Readers Respond: The Real Life of an Architect

1. Describe what you do as an architect?
2. What do you like about being an architect? What don't you like about it?
3. With the proper training, how easy or difficult is it for someone to get an entry level job as an architect?
4. Are you happy you became an architect? Why or why not?

Architect

I'm in my early forties and lost my job two years ago. After no success in finding another job my motivation and morale are at rock bottom and I'm at the point of giving up. There is no demand for my skills and I feel as if I have become obsolete. The professional institutions do nothing to help people in my situation - they are only interested in promoting the big names, pointlessly debating theory, and collecting their membership fees. What a wasted opportunity. I could have done something better and more rewarding with my life. This profession is near finished.

—Guest Unemployed architect

Architecture?..forget it..move on.

This was once a great career choice. Now, it is one of the worst in terms of effort-to-benefit. You struggle through years of school, licensing, and then make next to no money, unless you own the firm. You do the real brain work, and the GC and RE agents and developers make the huge money. Do not get suckered in by the "we do this because we love it" nonsense. If you do, you will starve.

—Guest in California

Mechanic

This profession takes all your time, pays little money and you constantly buying expensive tools.

—Guest Tapia

civil servant

After losing a 3rd job in an architects office I decided to look for a more steady lifestyle. I got a job as a city planning architect and have not looked back. I totally agree with everybody above. At school they give you an idealistic idea of an architect´s work, and do not tell you how to run a simple one man business. All of my friends who started one, began with an appalling financial loss. Also every time a recession hits, first ones to be sacked are the architects. The amount of work is limitless, no holidays, family comes second, and the only one getting rich is the owner of the office. Male. Nowadays I work 8 hours a day with real holidays, respect, even sometimes power, and a sense of fulfillment and doing something worthwhile. All things that were very much lacking in a regular architect's office.

—Guest Guest TM

A Positive Professional's Opinion

Architecture is a very challenging career and there are many ups and downs. If you are like me and enjoy the challenge and the reward that results from it, you will be well suited as an architect. It is true that college will not teach you everything you need to know about the profession. In my experience, I found that school was an environment that developed my creative talents while real-life practice has taught me much about business and technical aspects of the field. This is a service-based profession, and you will find that you will not always be the master designer on the next big breakthrough project in Architectural Record. The thing that has been most rewarding for me has been the relationships that I have built with the other entities that help bring a building together: clients, engineers, contractors. It's also nice to have a tangible product of your hard work. As far as money goes, Architects can do really well in the right environment...and with the right attitude.

—Guest Young Architect (a.k.a. Not Jaded Yet)

Architect

I am 64 years old. I graduated with a 2 year associate degree, worked 8 years for 4 different architectural firms then passed a college equivalency exam and a professional exam. After being laid off during 3 recessions, I started my own firm and have been self employed now for over 30 years. I am a one man office with an average of 15-30 projects per year and an average three digit income per year. I design and do all construction documents and specifications with Macintosh computers. There are no drawing boards or sketch paper in my office. I work an average if five hours per day in a five or six day work week. I absolutely love architecture and hope to work until I die.

—Guest Mike Holland

Architect

I started my own business, did well enough to evolve the business for 6 years (during which I found that any building business takes 5 yrs min to get a reputation/repeat business). One of my clients had a restaurant business & he knew at the end of the day whether his business was going up or down! His days are like our years.....I'm in the UK, most of the comments are from US, & things are bad here too! It's our own fault.... Why aren't we charging like lawyers do? Nice too meet you...£5.....please take a seat....£10......would you like a coffee.....£15.....We work late, don't get any extra pay & think it's what we have to do! Let's be honest, as a profession we're grasping at the old image of what an architect represented! We're all doing work on the premise we'll get paid when it comes off, and it rarely does! I bet you none of you are protesting outside the AA or the RIBA with placards (me neither as that's beneath us :-). LET'S ALL STOP WORKING FOR NOTHING

—Guest Gwyn (that's my real name)

Architect

I used to think how cool it was that my instructors in college were taking the time to teach as well run their own practices. Now that I'm licensed I see that it was more because they needed steady income. I hope others considering architecture are getting the hint here.

—Guest Darren

Architect

Currently in 2010 the practice is in hibernation. This is a very creative time for those of us out of work. We are looking to the future and dreaming of what to build next. The profession is absorbing environmental data that will effect all our decisions going forward. Architects will demand much more from their clients as we build not only for them but for those yet to come. Love of beauty is the fuel that keeps us going and working with nature is a source without limit. Currently I am designing a geothermal village for 12,000 residence in the State of Washington. I have no clients just my imagination which was carefully grounded by this great profession. Architecture is a dreamers manufacturing plant. It is not an easy profession to get into and it is not financial rewarding. You need to be strong. Technology is never going to replace the Architect who is first an artist. I understand work is being outsourced but don't confuse that kind of building with Architecture.

—Guest Deborah Holland

Architect

With about 15 years experience (after graduation with a professional degree, B of Arch. or M of Arch.) one begins to be "productive" in this business. It's much better to work in a firm with no less than 3 officers (principals). Working for a sole proprietorship or 2 partners is brutal because: A) one person can't do it all so that individual eventually goes crazy and starts yelling at staff (a sign to move on), B) two people also cannot do it all and their combined emotional highs and lows are insufficient to provide balanced management. If you find no employment opportunities and decide to open firm by yourself, buy health insurance with good behavioral health plan...you'll need it.

—Guest MSR

to be an architect

Nothing is easy about being an architect. Most of my friends are unemployed after never getting a job after graduation, and my employed friends have been laid off one or two times since 2006. If you still choose the field, I have a couple of suggestions. 1. get a job--even working for free--while you are in school. Volunteer with habitat for humanity, etc, dramatically helps credibility. 2. Do not be conceited, yes even in school. Architects rarely get to do what they really want any way, you might as well get used to being open minded. 3. Network--go to those lectures, follow up with thank you cards, and stay in touch. This means professors, deans, etc. 4. Begin IDP asap. This is why you need to get a job while you are in school. You can get a jump start on all those other kids about to be desperate for a job. 5. When applying for jobs, customize your resume and cover letter. Youve heard it a million times, but the majority still does not take this advice. Good luck.

—jalber21

FAIL!

I graduated in 2006. Throughout my studies everybody was telling you that the perspective for jobs is not good right now, but probably will get better in 5 years. FAIL! Finding a job is a real mission and when you finally have one you work your ass off, it what you are doing is not even fun and you don't always agree with your boss's designs. You don't coordinate the consultant's work -- you practically babysit the consultants. All this for little money and you never have time for anything. Your boss has the opinion that you're not allowed a private life and you do overtime quite often, without being paid for it. Additionally your boss knows that you don't have many other options and cannot quit and use all tricks he/she knows to manipulate you in his/her favour. Studying architecture is fun, but the real job is not.

—Guest NE

Architect

I have been licensed for over 25 years in 3 states and have probably done better financially than most other architects, which is actually not saying much. Considering the time invested, the skill and knowledge required, the liability taken, I could have done much better financially in any other profession. And worked a whole heck-of-a lot less. The main problem as I see it is that we all need the work so badly that we undercut each others' prices until there is no profit left in the job. The schools teach us how to design but not how to run a profitable business. And now in 2010 the profession has all but evaporated. When banks won't loan, developers can't build and we don't have work. Period. If you don't believe it, google: "hardest hit profession in the recession".

—Guest RBA

architect

It's a difficult profession. If you're interested in it, you owe it to yourself to work in an architecture office first. There are a lot of misconceptions as to what an architect does, and it's often portrayed as a career that gives people a lot of opportunities for creative expression. Actually, a lot the a typical architect's time is spent on technical issues and coordination, as well as producing construction documents. Schools don't do a good job of telling students what working as an architect will be like, and the practical aspects of architecture as a business (in a fees for service industry) are almost ignored. Finally, every time the economy goes flat architects are among the first to be left unemployed.

—Guest d

Careful

It's a reasonable career providing you don't like time or money, because you'll never have any of either. Most importantly, make sure you have an independent income because most of your peers will--it's the only way they can make ends meet.

—Guest Killian

Architect

Circumstances for architects in 2009 are brutal. We depend on growth; people need new buildings when they outgrow their current needs. A contraction of the economy of course means no growth which means no work. I would expect that our industry will remain depressed through 2010 at least. It will take that long to fill vacant retail, manufacturing and office space to the point that the economy demands more.

—Guest PBStrother