Considered working as an architect? This interview will take you down the career path of an architect including the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land he job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to "DiversityJobs.com street smart" – a collection of true work-life stories told by members of minority groups.
I'm a project manager in an architectural firm, working directly from a quality control monitor to a software engineer, and everything in between.
I work under a licensed project architect. This position designates me as the first point of contact for clients and contractors during the contract document phase of a project and during the construction phase of a project. I over saw the working drawings and specifications. I have been in this industry for 12 years and a project manager for the last five years. The fact I am detail oriented and calm has been a benefit.
For the record, I am a white male. Once I got out of school, this is just a fact that has had no bearing on my job.
The majority of what I do is paperwork. Every decision and change in a construction project has to be documented and approved by the client or rejected. If needed, I submit changes to the municipal authority in charge of building inspection. Loose ends are not acceptable. Depending on the complexity of the project, you will have a team working under you.
There is a misconception architects spend their day in creative tasks such as drawing. That is at most 2% of any project. Most projects allow from six months to two years from start to finish depending on the complexity of the building type.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my job satisfaction as a 5. The things that sold me on acquiring degrees in architecture are just not present in the large firms. I would fit better in a smaller office of 25 people or less.
My sweet spot in life would be to work for myself as a writer. The drive to work for oneself is very common in this industry.
I got started in high school with an internship in a small local firm. If I had an opportunity to do it over, I would get an undergraduate degree in history, or English, and get a master’s degree in architecture. In the disciplines of history and English, you learn how to write. That is incredibly important in putting construction documents together and for the volumes of reports you will write.
One lesson I learned the hard way is you have to keep up with technology. It is very hard to find a job if you cannot demonstrate a working knowledge of the drafting program that a firm uses. In the working world, you need to actually listen to the boss, the client, and the people you are working with. Students tend to think one answer, their own, fits everything.
The strangest thing that ever happened to me occurred in Grand Rapid Michigan. I was doing a field observation report for a client and was on the roof looking at the condition of the HVAC units. I turned around and there was a flock of geese at eye level flying directly at me. I ducked.
I get up and go to work each day because I promised I would. One of the better feelings I get is from delivering on a promise. One of the worst is failing to deliver.
This job is extremely stressful during the fall and winter seasons. Typically, projects have to be ready for bids by spring and construction starts during the summer months. Clients hit the roof if you miss a bid. If you miss the bid schedule, you affect the bank loans, the building opening, and potential revenues. Also, the construction drawings have to be complete for a bid to be effective.
The biggest challenge in architecture is time management. I usually want to quit around January or December as the pressure to complete construction drawings mount. The job can be extremely stressful during up swings in construction and lay-offs are very common during the down swings in construction. There is no job security unless you own the firm. You have to work at maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It is not easy.
I started out around $21,000 and worked my way up to $48,000. If you add the bonus, it came out to $54,000. The upper salary for a licensed employee is in the $80,000 range depending on the firm’s location. Keep in mind that you are responsible for your own license fees, continuing education, AIA dues, and any other training you need. You will be expected to use your own car to visit construction sites; but, unless the firm is incredibly cheap you will reimbursed for the mileage. The wages are low compared to other professionals such as engineers, who will be working for you. There is a tendency for young architects to job hop in order to get a raise in salary.
Vacation time is pretty much the standard two weeks that increases with your tenure. It worked for me.
Architecture is regulated by the state you live in. Most states require that you at least complete the Intern Development Program of NCARB and you have an accredited professional degree and you pass the state licensing exam.
If I had a friend who was interested in this line of work, I would wish him well and have him read this article.
If I could write my own ticket for a five year plan, I would be free-lance writer making regular contributions to Architectural Record.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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