The first Architecture firm I interviewed with in San Diego offered me the job on the spot and they gave me until 9am Monday morning to decide.
I've been out of the Architecture field for almost 5 years and have no Autocad experience but was presented with a decent offer despite the dust on my career. It was also a decent offer relative to the indentured-servitude-pay-scale that Intern Architects can expect until full licensure. The office primarily does "tenant improvements" for health care clients such as entire floors of reception desks, nursing stations, patient treatment rooms and bathrooms all stripped of the 80's and re-dressed in the double-00's. The office runs very leanly with only a bookkeeper, the Principal, one full-time drafter and possibly me the aspiring architect-to-be from Minnesota. The pros are: small office with a simple chain of command (although i'm not sure where the office dog fits in), health care projects that are technical with short construction turnarounds, lots of hands-on experience, paid Autocad training, very short commute and good job stability because the Principal has been in business for a while.
The cons are: low to zero opportunity for creativity, more hours than I wanted and no modern design in sight. The 80's office-park decor of the firm also kind of depresses me although there was one decent art piece on the wall. The technical experience is the true value to me in this job offer otherwise my first reaction is that I'm partially selling my soul. However, in this business that seems to be a pre-requisite and maybe I just need to accept that.
My dilemma is...
Do I give up the ideal of working for a creative, innovative, modern firm at least for now?
Or, do I take the risk of waiting several weeks or several months for a position in my dream firm to materialize?
Should I just take this job that's being offered and make the most of it for a year?
Friends! Advice? (please email or post before 8:45am Pacific Time!)
If you have 12 min. listen to Antoine Predock's advice to young architects during his interview about being awarded Gold Medal in Architecture. He's old but brilliant.
http://www.idimultimedia.net/clients/aia_podcast/06192006/aia-predock.mp3
3 comments:
I won't tell you what you should do, only what I would do. In your shoes, I would take the job for the training and experience, but that's because I hate waiting around for a risky something that might not happen. I'd rather suck it up and start working incrementally towards a defined goal. Applied, you'll have a much easier time moving on to something more selective after your resume is dusted clean. Good luck whatever you decide, and keep us posted!
It's not an either-or decision. This sounds like a good enough job to take for now; keep your eyes peeled for something better. I agree with the prev post. Plus, ideals are to be implemented judiciously. That's my two cents. Thanks!
Girl, I say go for it! You're living in a new city with new experiences at your finger tips. Sometimes you need to start somewhere to get anywhere else. I say, just for the networking alone, it's worth it. But if it feels like you're selling your soul, then don't. And maybe you could suggest some new wall hangings! Sounds like they need a fresh new set of eyes to me! Good luck.
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