I'm in the process of transitioning out of architecture, however I need to get a job in the meantime in order to pay the bills...
Wondering if anyone has recommendations for firms in LA that have a relatively light workload where I could work 40/hr a week, so that I can spend evenings and weekends developing other skills? Preferably on the east side/downtown.
I've previously worked for a couple of years at some smaller "design focused" offices and I'm simply not interested 50/60/70+ hours per week workload and taking on all kinds of extra responsibilities. I'm happy to go in and get my work done efficiently but I don't want this to engulf my entire life.
Try to find hourly drafting jobs in any Arch/Eng/MEP firm. Paid hourly means paid overtime which (hopefully) means they want to keep you as close to 40 hours as possible. Also look for BIM/VDC roles in GC/Construction firms. Or just wait tables/bartend, could make even more than an architecture job with tips. No need to stay in the profession longer than you need to.
we have a hybrid environment and it still sucks ass
Oct 27, 22 1:06 am ·
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l3wis
in my experience, what compels people to work later hours is usually the office culture of working in person. if 'the manager' or 'the boss' is staying late and everyone feels like they are expected to as well, then it cements a bad culture.
with a hybrid environment, no one is watching you so you should feel at liberty to simply stop working. If on the other hand, you are being given too much work to do, then I think you have to just let the balls start to drop and tell your managers you have too much work.
Oct 27, 22 11:29 am ·
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sameolddoctor
In our hybrid environment, meetings with clients and consultants are set from 7am to 10am and THEN we have to work all day, late into the evening to actually produce shit.
Try Marmol Radziner. At least when I worked there they kept 9 to 5 hours and looked askance at anyone other than the owners or management who tried to stay past 5. I never found an equally civilized working environment until I started my own office.
No, it's present in the southern US also. I don't see it as a mindset as much a result of how firms are run. Ironically, the firm principals running the worst sweatshops around me are darlings of the AIA establishment and sit on the advisory councils of the local arch schools.
I encountered that type of 'live to work' culture when I first moved to Colorado. I wouldn't do it. I had a partner ask me how I expected to advance in the firm if I didn't work longer hours. I told this person I'd advance by working with a firm that valued my talents. The following week I left for my current firm.
Are you able to provide name of these AIA darlings that run sweatshops?
I feel like most large firms won't really do anything if you just refuse to work overtime, as long as you do your job well for the 40 hours you do work.
Oct 31, 22 1:05 pm ·
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thisisnotmyname
When this fancy firm I worked at needed to do layoffs, they would have the accounting person run a report of how many hours everyone worked over the previous few months. The people with the fewest hours (i.e. not working overtime) were then targeted for the layoff. And yes, overtime at this firm was uncompensated.
back during the great recession - I worked for a major architecture firm and it came down to charging billable hours - a bunch of us were working on a highrize project, the PM didnt want us to charge to the project and told us to charge OH. When the "wall caved in" in 11/08', we were the first to go - it was a case of feeding the shark hoping he would eat us last then he decided to eat us first.
Oct 31, 22 6:43 pm ·
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Firms in LA that have a comparatively light workload & low working hours?
I'm in the process of transitioning out of architecture, however I need to get a job in the meantime in order to pay the bills...
Wondering if anyone has recommendations for firms in LA that have a relatively light workload where I could work 40/hr a week, so that I can spend evenings and weekends developing other skills? Preferably on the east side/downtown.
I've previously worked for a couple of years at some smaller "design focused" offices and I'm simply not interested 50/60/70+ hours per week workload and taking on all kinds of extra responsibilities. I'm happy to go in and get my work done efficiently but I don't want this to engulf my entire life.
Try to find hourly drafting jobs in any Arch/Eng/MEP firm. Paid hourly means paid overtime which (hopefully) means they want to keep you as close to 40 hours as possible. Also look for BIM/VDC roles in GC/Construction firms. Or just wait tables/bartend, could make even more than an architecture job with tips. No need to stay in the profession longer than you need to.
anywhere that has a hybrid working environment
we have a hybrid environment and it still sucks ass
in my experience, what compels people to work later hours is usually the office culture of working in person. if 'the manager' or 'the boss' is staying late and everyone feels like they are expected to as well, then it cements a bad culture. with a hybrid environment, no one is watching you so you should feel at liberty to simply stop working. If on the other hand, you are being given too much work to do, then I think you have to just let the balls start to drop and tell your managers you have too much work.
In our hybrid environment, meetings with clients and consultants are set from 7am to 10am and THEN we have to work all day, late into the evening to actually produce shit.
Try Marmol Radziner. At least when I worked there they kept 9 to 5 hours and looked askance at anyone other than the owners or management who tried to stay past 5. I never found an equally civilized working environment until I started my own office.
I'm surprised to hear this, I've heard the exact opposite...
I just find it sad. 40Hr work week should be the norm. Yet, OP has to ask around like it was some kind of unicorn.
I agree. Is this 'live to work' mindset more common on the coasts and / or metropolitan areas?
No, it's present in the southern US also. I don't see it as a mindset as much a result of how firms are run. Ironically, the firm principals running the worst sweatshops around me are darlings of the AIA establishment and sit on the advisory councils of the local arch schools.
I encountered that type of 'live to work' culture when I first moved to Colorado. I wouldn't do it. I had a partner ask me how I expected to advance in the firm if I didn't work longer hours. I told this person I'd advance by working with a firm that valued my talents. The following week I left for my current firm.
Are you able to provide name of these AIA darlings that run sweatshops?
No, I would rather not in order to maintain my anonymity.
No problem.
I feel like most large firms won't really do anything if you just refuse to work overtime, as long as you do your job well for the 40 hours you do work.
When this fancy firm I worked at needed to do layoffs, they would have the accounting person run a report of how many hours everyone worked over the previous few months. The people with the fewest hours (i.e. not working overtime) were then targeted for the layoff. And yes, overtime at this firm was uncompensated.
back during the great recession - I worked for a major architecture firm and it came down to charging billable hours - a bunch of us were working on a highrize project, the PM didnt want us to charge to the project and told us to charge OH. When the "wall caved in" in 11/08', we were the first to go - it was a case of feeding the shark hoping he would eat us last then he decided to eat us first.
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