JACKI SCHAEFER
Former Head of Career Services for Rice University Architecture
Advisor at Out of Architecture
Areas of Expertise:
Early Career, Architecture Students, Uncertain Pathways
Jacki Schaefer trained as a traditional architect, working with teams on a diverse array of projects from corporate high rises to museums and performing arts centers. She left the field in 2012 after many attempts (it’s hard!) with the hope for better balance and deeper connections. She spent the next 15 years at her alma mater, Rice University, where she taught BIM before finding her true passion: helping architecture students and alumni navigate the complexities of the job market to achieve success on their own terms. She had loved OOA for many years, but they made it official in 2024.
Jacki’s clients are often early career or current students who want to enter the architecture workforce or explore alternatives to traditional practice, mid-career architects who are feeling lost and in need of a place to begin, and anyone who wants to leave their conversation feeling buoyed and empowered. Her process combines work in values, networking, and personal narrative to guide clients through the foundational work necessary to find fulfillment.
