be clear and understandable whether it is grammatically correct or not but I continue to believe that one should try to maintain a standard in all things. If the mechanics of my communication are sloppy one might think the content is as well. Tony Wolf, AIA, CCS, LEED-AP Senior Member Username: tony_wolf Post Number: 18 Registered: 11-2007 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 10:31 am:    Jim: maybe because everyone knew what you meant? ;-} Don Harris CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Senior Member Username: don_harris Post Number: 228 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 10:35 am:    http://www.yiddishdictionaryonline.com/ meyven expert The "freak" part of the definition is one that I would consider fits into John Bunzick's evolving language paradigm. It is certainly a reasonable definition in this era. However, the strict-constructionist meaning(and by the way the historically correct usage)is "expert". Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 792 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 11:24 am:    My apologies for taking this thread on a different path...it wasn't my intent. Although gender neutrality is considered acceptable among "word mavens," it is a higher probability that most people with a smidgen of grammar education will probably still say, "Huh?", when a plural pronoun is used with a singular subject. But, in this world of text messaging, tweets, etc., the English language is obviously a free-for-all. Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: bunzick Post Number: 1102 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 - 11:28 am:    "Expert" is the meaning I intended when I used the word "maven." Ron Beard CCS Senior Member Username: rm_beard_ccs Post Number: 314 Registered: 10-2002 Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2009 - 01:03 am:    In regard to the word processing topic, I experimented with the voice recognition software Naturally Speaking shortly after it came out [mid-1980's ?]. I found it to have a very large learning curve where the program had to "learn" the nuances of one’s voice. It worked reasonably well of inputting lots of bulk text but was very cumbersome when final editing [multiple tweaks typical of most spec editing]. Konrad Hee Senior Member Username: khee Post Number: 6 Registered: 04-2006 Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 01:06 am:    Current age: 41 Higher education: Yes Major: Architecture & Construction Management Age when first prepared specs: 37 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: Colleague Age at first formal specification education: N/A Education provider: N/A Age at CCS: 41 Age as full-time specifier: 37 Melisa Sharpe (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 - 11:33 am:    Current age: 36 Higher education: Yes Major: Bachelor of Architecture Age when first prepared specs: 24 Have a mentor: Not specifically related to specification writing. Mentor Relationship: Age at first formal specification education: none Education provider: Age at CCS: not yet Age as full-time specifier: 34 Bob Bailey New member Username: bailey Post Number: 1 Registered: 07-2009 Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 03:45 pm:    Current age: 49 Higher education: YesMajor? Age when first prepared specs: 25 Have a mentor: Yes Mentor Relationship: supervisor Age at first formal education: 25 Education provider: local CSI chapter Age at CCS: 26 Age as full-time specifier: 29 Robert W. Johnson Senior Member Username: robert_w_johnson Post Number: 42 Registered: 03-2009 Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 08:16 pm:    FYI here are results of the survey at both discussion forums (4Specs & CSI) after 69 responses: Age: High: 73 Low: 32 Average: 55 Median: 56 Age at writing first specs: High: 51 Low: 17 Average: 32 Median: 30 Age at first formal specification education: High: 56 Low: 20 Average: 41 Median: 35 Age at achieving CCS: High: 57 Low: 27 Average: 45 Median: 38 Age at becomming full-time specifier: High: 60 Low: 20 Average: 46 Median: 38 So based on this limited survey, today's "average specifier" would be 55 years old with an architectural education (70%), wrote their first specs at about 32 years old, had a mentor (72%) in their office (84%), got their first formal specification education from CSI (76%) at about age 41, achieved CCS certification at about age 45, and became a full-time specifier at about age 46. There are a few that started in their early 20's, but not many (13%). This would seem to indicate that lack of young specifiers in today's world is not a new story and that most people do not become specifiers until they have been around the "professional block" a few times and discovered where their talents lie and what part of the profession they are most interested in. The latest additions to the survey have slightly increased the age at first formal specification education, at achieving CCS, and at becoming a full-time specifier.