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Working at BIG and/or JDS

Peachtree

hello everyone

i was wondering if anybody out there had worked at either bjarke ingels group (BIG) or julien de smedt architects (JDS)? i was just wondering if they pay their employees and if they hire people who haven't interned there before as regular staff. I am curious about anyone's experience with either firm. any info would be appreciated. thanks.

 
Dec 20, 09 11:37 pm
IamGray

I haven't worked there myself, but know those who have.

Yes they pay their employees (was this a serious question?) and yes they hire 'outsiders' on as regular staff.
Pay ranges from comparable to better than most for similar type of firm (although that could just be a Denmark-wide thing), while hours are (as expected) qutie long. You get a nice ammount of holiday though.

Keep in mind this is just for the Copenhagen office (JDS has or had offices in Oslo and Bruxels as well, not sure about BIG) and is, like I said earlier, second hand information.

Good luck!

Dec 21, 09 4:36 am  · 
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j'aime

BIG pays next to nothing, JDS pays nothing for first six months, and next to nothing therafter. This might have changed by now, but prob not.

Dec 23, 09 11:30 am  · 
 · 
gresham

From the original post: "I was just wondering if they pay their employees and if they hire people who haven't interned there before as regular staff."

Can you really be considered an "employeee" if you are not being paid even a minimal wage? Aren't we really talking about a paid or unpaid internship here? Or a volunteer position?

Dec 23, 09 11:46 am  · 
 · 
IamGray

j'amie. That's simply not true.
Perhaps as an intern / entry level position.
But I know architects who make a very healthy salary with BIG.

Dec 23, 09 12:33 pm  · 
 · 
j'aime

What is the pay at BIG? Maybe??, I just know there intern salary is not enough to live on...can't remember 350euro/month??? I really can't remember, maybe it was 500 like Oma...

In my experience, if you are talented at what you do, work hard, there is little difference between an employee and an intern, in many cases work was given to interns over giving it to an employees knowing certain interns would do the job and faster and better than employees. I don't think the gap in pay reflects the gap is ability, therefore pay should be more for interns....

So full time is paid more at cost of employing underpaid interns.




Dec 24, 09 5:07 am  · 
 · 
vado retro

from bjarke's facebook page.................................................

is seriously looking for architects - 1 to 10 years of experience - everything fromo young talented design geniuses or smart and experienced project wizards - dont hesitate to send resumes or forward to your brilliant friends so they can quit their jobs and come join me at BIG HQ in Copenhagen! sorry for posting job ad...s in my update - but I a few fresh colleagues within the month

Jan 4, 10 5:17 pm  · 
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liberty bell

If I could drop everything within a month, I'd apply! Go for it, young (and not so) ones!

Jan 4, 10 5:53 pm  · 
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l3wis

jds has spontaneously hired students from cincinnati without any real recommendations, i know

man. i would be loathe to make such an expensive commitment for no pay, without really knowing how much I would be learning at BIG/JDS. I think i would fear that the danes working there may not be down to earth and would be kind of aloof and non helpful.

Jan 4, 10 10:08 pm  · 
 · 
simoneis

BIG publicly released their New York salaries for 2011:

"Average Annual Salary Including Partners (and Bjarke): $58,352

Level 1 Intern: $12,450

Level 2 Intern: $16,300

Level 3 Intern: $22,650"

Pay scale in the Copenhagen office is quite different.

Jan 22, 15 11:40 am  · 
 · 
awaiting_deletion

That's a fuckin joke surely.

Jan 22, 15 11:50 am  · 
 · 
SneakyPete

In NYC that won't even keep you in enough coffee to be allowed to use the coffee shop's toilets.

Jan 22, 15 12:11 pm  · 
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chigurh

holy shit! 12 grand a year!! I'm gonna apply today!!!

Jan 22, 15 2:05 pm  · 
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starling

A classmate/roommate of mine works for BIG NYC office, this is what she told me:

- After completing a MANDATORY 18-month internship (now only 9 I believe), she has close to 2 years experience entry-level at the firm, and makes close to $45k, no overtime

- Apparently BIG recently took advantage of the new NYC law that requires firms to pay interns overtime if they make less than $23,900 per year. BIG's interns got a generous raise to $24k per year... touching

- 35% of BIG's NYC office is interns

- While she feels her experience at BIG is invaluable, she has a "retirement" date already set, because she feels she can't "morally work for people like that for too long"

This is also second-hand information.

Feb 2, 15 6:40 pm  · 
 · 
x-jla

But why dont we see more diversity in the profession?  gonna bitch slap the next person who asks me that while casually supporting the status quo in this profession.  only people who can even entertain the possibility of "interning" at such an office are wealthy single 20 year olds.  24k a year in nyc after college with debt and living expenses.  lol.  

Feb 2, 15 7:49 pm  · 
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