Jobs: The Latest Architecture and News

The Scottish liberal economist and philosopher Adam Smith once argued: “To feel much for others and little for ourselves, to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature.” While we may have come some way since the 1700s, selfishness is still viewed by many as one of humanity’s ugliest traits.

Yet with the rise of mindfulness and the burgeoning self-help and life-coach industry, the view towards selfishness—more palatably referred to as "self-care"—is changing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

When you’re talking about a total of 151 million Americans, it’s tricky to make sweeping but accurate generalizations. And yet, that’s how many Americans fit into just two widely-recognized demographic groups: Baby Boomers, the 75 million people born between 1946 and 1964 and Millennials, the 76 million who came along between 1981 and 1997. Just as we can tell an LP record from an iPod, we’ve likely recognized common differences between Boomers and Millennials: How they typically work, communicate, balance job tasks and personal life, and what they expect for mentoring and promotions.

How can Boomers and Millennials work together without driving each other nuts? We recently turned to two New York architects to discuss their experience, proposed solutions, and general observations. This discussion resonates far beyond the design industry as it is applicable to the workforce of today and has implications for the workplace of tomorrow.

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The architecture profession is in a perpetual debate concerning the myriad issues that impact how we practice and how that work can and should impact the world around us. As the chair of the AIA’s Young Architects Forum, I am keenly aware of the problems facing the next generation of practice leaders: inefficient practice models that lead to overworked, underpaid, and highly unsatisfied staff. We hear repeatedly that a seismic shift in the way firms operate is necessary to successfully move the profession forward and retain talent.

In October, the AIA held their first ever Practice Innovation Lab, looking to develop new practice models to raise the value of architects and the services that they provide to their clients with the goal of sparking a new debate that could challenge the status quo in firm management.Ten teams of six were formed with the intent of creating 10 new innovative practice models which would be pitched, “Shark Tank” style, after a daylong hackathon. Attendees then voted on the best practice model for the People’s Choice Award. Among the 10 pitches, there were five major themes to come out of the Practice Innovation Lab, which are discussed in more detail below:

Even with tech like virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing, computational design and robotics already reshaping architecture practice, the design community is just scratching the surface of the potential of new technologies. Designers who recognize this and invest in building skills and expertise to maximize the use of these tools in the future will inherently become better architects, and position themselves for entirely new career paths as our profession evolves. It is a uniquely exciting moment for architecture to advance through innovative use of technology. Even just a decade ago, designers with interests in both architecture and technology were essentially required to pursue one or the other. Now, with architecture beginning to harness the power of cutting-edge technologies, these fields are no longer mutually exclusive. Rather than choose a preferred path, today’s architects are encouraged to embrace technology to become sought-out talent.

With much written about how technology is changing the way architects work and the products we can deliver to clients during a project’s lifecycle, there has been less focus on how technology is changing career opportunities in the profession. Architecture companies are now hiring roles that didn’t exist even three years ago. Here’s a look at five emerging career paths design technology will make possible in 2018 and the immediate future.

This article was originally published by The Architect's Guide as "How to Create a Target List of Architecture Firms."

In a previous article, 5 Reasons Why You Need Multiple Architecture Portfolios, I discussed the importance of creating a targeted employment application. This process begins with selecting the office(s) where you would like to work.

So with the thousands of architecture firms out there, how do you know where to apply? I am sure you can come up with a few companies off the top of your head or perhaps you have a specific firm in mind. 

Regardless if you are targeting one employer or are simply looking for a “new job” these strategies will help you create your ideal architecture firm list.

One of the rising conversations in the architecture world in recent years has been the issue of architects' salaries. But how much are you worth? When is it time to ask for that much-needed raise? Two key elements to successful salary negotiation are timing and asking for the right reasons.

First, what do you deserve? Raises are earned, but there is a certain amount of money you deserve. For US salary data, check the AIA Compensation Report, which is updated annually. If you live internationally, see if you can find a similar resource for your country or city. Unless you are performing below average (coming in late, not being productive, or worse, setting back the office’s productivity), you shouldn’t be making a below-average salary.

Once you have an equitable starting salary, how can you tell if you’ve earned a raise from there? You may have earned a raise if...

This article was originally published by The Architect's Guide as "5 Techniques To Land A Job With The World's Most Competitive Architecture Firms."

As I discussed in my interviews with several firms in 7 Questions Answered By The World’s Top Architecture Firms On What They Look For In Job Applications, the quality of your application documents is extremely important.

However, for some of the most competitive offices even having a perfect portfolio isn't enough. So what can you do to stand out? 

This article was originally published by Archipreneur as "Architect Salaries by Country: Where Do Architects Earn the Highest Salaries."

While the amount of information about architect salaries in specific countries and cities is abundant, there are many discrepancies between different sourced when it comes to country-to-country comparisons. Having a global overview of architect salaries is also tricky to get because of the many variables that go into the equation. You need to take into consideration the position, experience, size of firm, location, not to mention the relationship between earnings and living costs and various tax, insurance and legal differences among different countries.

This article was originally published on The Architect's Guide as "How To Ace Your Web (Skype) Architecture Job Interview."

Love it or hate it, online job interviews are becoming more and more common. Especially given how the architecture job search process is no longer limited to your immediate area.

I worked abroad for many years and I have experienced applying from both the U.S. and Europe. I learned a few tips and tricks along the way that should be helpful if you are faced with this interview type.

What do a lot of recent architecture college grads have in common besides their degree? Student loans and disillusionment (see point 1 in Megan Fowler’s 11 Things You Learn at Your First “Real” Architecture Job to understand what we mean by "disillusionment"). But with the emergence of the digital age and “side-hustle economy,” millennials are learning how to monetize their passions, and now 1 in 4 Americans are making money digitally. Side-hustling has become so popular that there is even a school for it. The difference between a side-hustle and a second job is that side-hustles aren’t just about giving yourself a raise. Your side-hustle is something you truly love to do, and would probably do anyway, but now you get to share it with the world and make a little extra cash in the process. So what side-hustle is right for you? Here is a list of side-hustles which suit the skillset of architects and designers.

Like most architecture students, I heard the debate about whether it was better to work at a large or small design firm numerous times during my collegiate career. There are undoubtedly benefits offered by firms of each size, and you’ll find tons of people eager to discuss how the resources of a large firm can compare to the creative flexibility of a small firm and similar such discussions during your student journey. Truthfully, there’s no one best option or preferred path, but, with thousands of students set to head back to architecture or design school this fall, I wanted to share my perspective.

It was just a few years ago that I was in my final year of school and faced with a decision: what size firms should I pursue for my first job? There were numerous aspects of small firms that spoke to me, but ultimately, I chose the large-firm experience. Big offices, big projects, job security, the latest tech, modeling and 3D printed resources—this all sounded great to me. Two years in, I’ve found most of those benefits to ring true, but I’ve also uncovered several benefits I didn’t know I should have been looking for in the first place. These unplanned discoveries have made a significant difference in my day-to-day experience and in helping to kickstart my career. I thought it might be helpful to share them so other students can consider them when making their decision in 2018 and beyond.

This article was originally published on Brandon Hubbard's blog, The Architect's Guide.

Many people cringe at the idea of having to negotiate their salary. Often this can result in thousands of lost income opportunity if not handled correctly.

I am not advocating you ask for an outrageous sum, but you should be clear about the value you bring to the table. You need to be aware what your skills and qualifications are worth in the current marketplace. For your reference, I covered those variables in greater detail in a previous article, 5 Factors Affecting Your Architect Salary.

Most of the following tips refer to a new job offer but some also apply to renegotiating your current architecture salary.

You did it! You finished those grueling years of architecture school, perfected your portfolio and your interview pitch, and you landed your first job with an architecture firm. Everyone told you that working in a firm would be lightyears different from what you were used to doing in school, but until you get out there yourself, there is really no way to know just what that might entail. Once you’ve tackled life’s bigger questions about surviving outside of architecture school, you still have to learn to function in a day-to-day job. The learning curve is steep and it can certainly be overwhelming, but you’ve made it this far and there are a few lessons and skills you are sure to gain quickly as you start your career.