Archinect - Features

When Should Architecture Firms Start Hiring? Five Factors To Consider

2024-11-14T13:46:00-05:00

With the U.S. Federal Reserve embarking on rounds of target interest rate cuts in late 2024, AEC industry commentators are forecasting that architectural business conditions may improve in the coming months. Architecture firms experiencing an increased workload may, therefore, find themselves asking the deceptively simple question: When should I start hiring?

Should hiring decisions be made in response to secure work or more speculative projections? Should onboarding time be taken into account? Are there economic considerations beyond workload projects that should be factored in?

In search of answers, Archinect spoke with four firms about their hiring strategies: Fogarty Finger, FXCollaborative, Marmol Radziner, and Marvel. From our conversations, five key factors emerged for firms to consider when designing their own hiring strategies.

Your Architecture Work Sample Isn’t Your Portfolio. 10 Creative Tips To Keep in Mind When Job Searching

2024-09-12T12:20:00-04:00

In many cases, your work sample is the first visual evidence you will offer a prospective employer when applying for a new architectural position. What you include in your sample, as well as how you structure and present it, is therefore important for creating a good first impression and increasing your chances of progressing through to an interview and job offer.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to work samples, just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to design. Your own work sample will be influenced not only by your preferences and tastes but also by the medium through which you are presenting it, the type of firm you are applying to, and the stage of your career.

The following set of ten tips on creating your work sample is, therefore, not a rigid prescription but answers to common queries we hear on the topic, suggestions based on the experience of our team and community, and questions to ask yourself as you assemble your own work sample to aid your next job searc...

How to Effectively Introduce Your Architecture Firm in Under 2 Minutes

2024-09-11T08:13:00-04:00

Recently, we explained how to create an elevator pitch for your architecture portfolio when searching for your next role as a job seeker. As we noted, the ability to capture a body of work as rich, complex, and varied as an architecture portfolio in a timely, clear, and succinct manner requires planning and preparation.

The same holds true when introducing your architecture firm. In addition to hosting their own portfolio of work, firms possess their own ethos, characters, specialties, and value propositions to clients, collaborators, and beyond. For architects representing their firm, there is, therefore, merit in developing an elevator pitch that is brief, persuasive, and capable of sparking outside interest in what a firm stands for and what it can do for others.

With that in mind, we have assembled below a series of tips to help you design and deliver a brief elevator pitch to introduce your architecture firm.

Do you have further advice for succinctly pitching your firm to new a...

How To Create an Elevator Pitch for Your Architecture Portfolio When Job Searching

2024-08-07T11:49:00-04:00

Your architecture portfolio is one of your most powerful tools when searching for a new career opportunity. Whether describing your work at a networking event or presenting your previous projects in an interview setting, the ability to clearly and succinctly pitch your portfolio has the potential to evoke intrigue and excitement in the listener and influence the lens through which your prospective employer will read your wider work. However, the ability to capture a body of work as rich, complex, and varied as an architecture portfolio requires deliberate planning and preparation.

With that in mind, we have assembled below a series of tips to help you design and deliver a brief elevator pitch to introduce your architecture portfolio during a job search.

Do you have advice for pitching your portfolio while searching for your next role? Let us know in the comments.

How To Reduce the Stress of an Architecture Job Search

2024-07-12T08:58:00-04:00

At some point in their careers, most, if not all, individuals in the architecture profession find themselves looking for new employment. This can include graduates looking for their first job out of architecture school, experienced designers and architects moving from one firm to the next, whether through layoffs or wanting a fresh start, and individuals seeking to enter the profession from an adjacent field.

Searching for a new job can be a source of excitement through the promise of a new chapter in life, but it can also be a time of uncertainty, anxiety, and disappointment. To help you navigate this emotional rollercoaster, we present below ten non-exhaustive tips to employ when seeking new employment.

Do you have advice for managing emotions during a job search beyond those set out below? Let us know in the comments.

How to Get a Job at Workshop/APD

2023-10-26T07:41:00-04:00

Established by founding principals Andrew Kotchen and Matt Berman in 1999, New York City-based firm Workshop/APD has grown into a design force whose reach far exceeds the American Northeast with completed projects also in the Rocky Mountains, South Florida, California, Europe, and the Bahamas. As a vertically integrated practice with offices in NYC, Nantucket, Greenwich, and Minneapolis, the studio now employs a diverse team of more than 100 whose background and qualifications allows them to unite a wide range of services — including architecture, interiors, product design, planning, and branding — under one roof.

For this episode of Archinect's "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we talked to members of the Workshop/APD leadership team to learn more about their hiring process, what the firm is looking for in prospective new "Workshoppers," and how the company encourages work-life balance within the office.

How to Get a Job at Safdie Architects

2022-11-07T11:44:00-05:00

Few design firms have managed to build a portfolio of realized projects so instantly recognizable and beloved around the world as Safdie Architects has. Established in 1964 by Israeli-born Canadian architect Moshe Safdie to construct his now-iconic Habitat ’67 commission, the studio has grown into a globally-active design heavyweight over the past six decades. Headquartered in Somerville/Boston and closely connected to its satellite offices in Jerusalem, Shanghai, and Singapore, the firm has been making headlines with high-profile projects like Marina Bay Sands and Jewel Changi Airport in Southeast Asia, Raffles City Chongqing in China (featuring the world's longest sky bridge), or Arkansas' soon-to-be-expanded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

For this episode of Archinect's "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we interviewed members of the Safdie Architects leadership team to learn more about their hiring process. Chris Mulvey (Partner), Jaron Lubin (Partner), and Wen Wen (Ass...

The Pandemic Exposed Deep Flaws in the Architecture Profession — But Also Inspired Remedies

2022-08-25T11:26:00-04:00

Two and a half years after the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. architectural profession has emerged from the global pandemic in a stronger condition than many could have expected during the depths of 2020. However, many questions remain unanswered on how the pandemic impacted the architectural job market, firm operations, and the design process; questions which deserve scrutiny in the interests of avoiding future economic pain, and building a more resilient profession. In search of answers, we speak to three firms in differing parts of the U.S. to hear their reflections on how the profession fared during the pandemic, and where it goes next. To understand how these unique experiences fit within a national picture, we also speak with AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, who reflects on a deeper supply-demand issue across the profession.

How to Get a Job at Snøhetta

2022-03-24T15:13:00-04:00

Founded in 1989 as a collaborative workshop following the competition-winning entry for the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, Snøhetta has continuously grown into a global powerhouse with high-profile commissions in its portfolio such as the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion in New York, the Le Monde Group Headquarters in Paris, the SFMOMA Expansion in San Francisco, or the viral underwater restaurant "Under" in Southern Norway.

Today, the firm employs nearly 300 team members with backgrounds in a variety of disciplines operating from offices in Oslo, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Innsbruck, Hong Kong, and Adelaide.

For Archinect's latest episode of the "How To Get A Job At ____" series, we interviewed members of the Snøhetta leadership team to learn more about their hiring process. Craig Dykers (Founding Partner; Architect), Elaine Molinar (Partner; Managing Director - The Americas), and Matthew McMahon (Director;...

Archinect’s Guide to Job Titles: Building Façade/Envelope Specialist

2022-03-14T19:54:00-04:00

Expertise in facade design has become a growing niche for firms and individuals who specialize in building envelopes, facade fabrication techniques, and performance-based design solutions. A facade specialist helps firms create unique building exteriors that blend architecture, engineering, and material innovation.

Our latest installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles explores the role of a façade/envelope specialist, the qualifications needed to pursue this as a career path, and what firms are looking for when hiring.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Model Maker

2022-01-04T13:55:00-05:00

When beginning architecture school, a student is introduced to four basic design elements: Point, Line, Plane, and Volume. The process for designing a building requires these four elements to operate. These elements serve as the backbone to crafting an effective design proposal and successful project for a design firm. For our eighth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we explore the role and career path of a Model Maker.

An architectural model serves as the physical manifestation of a design proposal. A model may highlight the use and aspects of a planned structure beyond the reach of a composite sketch or digitally composed image. A tangible, three-dimensional form, the architectural model is a key component to the visualization of a building and the communication of layout and inter-spatial design relationships.

On the Importance of Feedback: How Architects and Designers Can Improve Office Culture

2021-04-09T16:49:00-04:00

Whether you are a new or seasoned professional, being a fast learner is a sought-after characteristic. There are several tools and skills that will help expedite one's career advancement, yet a vital resource is feedback — to have someone share their perspective on your work and give actionable advice on how you can do even better next time.

Many companies have structured performance reviews on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. These reviews, however, may not always be sufficient in frequency and value for new hires. It becomes easy to get enveloped in daily to-do lists, aggressive project schedules, and office politics. Instead of having a prearranged review meeting, it may be up to an individual to initiate these potentially difficult discussions.

While this may be easy for some, this much-needed mission of soliciting feedback can be daunting for many new team members. Below we deliver insights on how facilitating feedback can be a fruitful and organic conversation.

...

How to Use Archinect to Get a Job: Optimizing Your Profile With Your Current Portfolio and CV

2021-01-26T09:00:00-05:00

It goes without saying that the job market for architects is really tough right now. It does need to be said, however, that there is much more job seekers can do to improve their chances of getting hired. Naturally, Archinect, the first and only go-to talent marketplace for the Architecture industry, is the place to start.

Archinect currently hosts nearly 40,000 active job seekers within our huge directory of architecture portfolios and profiles in Talent Finder. Archinect also hosts tens of thousands of firms that are actively utilizing Archinect to find new staff. The problem, as we've heard from many employers, is that too many job seekers are doing a less-than-stellar job at selling themselves.

But fear not, we're here to help! We've compiled the feedback from employers, and studied our huge database of job seeker profiles, to put together a simple guide to help you optimize your profile to increase your chances of getting employed.

Archinect’s Guide to Job Titles: Marketing Coordinator

2020-12-21T13:21:00-05:00

Booming talent and innovative work fill the architecture and design community. Unless a firm communicates that talent to the outside world, it is likely to go unnoticed. Whether it be acquiring new business, recruiting new team members, positioning oneself as a thought leader, or any of the other pursuits of a design practice, marketing is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

For our ninth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we look at the Marketing Coordinator and its context within a firm’s larger marketing operations. What qualifications does one need? Why is it so essential to a firm’s success? And how does one succeed in this role?

Archinect Tips: Employment Edition

2020-11-10T09:12:00-05:00

Archinect Tips is a popular series here on the site, but sometimes the best insights can get lost. When it comes to architectural employment, Archinect has provided a slew of resources. Consider this a comprehensive round-up of all things employment from our Archinect Tips series. There are four sections divided here: the job application, the job hunt, career development, and the workplace. And be sure to follow the tags (news/features), for updates on new tips and insights.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Interior Designer

2020-11-06T13:59:00-05:00

Interior Design is one of those disciplines that the architecture profession can often overlook. Many of the misconceptions about Interior Designers come from misinformation or old "traditional" mindsets within the industry. But, we should take this important professional's role in the design of spaces quite seriously.

For our eighth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we take a look at the Interior Designer. What qualifications does one need to operate in this role? What's the pay like? And how does it function alongside other design disciplines?

What Architecture Firms are Hiring Right Now?

2020-06-26T14:17:00-04:00

Archinect has offered most popular architecture and design job board for over two decades, and that standing enables us to get a unique look at hiring trends throughout the industry at any point in time. With the economy taking a hit, and employers navigating many unknowns due to COVID-19, job seekers are wondering what the future holds for them. We decided to create a brief outline of what we’re currently seeing on our job board in hopes of providing some insights into what might be occurring in the larger architectural employment market.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Project Manager

2020-06-05T12:48:00-04:00

As we continue our investigation of the most foundational job titles in the architecture industry, we now move to the Project Manager (PM), a title often closely associated with the Project Architect (PA), which we covered in a previous article. Because a Project Architect and a Project Manager can sometimes be the same person or share many of the same responsibilities it can be tricky to differentiate between the two. In team structures where the PM functions in a separate role, duties can include internal and external team management; financial and budgetary management; scheduling; staffing; and overall communication between the parties involved in a project.

This is our seventh installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles. We’ll look at the Project Manager and explore the nature and essence of operating in this role. We will also investigate what one might expect from an individual pursuing this career path in architecture.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Project Architect

2020-03-13T16:52:00-04:00

In our study of the various job titles within the industry of architecture, we’ve so far explored a wide variety, each with its own unique qualities. Today we move to the Project Architect (PA), a position that quite literally captures the essence of the architect. Project Architects are typically tasked with the technical delivery of a project: leading the production of the construction documents, ensuring its quality, coordinating with consultants, leading an internal team of design professionals, and a number of other duties key to the development and delivery of a given project. Sometimes this role might overlap with that of a Project Manager (PM), and sometimes they are one in the same, both topics we’ll discuss in this piece.

This is our sixth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles. We’ll look at the Project Architect (PA), the multi-faceted position that truly captures the historical and intrinsic characteristics of the architect. Let’s look at what this role entails,...

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Designer

2020-02-25T14:26:00-05:00

Within the architecture studio, designers exist as a polymorphic phenomenon so varied and nuanced that there subsists no exhaustive description of their fundamental nature. On a foundational level, designers design, but they are also so much more than that. Some might run their own projects, working through all phases of a project, while others may only operate in the schematic phases. The differences are endless. Moreover, designers can be junior, intermediate, and senior; all experience levels spanning eons uncommon in other positions. And so the challenge becomes one of defining such a wide-ranging position, a task this series has set out to tackle.

For our fifth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we peer into the nature of the Designer, probably one of the most varied job titles in the profession, in an effort to wrap our heads around its essential building blocks. How might we better understand the foundations of this role? How does one fit into the larger team str...

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Job Captain

2020-02-06T12:09:00-05:00

As projects move from pre-design to construction, the coordination and maintenance of the operational progress of the project team, both internal and external, and the work itself must be managed closely. Project Managers (PM) often oversee multiple projects, regularly interacting with the client, multiple smaller teams for each project, and ensuring the vision of the work stays on point. But, the PM often relies on a Job Captain to oversee the actual production of design deliverables, construction documentation, construction administration tasks, and other daily maintenance duties required to keep projects moving and on schedule.

For our fourth installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles, we dive into the Job Captain, that in-between team member crucial to the project flow. What qualifications does one need to operate in this role? What's the pay like? And where does it lie in one's larger career trajectory?

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: Studio Director

2020-01-23T12:00:00-05:00

In our third installment of Archinect's Guide to Job Titles series, we attempt to tackle the nuanced role of the Studio Director. As with most positions within architecture firms, the lines are quite blurry when it comes to the role of Studio Director. For some, this leadership position acts as a kind of operations specialist and strategist while also functioning as a firmwide design leader. For others, the Studio Director might function as a buffer between design teams and the higher-level leadership of an organization. And for others still, this individual might run their studio as a kind of "mini-firm" within a larger firm, responsible for their own business development, hiring, project management, and overall growth. The intricacies and variations associated with such a dynamic posting can't be explained exhaustively, there will always be some deviation. Nevertheless, what follows is our attempt to capture the inherent essence of this career path in architecture.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Streamline the Application Process Using Archinect’s Online Application Center

2020-01-15T14:30:00-05:00

The hiring process can be a complicated undertaking, for both employers and job seekers. Especially when it comes to the application process, employers face the challenge of managing countless submissions, organizing files, comparing top candidates, and efficiently communicating with their peers on the hiring team. Similarly, job applicants face their own obstacles when applying to various opportunities each with different submission guidelines. For the effective hiring team. streamlining the application process will not only optimize internal firm operations, but it will also ensure that promising candidates don’t slip through the cracks as a result of avoidable mishaps.

This is the sixth in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Plan According to the Job Market

2019-12-20T13:06:00-05:00

The job market is in a constant state of flux. The biggest factor that contributes to market conditions is the economy, but this may affect industries, specialties and regions in very different ways. When a business needs to hire new talent, it's the employer's responsibility to understand the current job market when advertising their opportunities to the pool of job seekers.

This is the fifth in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

Archinect's Guide to Job Titles: BIM Specialist

2019-12-16T15:06:00-05:00

The design, development, and construction of a building is an inherently complex ambition. For the architect, coordinating both the countless members of the project team and managing the production of the construction documents present its own set of challenges. Building Information Modeling has introduced itself as an invaluable tool in documentation, management, and project maintenance for architects and consultants in the AEC space. The intricate nature of BIM solutions coupled with the specialized knowledge needed to operate it properly has brought about the emergence of a new kind of professional, commonly known as the BIM Specialist. Critical to the health of a firm’s workflow, the BIM Specialist plays a crucial role in a project’s success. Let’s take a deep dive into this role, explore some of its common characteristics, and look at what skills and qualifications one might need to pursue an opportunity in this area.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Consider Your Reputation

2019-12-13T12:18:00-05:00

The talent procurement process is an interactive back and forth between job seekers and employers, each striving to secure an ideal future relationship. Employers want team members that will help realize their vision, and job seekers want employers who will play a part in fulfilling their career aspirations. In markets where potential candidates have the luxury to pick and choose what firms they want to work for, employers must take a close look at their reputation within the industry, and consider how that status can influence their perceived allure to potential hires. When crafting your job ad, context is crucial, and your reputation is the foundational framework that will establish that contextual impact amongst your competition.

This is the fourth in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Clarity is Key

2019-12-09T12:05:00-05:00

In professional correspondence, clear communication tends to be a universally desired ingredient. We've all opened the puzzling email, read the templated cover letter, and even conversed through the cryptic phone call. Especially, when it comes to reviewing the applications of prospective talent, employers want to see well presented and well written materials, absent of elementary oversights and errors. In the same way, when job seekers search through job advertisements, they too are looking for clearly communicated content, that they can follow, understand, and take action on. When crafting your job ad, clarity is key.

This is the third in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Curate Your Image

2019-11-19T09:19:00-05:00

In the hunt for new team members, an ideal aim for most firms is to establish oneself as a kind of talent magnet. Quality response from quality candidates is an ideal outcome for any job advertisement. A crucial aspect in achieving this is in the representation of one's public image. A firm must craft a thoughtfully curated picture of who they are, allowing job seekers to acquire a deeper understanding of its internal character.

This is the second in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

How to Craft an Effective Job Ad: Talk About Lifestyle

2019-11-13T14:27:00-05:00

Writing a job ad can seem like a toneless task. Just get it out it out there as fast a possible, we need people, some might think. But, really, the desired outcome is to attract the best talent, and that takes some finesse. Especially in our current market, where job-seekers have a plethora of opportunities to choose from, firms more than ever need to approach their search for new talent with a spirit of excellence and creativity.

Like a job seeker's application package, a firm's job ad is essential in its search for quality candidates. Templated formats don't usually work here. Rather, one must craft an impactful representation of the opportunity at hand and creatively display what makes a particular place of work worth pursuing.

This is the first in our How to Craft an Effective Job Ad series. Be sure to check out all of the articles for a comprehensive look at composing the perfect Job Ad.

Tools of the Job Hunt: Understanding the Employer

2019-09-16T12:11:00-04:00

We've shared a lot of helpful information on job hunting: how to craft the perfect resume and cover letter, how nail the job interview, the importance of the portfolio... While all of these are useful, they tend to lack the underlying principles one should understand as they navigate their job search. In short, these resources give us practical and prescriptive instruction but tend to lack the why behind what we’re doing. Just as in architecture, we must understand why we do something, not only how to do it. When it comes to job hunting, that is what this article will aim to address.