That role is called a 'trend forecaster'.
'Trend forecaster' is exactly what Nick was doing before he landed his role as an Interior Architect and Workplace Planner at BAE Systems Australia.
From studying interior architecture in Adelaide to trade shows in Milan, Bologna, and London; it’s an unlikely career path that landed Nick a gig back home working in the defence industry.
It all begins with a serious car accident that changed the trajectory of his study and his life forever.
"Following the accident, I realised I wasn't doing what I really wanted. I wanted to pursue a different career. I changed my study, met my wife — an architect of course — and the rest is history," Nick says.
Following a stint in Brisbane on high rise residential projects and two years in the UK working for a global architecture firm, Nick returned to Adelaide to work for a large tile company.
And why does that career path matter? Nick learnt quickly that he could be strategic in applying design theory to his work. He has carried this approach throughout his career, taking pride in the spaces he designs.
"It’s easy to think the jobs are all pink curtains and gold tapware, but good workplace design is more than that. It needs to be flexible for a start," he says.
"In the ever-changing landscape of workplace trends and design, for us one constant remains: the importance of employee experience and trust.
"At BAE Systems, we occupy more than 42 sites and inhabit 180 floors, buildings, warehouses, or worksites across Australia, and bringing a cohesive experience to our various spaces is important —and challenging.
"Following Covid, employees want more and at BAE Systems I get to be a part of providing it."
The vibrant and collaborative spaces of our Adelaide CBD office explore two overarching design themes. Nature, which culturally connects us to the Australian landscape, and industrialism, metaphorically connecting to our manufacturing responsibilities.
Picking colours and textures is what you’d expect to be the fun part of the job, but for Nick it’s about seeing a big vision and seeing it come to life.
So, we asked Nick, why defence? What is it about this industry does he find rewarding?
And… in a similar way to his approach to design, he says it’s about the reward of making big decisions and seeing them through.
"Not only does it provide a sense of job security, at BAE Systems we get to work on long-term projects, some lasting decades, so thinking strategically is kind of built into our mindset," Nick says.
So, if you’re looking for a career change that provides you with the opportunities to do work that matters and to achieve your career and personal goals – consider transferring your skills to the defence industry… there might just be a career here that you never thought was possible.