heard a story on the radio awhile ago about a factory owner in the deep south saying that he couldn't get welders anymore and that he needed to be able to hire foreign workers to do the jobs Americans wouldn't. They followed up that interview with an employee who talked how terrible the place was to work, inconsistent hours, lots of on call time, no raise in 5 years.
My current employer has made several subtle but noticeable comments about how he "avoids hiring people who stay anywhere less than 3 years" and "you only get one free pass for a 1-year stint somewhere on your resume."
The boomers are having a hard time with the idea that each generation gets smarter and more aware and has more interconnectedness. Boomers want to be the end all and assert that by claiming they earned it and that's just the way it goes and everyone else needs to get in line behind them where they are supposed to be.
But.... it doesn't work that way -- which is, incidently, my favorite boomerweiner line. So the concept of loyalty according to younger people is more interpersonal and lifestyle oriented, than monetary. Good. I think they have it right. That guy is obviously threatened by the fact that what he wants to be true (status quo) isn't in fact a truth but a rhetoric that he was sold on (pay your dues) and there isn't anything he can do about the fact that people want to change it, aka the poor guy is suffering from increased ineffectiveness and irrelevancy. Viva la revolution, turn turn turn.
In my (quite small) home town where there are only 3-4 firms total, there is a firm run by young gen x-ers (close to millennial values) who have been getting all the publicity and the best jobs and the boomer firms are crying that that is their territory that they have earned. Looks like the public and the people buying architectural services might share some millennial values themselves. Perhaps many of the ones awarding the contracts are millennials as they are in positions of power in many other industries.
Putting the intricacies of the architecture profession aside, I think David Cole hit it with his comment above. Moving away from a pension system to an employer-sponsored 401k system (or no retirement plan at all) allows more flexibility when moving from one employer to another because you can take your savings with you. There isn't that big pile of money keeping you tied to one employer.
I've known plenty of boomers and others that would love to leave their jobs, but because they are tied to their pension (there are a few companies where they do still exist), they stick it out because they are so close to retirement anyway.
You guys should copy/paste all these comments onto that blog post discussion! There are lots of smart people here on TC and I wish the general readers would see this conversation, too.
Alternatively I could link to TC from there, but then they'd have to wade through all my Brad Pitt comments.
I find it hilarious when company owners and managers complain about not being able to keep people more than a year. There's a company that my company calls the trains grounds because we have hired a lot of their people that they've trained ground up. Do you know why everyone is leaving them?
Inconsistent paychecks, not paying on time, working extremely late, lying to employees, illegal activities, no overtime pay but instead calling it a learning experience, threatening employees about their visa to stay in the country and I'm sure there are loads more things.
The alderman changed the zoning of what once was an Industrial lot to residential. Now a developer wants to build on it by right, and instead of allowing it he is going to change it back to Industrial, just to prevent the project from moving forward.
Yes, the project is atrocious, but why not create a TOD or special use zoning overlay for this area that requires additional affordable units, public amenities etc instead of playing this bullshit zoning game?
It might make a good archinect news piece and spur some good discussion, but I'm too lazy to post it.
The company I'm currently working for is employee-owned. We have very little turnover. Ownership isn't the only reason, but it's definitely an important reason.
I'm posting here because I don't want to make my own thread but I still want to know what archinectors think. I usually post under my real name but I want to keep this anonymous.
Have you ever been approached for a new job via LinkedIn? I never have until last week and I'm feeling conflicted and intrigued and I just need to share with other designers.
I got a message from a recruiter for Aesop (skin care line with bespoke retail stores). They are recruiting a visual merchandising manager for their stores in Canada and it's based out of Toronto (actually, their store here is like right around the corner from where I live.)
I really like the brand and I've always admired their pursuit of design and architecture - often local / semi-famous architects design their stores - and their refusal to buy into traditional marketing strategies.
If we back up a bit, I've been plotting my departure from my firm for several months. I have been building up a freelance business on the side and have a couple interesting projects and a semi-regular source of side income via photography. I have been obsessed with the idea of being my own boss, running my own business and working my ass off for projects of my own choosing for the past 2 years. I have so much creative energy for a wide range of projects that are outside the realm of architecture: from super small graphic design projects to web design & coding to small-scale landscape installations. I took coding classes over the last year to develop my front-end web dev skillset.
This job would mean taking on the status of employee again, and may not allow for much time to work on my freelance gigs. On the other hand, they offer an amazing culture and a certain level of freedom of creativity for in-store installations for each of their bespoke locations across the country. They also have health care benefits & other perks (they value highly a work-life balance and want to ensure employees have time to pursue their own interests alongside their work).
Aghhhh I don't even know if I'm asking for advice! Input? Wisdom? WWJD?
(This all sounds so attractive if only because I have been coordinating with an engineer since February to shift a property line they have incorrectly located by 146mm and we are still arguing about it to this day.)
Steph, I get head-hunter things from Linkedin often enough. The ones I find the most annoying are when they call my office line and leave me cryptic messages sorta like "I'm calling from toronto with an offer, return this call to know what this is about". I called back the last one and told him off. Kid was really creepy and unprofessional.
As for the retail gig, it could work but beware of US retail chains looking for a a "stamping" architect. We have clients like that and it's painful and time consuming when we have to explain them that codes and regulations are very different and that it does not matter if you 1000 other locations, your in-house decorators don't know shit about our codes here. true story.
stephanie - if you have a great deal of creative freedom and opportunities to interact with prominent architects, it could be worth it. Do you think you could bring your other skills and interests in to the work you would do on a daily basis?
A friend was an interior designer/ vm for ikea for several years and it actually gave her a great eye for spaces, finishes, and furnishings.
if you know the name of the company, and especially if the phone number goes to their office, then it's probably from their HR rather than a recruiter. whether or not it's the work you want to do is a question only you can answer, but i would say don't back off just because it's from linkedin.
Oh man. Stephanie, especially if you don't have kids that need your job-supplied health insurance (assuming you have that), I say go for it. I loved being self-employed. Currently I have a bunch of freelance jobs and I'm jonesing to go out on my own again! But in my case husband's self-owned business is way more important than mine so I stay on with the steady paycheck and benefits for at least a bit longer.
But oh wow being my own boss again would be so great.
In a "former life" I worked in an office consulting an international brand. I had great time learning to see architecture from the perspective of other disciplines ranging from the brand reps/designers, architects, other consultants and merchandisers- and saw some great work. It really changed the way I think when I design.
Then I burned out due to all the travel, and as interesting as the work was, dealing with the fussy drama the day before a store open was sometimes frustrating.
Arch- get a professional inspector and do your own inspection. Start at the foundation and work your way up-looking for structural or maintenance issues. Check age of equipment and systems-especially electrical. Look for water damage. Age of the roof. Look in basements, crawl spaces and attics.
Bespoke retail people spend dough, makes life easier, projects more fun, and doesn’t sound like Walmart is calling.
Always return calls, always meet people, never pre-analyze an opportunity…those that do sit in cubicles.
Recession looming, decision time, which has legs?
Recruited as a buck to be design director for "Les" Wexner (Limited Brands), didn’t, could have had an indoor swimming pool….private practice has perks, but check with your doctor first…did the Death Clock thing last month, says I’ll be dead next April....and I think they're right.
I am looking at a house that is on a lot that is probably worth as much as the asking price, so I'm not sure what it will take to sway me to "no" but its good to keep an eye out for potential problems.
Deferred maintenance in Chicago tend to be a huge issue.
May 15, 16 12:22 am ·
·
Carrera,
I never worry about the death clock thing because in the end, no one knows the day.
There can be all sorts of reason a person can die but those who worry about it, can predestine their own demise. The power of the mind is a double-edge sword.
look out for unpermitted/diy work, people are idiots
May 15, 16 4:55 am ·
·
Which site are you guys looking at since I really don't often look at but curiosity for humor sake at the very least is pressing desire just to have a look.
i'm going to die saturday april 23, 2050, so at least i probably won't fall over dead in a cubicle. i wonder how it will go. maybe i'll still get to sleep in an extra hour and have my saturday morning coffee. probably drop dead while mowing the lawn.
i wil be in a passenger seat of a car late at night. we will be driving on a blacktop, quite possibly highway E in Howard County Missouri, the driver will jump a hill and curve and the tree branches will crash through the window shield and kill me. i avoided that blacktop all of high school so maybe i avoided it? i also could never confirm if there were any evergreens on thay road.
I bought my home knowing full well that I had serious delayed maintenance issues. Location was worth it. A year and a half of renovation plus $100k and it's decent now and I love the location. I still have another $30k to go, but those parts are serviceable for now. Still worth it to get a home inspector-they give good advice and more importantly they give you a document you can use to negotiate a lower price on the home.
archanonymous, does that mean you are staying in Chicago? I bought a problem house in a great location and have been fixing it up, it has been hell at times but worth it for me as well and the house has almost doubled in value even without the work I've done. Positive site drainage is something I wish I would have paid more attention to. Get a sewer line scope. Don't shake the guys hand that does that. Don't use the inspector that your realtor refers, get your own. Don't tell the house inspector you are an architect.
would you guess I am an architect?......funny story based on perspective.... so between banks to transfer money in cash, all 20s, I roll into the grocery store parking lot blaring Public Enemy and the only spot open is next to two black guys standing and talking and old enough to actually know the sounds of Public Enemy - Chuck D and Flavor Flav. Unlike in the movie The Office I did not turn it down the music or roll my windows up (beginning scene with character Michael Bolton). so i go to the ATM to deposit the 20s and thats when one of the same guys walks in and sees me holding a wad of 20s flapping in my hands as i go to deposit. I was wearing jeans, sandals, and a tshirt with a squirell on it. i started to wonder, what is that guys perspective of me - would he think architect? (ahhh, the excitement of suburbia)
tintt, nice - that area is looking promising these days.
When I was back there I saw some places in my price range in Baker and Globeville neighborhoods.
It's always just the question of how much of a fixer-upper I am looking for. Flipping houses and having my own residential practice actually sounds pretty cool.
Thread Central
heard a story on the radio awhile ago about a factory owner in the deep south saying that he couldn't get welders anymore and that he needed to be able to hire foreign workers to do the jobs Americans wouldn't. They followed up that interview with an employee who talked how terrible the place was to work, inconsistent hours, lots of on call time, no raise in 5 years.
Made me laugh
yes.
My current employer has made several subtle but noticeable comments about how he "avoids hiring people who stay anywhere less than 3 years" and "you only get one free pass for a 1-year stint somewhere on your resume."
I think he senses I am antsy.
The boomers are having a hard time with the idea that each generation gets smarter and more aware and has more interconnectedness. Boomers want to be the end all and assert that by claiming they earned it and that's just the way it goes and everyone else needs to get in line behind them where they are supposed to be.
But.... it doesn't work that way -- which is, incidently, my favorite boomerweiner line. So the concept of loyalty according to younger people is more interpersonal and lifestyle oriented, than monetary. Good. I think they have it right. That guy is obviously threatened by the fact that what he wants to be true (status quo) isn't in fact a truth but a rhetoric that he was sold on (pay your dues) and there isn't anything he can do about the fact that people want to change it, aka the poor guy is suffering from increased ineffectiveness and irrelevancy. Viva la revolution, turn turn turn.
In my (quite small) home town where there are only 3-4 firms total, there is a firm run by young gen x-ers (close to millennial values) who have been getting all the publicity and the best jobs and the boomer firms are crying that that is their territory that they have earned. Looks like the public and the people buying architectural services might share some millennial values themselves. Perhaps many of the ones awarding the contracts are millennials as they are in positions of power in many other industries.
Putting the intricacies of the architecture profession aside, I think David Cole hit it with his comment above. Moving away from a pension system to an employer-sponsored 401k system (or no retirement plan at all) allows more flexibility when moving from one employer to another because you can take your savings with you. There isn't that big pile of money keeping you tied to one employer.
I've known plenty of boomers and others that would love to leave their jobs, but because they are tied to their pension (there are a few companies where they do still exist), they stick it out because they are so close to retirement anyway.
You guys should copy/paste all these comments onto that blog post discussion! There are lots of smart people here on TC and I wish the general readers would see this conversation, too.
Alternatively I could link to TC from there, but then they'd have to wade through all my Brad Pitt comments.
I find it hilarious when company owners and managers complain about not being able to keep people more than a year. There's a company that my company calls the trains grounds because we have hired a lot of their people that they've trained ground up. Do you know why everyone is leaving them? Inconsistent paychecks, not paying on time, working extremely late, lying to employees, illegal activities, no overtime pay but instead calling it a learning experience, threatening employees about their visa to stay in the country and I'm sure there are loads more things.
re: flood plane permits
This article came up on Curbed Chicago today. Pretty interesting, especially because it is the neighborhood I live in.
The alderman changed the zoning of what once was an Industrial lot to residential. Now a developer wants to build on it by right, and instead of allowing it he is going to change it back to Industrial, just to prevent the project from moving forward.
Yes, the project is atrocious, but why not create a TOD or special use zoning overlay for this area that requires additional affordable units, public amenities etc instead of playing this bullshit zoning game?
It might make a good archinect news piece and spur some good discussion, but I'm too lazy to post it.
Nicholas- thanks for getting my back...
The company I'm currently working for is employee-owned. We have very little turnover. Ownership isn't the only reason, but it's definitely an important reason.
can't we just click three times on a flag to get rid of toxic spew?
Katherine Dunn is dead. Damn, man. 2016 sucks.
better yet- an ignore button to eliminate all messages from a particular poster...
I'm posting here because I don't want to make my own thread but I still want to know what archinectors think. I usually post under my real name but I want to keep this anonymous.
Have you ever been approached for a new job via LinkedIn? I never have until last week and I'm feeling conflicted and intrigued and I just need to share with other designers.
I got a message from a recruiter for Aesop (skin care line with bespoke retail stores). They are recruiting a visual merchandising manager for their stores in Canada and it's based out of Toronto (actually, their store here is like right around the corner from where I live.)
I really like the brand and I've always admired their pursuit of design and architecture - often local / semi-famous architects design their stores - and their refusal to buy into traditional marketing strategies.
If we back up a bit, I've been plotting my departure from my firm for several months. I have been building up a freelance business on the side and have a couple interesting projects and a semi-regular source of side income via photography. I have been obsessed with the idea of being my own boss, running my own business and working my ass off for projects of my own choosing for the past 2 years. I have so much creative energy for a wide range of projects that are outside the realm of architecture: from super small graphic design projects to web design & coding to small-scale landscape installations. I took coding classes over the last year to develop my front-end web dev skillset.
This job would mean taking on the status of employee again, and may not allow for much time to work on my freelance gigs. On the other hand, they offer an amazing culture and a certain level of freedom of creativity for in-store installations for each of their bespoke locations across the country. They also have health care benefits & other perks (they value highly a work-life balance and want to ensure employees have time to pursue their own interests alongside their work).
Aghhhh I don't even know if I'm asking for advice! Input? Wisdom? WWJD?
(This all sounds so attractive if only because I have been coordinating with an engineer since February to shift a property line they have incorrectly located by 146mm and we are still arguing about it to this day.)
Steph, I get head-hunter things from Linkedin often enough. The ones I find the most annoying are when they call my office line and leave me cryptic messages sorta like "I'm calling from toronto with an offer, return this call to know what this is about". I called back the last one and told him off. Kid was really creepy and unprofessional.
As for the retail gig, it could work but beware of US retail chains looking for a a "stamping" architect. We have clients like that and it's painful and time consuming when we have to explain them that codes and regulations are very different and that it does not matter if you 1000 other locations, your in-house decorators don't know shit about our codes here. true story.
stephanie - if you have a great deal of creative freedom and opportunities to interact with prominent architects, it could be worth it. Do you think you could bring your other skills and interests in to the work you would do on a daily basis?
A friend was an interior designer/ vm for ikea for several years and it actually gave her a great eye for spaces, finishes, and furnishings.
if you know the name of the company, and especially if the phone number goes to their office, then it's probably from their HR rather than a recruiter. whether or not it's the work you want to do is a question only you can answer, but i would say don't back off just because it's from linkedin.
Oh man. Stephanie, especially if you don't have kids that need your job-supplied health insurance (assuming you have that), I say go for it. I loved being self-employed. Currently I have a bunch of freelance jobs and I'm jonesing to go out on my own again! But in my case husband's self-owned business is way more important than mine so I stay on with the steady paycheck and benefits for at least a bit longer.
But oh wow being my own boss again would be so great.
Btw, I'm writing this from the comforts of a hospital room which I will pay zero for.... Except for parking.
In a "former life" I worked in an office consulting an international brand. I had great time learning to see architecture from the perspective of other disciplines ranging from the brand reps/designers, architects, other consultants and merchandisers- and saw some great work. It really changed the way I think when I design.
Then I burned out due to all the travel, and as interesting as the work was, dealing with the fussy drama the day before a store open was sometimes frustrating.
anyone have additional tips and tricks beyond the baseline checklist for inspecting a house (personally, not professionally) that I am looking to buy?
look for spider webs under wood joists if old. this means spiders found food they can catch who might like wood.
Look inside at the back of cabinets, look for brand new replacement items as these may indicate lack of proper maintenance or other problems.
turn on all the plumbing when you arrive and let it run. turn on all heating and cooling full blast. then do your walk thru
Stephanie, just three things here:
Recruited as a buck to be design director for "Les" Wexner (Limited Brands), didn’t, could have had an indoor swimming pool….private practice has perks, but check with your doctor first…did the Death Clock thing last month, says I’ll be dead next April....and I think they're right.
Thanks for the tips!
I am looking at a house that is on a lot that is probably worth as much as the asking price, so I'm not sure what it will take to sway me to "no" but its good to keep an eye out for potential problems.
Deferred maintenance in Chicago tend to be a huge issue.
Carrera,
I never worry about the death clock thing because in the end, no one knows the day.
There can be all sorts of reason a person can die but those who worry about it, can predestine their own demise. The power of the mind is a double-edge sword.
may 2069 for me, not sure how I feel that that
look out for unpermitted/diy work, people are idiots
Which site are you guys looking at since I really don't often look at but curiosity for humor sake at the very least is pressing desire just to have a look.
I went with the first result from a google sesrch
i'm going to die saturday april 23, 2050, so at least i probably won't fall over dead in a cubicle. i wonder how it will go. maybe i'll still get to sleep in an extra hour and have my saturday morning coffee. probably drop dead while mowing the lawn.
i wil be in a passenger seat of a car late at night. we will be driving on a blacktop, quite possibly highway E in Howard County Missouri, the driver will jump a hill and curve and the tree branches will crash through the window shield and kill me. i avoided that blacktop all of high school so maybe i avoided it? i also could never confirm if there were any evergreens on thay road.
archanonymous, does that mean you are staying in Chicago? I bought a problem house in a great location and have been fixing it up, it has been hell at times but worth it for me as well and the house has almost doubled in value even without the work I've done. Positive site drainage is something I wish I would have paid more attention to. Get a sewer line scope. Don't shake the guys hand that does that. Don't use the inspector that your realtor refers, get your own. Don't tell the house inspector you are an architect.
tintt,
no... thinking more it would be good to have for the next year I know I will be in Chicago... then treat it as a rental property.
After a couple visits to Denver this spring I decided to give it at least another year before moving back. What neighborhood is your fixer-upper in?
Again, thanks for all the tips! I have a fairly complete checklist, but there are always things you don't realize until its too late.
arch, I am just east of Five Points by Manual High.
would you guess I am an architect?......funny story based on perspective.... so between banks to transfer money in cash, all 20s, I roll into the grocery store parking lot blaring Public Enemy and the only spot open is next to two black guys standing and talking and old enough to actually know the sounds of Public Enemy - Chuck D and Flavor Flav. Unlike in the movie The Office I did not turn it down the music or roll my windows up (beginning scene with character Michael Bolton). so i go to the ATM to deposit the 20s and thats when one of the same guys walks in and sees me holding a wad of 20s flapping in my hands as i go to deposit. I was wearing jeans, sandals, and a tshirt with a squirell on it. i started to wonder, what is that guys perspective of me - would he think architect? (ahhh, the excitement of suburbia)
i am a balding shaved head white guy btw
I'm sure people know who you are by your AIA lapel pin, olaf.
Olaf?
ricko....that is me 20 years ago....lol
I'm glad you and hopefully Olaf and others are taking it with jest and humor.
The more interesting conversation was the one the had after you left, during which one of them described the engineering office as a hot mess.
ha Marc, I knew it, NJ transit employees!
lol....
Balkins' your behavior at thread central is acceptable, please do same elsewhere...for the love architectur!
tintt, nice - that area is looking promising these days.
When I was back there I saw some places in my price range in Baker and Globeville neighborhoods.
It's always just the question of how much of a fixer-upper I am looking for. Flipping houses and having my own residential practice actually sounds pretty cool.
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