The career path of Ebehi Ijewere has not been easy, however—by trusting her instincts—Ebehi has found herself as an architect at Jacobs and host of the Layers of Design podcast. Ebehi grew up in Lagos, Nigeria where her creative influences were her mother and aunt who was an architect. These influences pushed her to move to the U.S. at the age of 17 for college.

Being an international student presented itself as a bit of a barrier after college as Ebehi applied for jobs. This led her to feel alone, but it also encouraged her to search for others having similar struggles. Finally through a connection, Ebehi landed her first job in architecture, but it never seemed fulfilling. Ebehi realized she wanted more than just any architecture job—she wanted one that truly valued her contributions.

This led her to rely heavily on her instincts—not being afraid to leave jobs that don't seem to be the right fit. It's admirable when people recognize a particular job is not enriching them and have the courage to move on. This is what led her to Jacobs, into a role where she truly feels valued. Ebehi encourages others not to ignore that feeling when "something isn't working."

Ebehi's story is an important reminder that you must seek out work cultures that empower you.

Listen to  Layers of Design.

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Imagine a Place gathers industry-leading voices that can inspire the design community through storytelling and broaden our creative horizons. The goal of Imagine a Place is to further elevate the belief that the places we make and the ways we design them matter in our lives.

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