Finding Your Place in AEC: One Marketing & Proposals Specialist's Career Story

A case study on what it looks like when the right recruiter genuinely understands your industry.

When Enia Pheakos, a Marketing & Proposals Specialist in the AEC industry, started thinking about her next move, she wasn't just looking for a better title or a bigger paycheck. She wanted to find a place where she could actually shape the culture around her and build something meaningful alongside her colleagues.

She found it. Here's how.

How It Started

Enia had been working in a firm where the lanes were clearly drawn. The culture was structured, roles were well defined, and stepping outside of your function, even with good intentions, meant stepping on someone else's territory. For someone who wanted to do more than show up and execute, that environment had a ceiling.

A lot of Marketing & Proposals Specialists know this feeling. You're good at the work. The proposals get done, the deadlines get met, but the conversation about which projects to go after happens somewhere else. The go/no-go decision gets made without you. You're brought in after, to execute, not to think. And when you try to do more, it's not always welcomed.

The 2024 State of AEC Marketing Report found that 32% of AEC marketers cite a lack of leadership support as a significant barrier to their success, and more than half are considering a job change. That number doesn't surprise people who've been in that seat. When the culture around you doesn't create space for you to grow, and the people above you aren't invested in helping you get there, staying starts to feel like settling.

For Enia, the moment of clarity wasn't dramatic. She wasn't unhappy. She just knew what she wanted, and it wasn't there.

What She Was Actually Looking For

She wanted to be part of the conversation earlier. To have input on which opportunities were worth pursuing, not just receive the brief once the decision had already been made. She wanted to manage the full proposal process, not just contribute to pieces of it. And she wanted a manager who trusted her judgment and her ability to see the bigger picture.

Beyond the work itself, she wanted to be somewhere she could actually shape the culture around her. Get involved in firm initiatives, support her colleagues, and contribute to the kind of environment that makes a team genuinely good to work in. That kind of trust and latitude is harder to find than most job postings let on.

What Made Working With Someone at Axis, an AEC Recruitment Specialist Different

Having someone in her corner made a real difference. Her recruiter at Axis was thoughtful throughout the entire process and acted as both an advocate and a bridge between Enia and the firm.

What stood out most was a genuine understanding of the AEC industry. Enia has worked with recruiters before who didn't fully grasp what Marketing & Proposals Specialists in architecture, engineering, and construction actually do day to day. Axis did. There's a big difference between someone who understands what you actually do and someone who's just matching words on a resume. That understanding made the whole process smoother and helped ensure the opportunity was the right fit, for both sides.

Why the Opportunity Felt Right

From the beginning, Axis was able to clearly communicate the role, the firm's expectations, and how Enia's background aligned with what they were looking for. There was no guesswork involved.

That clarity made it easy to trust the process and feel confident in the decision. When everything is laid out honestly and accurately from the start, the choice becomes a lot less complicated.

Since Joining

One of the biggest highlights since joining has been the level of ownership Enia has been able to take on. Managing proposals and marketing materials across multiple pursuits at once, staying organized, and supporting colleagues across the team has been genuinely rewarding.

Contributing to several projects simultaneously while helping keep things running smoothly is exactly the kind of work she was looking for.

Her Advice for AEC Professionals Considering a Move

Enia would encourage anyone thinking about it to explore it seriously.

For recent graduates in marketing, interior design, or architecture programs who have skills in tools like InDesign, this is a career path worth considering. The demand for Marketing & Proposals Specialists in the AEC industry is strong, the compensation is competitive, and new opportunities are always emerging.

As she puts it, it's a bit of a hidden gem. Once you gain experience in this field, the doors it opens are real.

Axis Recruitment is a specialist recruitment firm for the built environment, placing Marketing & Proposals Specialists, architects, architectural technologists, interior designers, engineers, urban planners, and construction professionals across Canada and the USA. If you're thinking about your next move, or looking to hire, explore open roles or get in touch.