also be great for employees because if everybody included the salary expectations, then people would flock towards ones that pay more, leaving others no choice but to offer more.

I think you may have answered your own question. Because then ppl would flock towards ones that pay more, leaving others no choice but offer more.

The architecture industry is not looking to employ innovative and creative ppl, it is looking for indentured slave cultured droned out ppl, to sit behind a desk and computer all day, not ask questions, think they are climbing a ladder, and that eventually you will be whatever you imagined in your head as to what an architect would be.

@detwan

And that's what's troubling me most about Architecture. It's like the industry doesn't want to improve and become better, which it can by increasing wages that'll attract more brighter and better students. They are shooting themselves in the foot because not having improvement in the field will indirectly effect them. It's sad how the selfishness affects architecture. You'd think that people who went through intense internships, low paying jobs, dreams of taking any part of the design process, struggling to find a life/work balance and making their way up the ladder would make them more understanding and sympathetic for others below but, no, it doesn't. Which is really unfortunate. The " I went through it and so should you" mentality is quite prevalent and honestly really depressing.

Yeah, reality can bite sometimes. At least you realize it and you wont be convinced to chase white rabbits. Live and learn!

The central problem in the profession is that there is an over supply of architects for the amount of work.  So, firms that happen to have work at any given time are in a position to demand (and get!) obscenely low salary concessions from prospective employees.  In turn, the more sophisticated clients know this as well, and they beat down the fees accordingly.  The only solution is to get supply and demand into better balance.  The ways to do that are well known and for a variety of reasons are unlikely to happen.

It's not a pretty picture, and it's why I would not recommend this profession to anyone actually needing to pay their bills with their architectural earnings.

That may be true. Never really occurred to me that that might be the case. Maybe it's cause I really never met people that are architects/ studying architecture. Seemed pretty rare to me. In fact, the first time I've met someone either studying or working in architecture was when I started the architecture program at uni. But then again, it's cause the work is Sooo little. I'm intending to go into real estate. I'll finish my bachelor in architecture + minor in real estate development, get some experience and maybe come back for an mba if I don't manage to get the job I'm after. I figure with the Mba, real estate development minor and bachelor in architecture, I'll be very suitable for a well paying job in a good real estate firm and the industry as a whole.( I'll also have other career options with an mba.)Once I secure my financial future, then I'll probably just do some renovations and remodeling to satisfy my creative side. What do you guys think of this plan? Any input\ advice would be of extraordinary benefit.

I think that that is a reasonable out look for the immediate future!

Don't be shocked if your architecture undergrad degree doesn't impress prospective employers all that much.  Developers regard architects as a bunch of chumps (wonder why??!!).  It won't hurt, but ...........

Idk. I'd like to think someone who has a degree in architecture and experience in an architecture firm would be pretty useful. What is your reasoning though?

I too thought architecture background would be of interest for developers. It would be good to deal with the architects hired to actually design the project yet with the business mindset anf design background they can help make fully informed decisions and keep the architects in line.

I'm not saying you're wrong on the merits.  I'm just saying that the rest of the real estate/building industry just doesn't respect architects very much.  Our willingness to work for chump change make them think that we are chumps.

Besides, most builders think they could do our jobs as well as we do.  They're wrong, but it's what they think.

You get what you pay for: big name firms can payless b/c junior employees are using your name to pad the resumes; over all firms wanting high quality employees pay a lot to poach the best and retain the best -this typically doesn't happen until you prove yourself a few years at some reputable places for obvious reasons.