Overrated Career: Architect

December 11, 2008 RSS Feed Print

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The Appeal: When screenwriters give a hero a career, it's often architecture. Think Walter Pidgeon in Mrs. Miniver and Adam Sandler in Click. When Matt Dillon attempts to impress Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary, he pretends to be an architect.

That's not surprising. The public perceives architecture as a career for creative, free spirits who nonetheless earn good money while designing cool new buildings. Alas, as usual, there's a Grand Canyon of difference between the screen and reality.

The Reality: Architecture has many pluses. Indeed, it made it (barely) into the 2007 list of Best Careers. Now it belongs in this category. Not only is the housing decline souring the job market, but more potential clients are off-shoring architecture jobs, downloading premade blueprints developed by top architects, or having lower-cost interior/exterior designers or building contractors design their structures. Two job satisfaction surveys painted a mixed picture: One gave architecture high marks, but the other rated it very low. A major cause of low job satisfaction is that many architects don't get to design buildings but rather must produce detailed drawings of the components of other people's designs, such as the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.

An Alternative: Interior designer. Halfway between an architect and an interior decorator, interior designers recommend where a wall should go as well as the color scheme.

Learn more: American Society of Interior Designers and Professional Practice for Interior Designers, 3rd Edition by Christine Piotrowski

Tags:: architecture,; careers

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The title of this article is valid, but it's content fails to explain why. I will attempt to explain why this profession fails to deliver. I can't really say that I regret studying architecture, however this profession has disappointed me regularly. Of course I've always heard people say "In architecture, it's all about paying your dues." Isn't that any and every profession? Nevertheless, I was always ready to work myself to the bone. I've worked two design jobs. The first was okay, but unfortunately the pay was lacking, when I was offered my second design job it came at a higher pay so naturally I took it. The level of professionalism at this firm was terrible, and even though I tolerated it, the principle made promises to his clients he was not able to keep and it cost people their jobs, mine included. Even though I've always been considered a model employee and have great references, I have no job, and the prospects of finding one dwindle with each day. This has left me evaluating the architectural profession and also prompted my journey on acquiring a second (non-architectural) degree. Generally speaking, one can attend medical school, dentistry school, law school, nursing school, engineering school, etc and (with adequate internship hours) become licensed right out of school. In architecture one must first be fortunate enough to find a job that will accommodate or have the right work for them to log thousands of internship hours and time to study for (and pass) 7 exams, before they can obtain a license. This is because architecture school does very little to prepare one for the profession, something I have found all architects (hating or loving their job) always agree on. Also, as one moves up these careers they will experience decent pay increases, with respect to each profession. For instance doctors usually pay more for their education, but they eventually get paid more in their profession (usually). This is not the case with architecture... well, maybe for a fortunate few it is. Architects spend a lot of money on their education, only to come out of school making deplorable starting salary. People I know are just barley making $30,000 a year. The AIA posted last year the average architecture student held around $40,000 of debt. I consider this misleading. I took a poll of my own, I found only a very small fraction of individuals carried this amount of debt. Many designers I spoke to are more on the $80,000-$100,000 spectrum (with graduate degrees, which is now becoming required for licensing purposes). I get it, "Architecture is a passion" "It's a way of life, not a job" etc, etc. I've heard them all. However, your passion only goes so far when you can't put food on the table. There are several more problems to address but I am running out of space. Having said all this, it kills me that I am unable to continue in this profession because I've been designing/drawing since I was 5. I love it but it didn't love me back. Time to move on.

Leo of MI 2:09AM March 01, 2013

I am currently a architectural designer/ project mangager at a small firm. Due to the size of the firm we often take on projects from beginning to end. We design, speak with clients, and coordinate with Engineers. I love what I do but I am not making a livable income. I am a leed associate but I don't have my masters degree and I do not know Revit as well as I know AutoCad. As I search for a new job I realize my skill set has become obsolete outside of my firm. Also, I know that this freedom to design doesn't exist for people like me with 4- 5 years experience. Everywhere I look companies want someone who is proficient in all the latest programs with ten years experience, LEED certified and a license. Most open positions for Intern Architect ask for 10 years exerience.The cost of starting NCARB, getting leed ap certified, getting my masters degree and taking all the test to get licensed does not seem worth it knowing that none of it will matter until I have twenty years of experience. While I attended school people warned me but I felt they were all pessimist and that my experience would be different. I was right and wrong in many different ways but the bottom line is we all need to eat. I wouldn't wish a career in Architecture on my worse enemy.

Mia of MD 12:45PM February 08, 2013

I want to guide the young souls here to make right decisions in life. Let me tell you my layoff stories.
2008
Case 1: Large firm, I did well for 3 months, no complaints. They did not have enough work. So, the core team crafted plans to lay off people. I would see people get yelled at in the corridors and then they would leave the firm saying they were going to follow another passion, taking long vacation etc., retire to the rocker etc.
In my case, for 2 weeks, they were doing their best to gather evidence, because they had none. They would find some seemingly stupid mistake, which if told to be could be a quick fix, and blow it out of proportion. They would try hard to find grammatical mistakes in my emails or say strange unheard of phrases to me and try to say that my English is not good. I was telling my husband that these people are upto something. Finally,one day they told me all these problems they had with me and laid me off. They crafted all this because they were ashamed that they had overhired and they were unable to secure more work for the firm . But instead of saying it like this, they try to make some of their employees look bad by crafting such stories. Then, I realized what was going on in the office that whole month. I wonder if these seniors ever think about their kids. What if someone does something like this to their kids, how would they like it?
2009
2 projects went on hold. One was completed. Firm honestly said they had no work for me and I had a layoff
I like the 2nd firm

Rosy Dreams of CA 4:24AM January 28, 2013