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Advice on returning to architecture after a 5 year break

pd5362

Hey everyone,

     As the title says, I've been away from architecture for over 5 years now and wish to return to it.  I have an undergrad from an American university and internship experiences working at four firms. 

    Any advice on how to transition back into the profession would be much appreciated.  What do I need to learn or brush up on to be an asset to a workplace?  new softwares/tools to learn?  I have no background in Revit, just Autocad and modeling tools.  Eventually I do wish to go and finish my masters and get licensed.

 Would you as an employer be alarmed that I took some time off from the profession?  How does one explain the time off?  There were multiple factors why I took a time off.  Large part of it was feeling dejected of not finding work during the recession so I decided to try starting my own business (unrelated to architecture) in order to be self sufficient.  My plan has always been to return to architecture when I'm financially independent so I wouldn't have to stress about not being employed or layed off during a recession.

Architecture is my passion and gives me a purpose in life.  As stressful or boring as it can be sometimes, it is the only profession that I find meaningful and has helped me grow intellectually and as an individual.  I was never a top student due to time management issues but always did well in design studio.

How is the job market in US/Canada right now?

cheers

 
May 28, 17 4:40 am

Don't.

May 28, 17 10:50 am  · 
 · 
geezertect

I agree with Miles, but assuming you ignore our battle scarred advice and want back in anyway, I would advise being honest about your absence.  Any reasonable employer should understand what the Great Recession did to a lot of people's resumes.  Any architect who has never had at least fleeting doubts about their choice of profession is somebody who is either a trust funder or not very introspective.

I hope that business you started is still viable and generating some economic stability for you,  because we are due for another downturn one of these years soon.

May 28, 17 3:23 pm  · 
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