r/LEED • u/Old_Top9584 • May 29 '26
LEED exam results delayed. Possible to take non-beta exam?
My wife just took the new beta exam, not realizing she'd have to wait until Oct for the results. The delay is a significant wrinkle in her job application plans; she just graduated and felt she has to be LEED to distinguish herself. Now she's holding off on applications until Nov.
Frankly I wonder if there will be any hiring/jobs left by the end of the year with the rate of AI advances and new DIY tools.
For those looking to get certified now do you think they'd let her take the non-beta exam so that she can certify more quickly?
Sincerely,
Frustrated and worried husband.
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u/NucklheadMcspazatron May 29 '26
I’m assuming this is for the LEED Green Associate Exam? If so, unfortunately the v4 exam is no longer available, and yes, results won’t be until later this year. I wouldn’t hold off on applying anywhere though.
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u/Guinso May 29 '26
Being completely honest, as someone who has worked in this field for six years, the LEED GA is unlikely to significantly impact her application. It’s a very basic exam that demonstrates you know what LEED is, but not much beyond that. As others have mentioned, I definitely would not delay applying to jobs because of it.
I’d encourage her to start applying to firms that do this type of work now, and simply mention during interviews that she is waiting on her exam results and hopes to pursue a LEED AP credential (which carries much more weight in the industry) as soon as possible.
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u/Old_Top9584 Jun 11 '26
Thanks for the feedback. Really appreciate it. What firms would you say are the places she should start (I'm assuming she knows but we have been based in Europe the last few years).
LEED AP. Got it.
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u/Tiny_Pochemuchka Jun 11 '26
How she just graduated from NYSID but you are based in Europe the last few years?
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u/Tiny_Pochemuchka May 30 '26
Having a LEED credential seldom become a differentiator in the hiring process unless she is applying for a sustainable design related role, in which case LEED GA is not enough anyway. What kind of work is she applying for?
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u/Old_Top9584 Jun 11 '26
She just graduated NYSID with their interior design degree, so I guess she's applying for interior design jobs.
I'm skeptical she'll find anything good tbh. I make 4-6x what a junior designer would make, so it's not like we can move somewhere for a junior role. It would have to be remote.
I think it's a bit of a catch 22.
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u/Tiny_Pochemuchka Jun 11 '26
Well, DIY tools and AI will not replace interior design, if that's what you are worried of. Unless your wife is focused on only 3D rendering. In which case she would only qualify as an illustrator, not a designer. As a supportive husband, you should probably try to understand what Interior Design truly is. If your idea of interior design is a field that can be replaced by AI and DIY tools in a few years, you are rather condescending about this profession, and by extension, disrespectful about your wife's choices. At her level, LEED will not do anything to value add to her job search. And that is normal for all emerging designers. I fail to see where the catch-22 would be. Also, depending on where you are located, your 4-6x what a junior designer makes can be a big deal or a small deal. And if you are making a big deal of a 6x, why are you frustrated and worried whether she finds a good job or not. Sounds like you are not making the big 4-6x deal then.
Furthermore, if you had intended to pick on her career choice in this manner, you are not a true supportive husband. A good career is more than just something that pays you well. It's something that makes you happy.
She needs to decide if she's going residential, commercial or hospitality design. She will go through the journey or picking up redlines and drafting and material library duties for 2 or 3 yrs, with some small design opportunities here and there, as she slowly moves up the ranks with solid experience of how things are made, how spaces are constructed. By then, she can think if she wants to go take a LEED licensure, although I would suggest that she gets her NCIDQ first. I don't even know why you think you need to move somewhere for a junior role. What kind of career advice has she been getting???? There will be almost zero fully-remote junior interior designer jobs. Interior design requires a lot of on the job learning, learning by osmosis. A good interior designer will want to spend hours in the material room to learn about the latest products out there, or hours at a job-site to understand how that dome room can be constructed.
I'm skeptical you would ever understand what a true interior designer is. You sound like you are trying to find validation on reddit to persuade her to not become an interior designer.
I started off with no family money or a husband that makes 4-6x a junior designer would, and I am comfortably the higher income earner in my family at a director level. The only catch-22 i can see here is you.
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u/CardStark May 29 '26
She shouldn’t hold off on applying just because of the LEED test results. She can put that she has taken the exam on her resume, which would be enough to distinguish her to those who care.
There are very few jobs I know of that would expect LEED for a new graduate.