are you looking to get your M.Arch in the future? that might help when you're interviewing...a firm like the one for which i work won't even consider candidates without professional degrees unless it's for student wages
absolutely...this hiatus between undergrad and grad will last 2 years, 3 at the most (in the event I move, get a job that I enjoy etc). The typical situation down here (in Orlando, Tampa, Miami etc) is for firms to offer in-betweeners like myself a lower salary than MArch degree holders, obviously... but I don't know of any firm that is unwilling or not interested in hiring us, so long as we are capable and, in most cases, headed toward grad school in the near future (which I suppose is a sign of motivation).
In fact, job candidates with 4 years of studio education but without the added expense that a professional degree holder brings (from an employer's viewpoint) would seem to be lucrative, if there was a need for entry level / junior architect type employees...???
$38K might be about right...it might actually be high for someone with just undergrad (i.e. not a professional degree)...a lot of my friends in atlanta were making about $35K-$40K straight out of GT with a masters degree and a year or two worth of experience...meanwhile i was in tampa for $45K and a lot lower cost of living
chicago is probably the most segregated city i've ever lived.
i agree also about the apparent lack of globally recognized architects in the city. just seemed so strange after such a rich and pivotal trajectory in the history of architecture. the midwest culture is particular and i never really acclimated after several years. there are some memorable points in the city worth experiencing, but i have to say that i definately have no regrets in finally moving away. i actually felt born again in a weird way...
historically chi was always segregated. my hood in rogers park was diverse, but of course, everyone stayed within in their own clicks. take a ride on devon street bus and you;ll hear many different languages.i'm startin to jones again for the southwest.
Has anyone here worked at SOM Chicago?, what was the environment like? I know that firms like SOM gets bad raps but are there any benefits working at SOM? I ask this because a lot of great Chicago practicioners comes out of SOM. I'm looking for an office were I could practice to get a kind of technical expertise. Is it really difficult to work on various types of work at SOM?
What are the starting salaries and benifits (401k)
SOM chicago has a definite corporate culture and if you don't cotton too much to the very strong suggestion that you wear a shirt and tie to work (if you're a man) don't bother. i mean, you can get along without wearing a tie, but you might become respectable sooner. (i heard that the number of SOM alumni in chicago would fill the united center.) it is nothing like most architecture firms out there today. however, the amount of technical talent in the firm is immense, or at least it was when i was there (i heard there have been a lot of changes lately).
starting salary...hmm, hard to say...i got 33.5K coming out with my B.Arch in 2001. but the insurance was basically paid for (at least for myself, i had to pay for my wife's) and there was some kind of 401k at the time. they paid my IDP fees and i think they pay for exams, AIA fees, etc.
ochona,
how was your experience there. Is it possible to stay there for three to four years to get registered or do people just come and go. Do people generally get lots of experience at SOM? What type of projects did you work on, and what did you do on them?
I, too, am considering a move to Chicago. (Boston is... yeesh.) Anyway. I've read these, and other posts, but I need an insider's perspective:
I currently work at a 4 person firm, where the 2 principals are married to each other and me and another dude work under them. I have complete liberty to run my own projects, am encouraged to help with design/jump in, I meet with clients, contractors, subs, everyone alone, and I love it. I solve problems in the field at my own discretion. The work is interesting and the designs are conceptual, detail-oriented, and stimulating. If I didn't hate Boston, there's no way I'd leave. The principals are dedicated to educating their employees and we have office crits, go to lectures, etc. Also, often the principal will get excited about a certain detail, bust out his slide library, and give us an impromptu arch. lecture based on his travel slides. So.
I'm looking for a tiny, tiny firm where I'd get to, like, stare at an amazing Hafele door hinge for a long time and figure out a way to get it all to work perfectly in some crazy application in some client's kitchen. (This is what I did all day Thursday.) In my experience, those kinds of firms are impossible to find online or in an AIA directory; they tend to be word of mouth.
Does anyone on here know of any firms similar to that in Chicago? Hopefully that's doing decently well?
Yeah, it's my dream job too, it's amazing. But, I get paid late, no benefits, and... I HATE BOSTON. So. I can't really take it much longer, I have to leave this town, and the job that I love more than any other I've ever worked. Hoping against hope that I can find a replacement...
really, if I liked this town, I would stay, hands down. It's a great firm, also has TONS of work. And a cool office environment, to boot. All g5's, electronica playing on the office stereo... mmmmm
the best advice i can give you is try and meet some of the people that have been mentioned here. dan wheeler, jeanne gang, john ronan, doug garofalo, etc etc. ask them if they are hiring. if they aren't, ask them who is. tell them what kind of firm you are looking for; they might know someone who is hiring and would be a good fit. a lot of the desirable architecture firms mentioned here have some wonderful people in charge of them. often, they will go out of their way to help you.
how about Chicago?
are you looking to get your M.Arch in the future? that might help when you're interviewing...a firm like the one for which i work won't even consider candidates without professional degrees unless it's for student wages
absolutely...this hiatus between undergrad and grad will last 2 years, 3 at the most (in the event I move, get a job that I enjoy etc). The typical situation down here (in Orlando, Tampa, Miami etc) is for firms to offer in-betweeners like myself a lower salary than MArch degree holders, obviously... but I don't know of any firm that is unwilling or not interested in hiring us, so long as we are capable and, in most cases, headed toward grad school in the near future (which I suppose is a sign of motivation).
In fact, job candidates with 4 years of studio education but without the added expense that a professional degree holder brings (from an employer's viewpoint) would seem to be lucrative, if there was a need for entry level / junior architect type employees...???
$38K might be about right...it might actually be high for someone with just undergrad (i.e. not a professional degree)...a lot of my friends in atlanta were making about $35K-$40K straight out of GT with a masters degree and a year or two worth of experience...meanwhile i was in tampa for $45K and a lot lower cost of living
if you're lucky you'll make fifteen bucks an hour.
get a job with beco or architemps.. two years experience and you can make $25+ an hr (granted you don't get squat for benefits)
chicago is probably the most segregated city i've ever lived.
i agree also about the apparent lack of globally recognized architects in the city. just seemed so strange after such a rich and pivotal trajectory in the history of architecture. the midwest culture is particular and i never really acclimated after several years. there are some memorable points in the city worth experiencing, but i have to say that i definately have no regrets in finally moving away. i actually felt born again in a weird way...
historically chi was always segregated. my hood in rogers park was diverse, but of course, everyone stayed within in their own clicks. take a ride on devon street bus and you;ll hear many different languages.i'm startin to jones again for the southwest.
Speaking of which, how about Waukegan? I really enjoy flea-markets, and stolen car stereo goods for my dropped pickup...
oh, and the pan dulces are to die for...another quick way to the famous midwest gut.
Has anyone here worked at SOM Chicago?, what was the environment like? I know that firms like SOM gets bad raps but are there any benefits working at SOM? I ask this because a lot of great Chicago practicioners comes out of SOM. I'm looking for an office were I could practice to get a kind of technical expertise. Is it really difficult to work on various types of work at SOM?
What are the starting salaries and benifits (401k)
The running joke I've heard is that nobody respects you as a real architect in Chicago until you've been fired by Skidmore at least once.
SOM chicago has a definite corporate culture and if you don't cotton too much to the very strong suggestion that you wear a shirt and tie to work (if you're a man) don't bother. i mean, you can get along without wearing a tie, but you might become respectable sooner. (i heard that the number of SOM alumni in chicago would fill the united center.) it is nothing like most architecture firms out there today. however, the amount of technical talent in the firm is immense, or at least it was when i was there (i heard there have been a lot of changes lately).
starting salary...hmm, hard to say...i got 33.5K coming out with my B.Arch in 2001. but the insurance was basically paid for (at least for myself, i had to pay for my wife's) and there was some kind of 401k at the time. they paid my IDP fees and i think they pay for exams, AIA fees, etc.
ochona,
how was your experience there. Is it possible to stay there for three to four years to get registered or do people just come and go. Do people generally get lots of experience at SOM? What type of projects did you work on, and what did you do on them?
I, too, am considering a move to Chicago. (Boston is... yeesh.) Anyway. I've read these, and other posts, but I need an insider's perspective:
I currently work at a 4 person firm, where the 2 principals are married to each other and me and another dude work under them. I have complete liberty to run my own projects, am encouraged to help with design/jump in, I meet with clients, contractors, subs, everyone alone, and I love it. I solve problems in the field at my own discretion. The work is interesting and the designs are conceptual, detail-oriented, and stimulating. If I didn't hate Boston, there's no way I'd leave. The principals are dedicated to educating their employees and we have office crits, go to lectures, etc. Also, often the principal will get excited about a certain detail, bust out his slide library, and give us an impromptu arch. lecture based on his travel slides. So.
I'm looking for a tiny, tiny firm where I'd get to, like, stare at an amazing Hafele door hinge for a long time and figure out a way to get it all to work perfectly in some crazy application in some client's kitchen. (This is what I did all day Thursday.) In my experience, those kinds of firms are impossible to find online or in an AIA directory; they tend to be word of mouth.
Does anyone on here know of any firms similar to that in Chicago? Hopefully that's doing decently well?
Thanks!!
If you find one, let me know... Your second paragraph pretty much describes my dream job (as opposed to the monotonous AutoCAD monkey shit I do now).
Yeah, it's my dream job too, it's amazing. But, I get paid late, no benefits, and... I HATE BOSTON. So. I can't really take it much longer, I have to leave this town, and the job that I love more than any other I've ever worked. Hoping against hope that I can find a replacement...
really, if I liked this town, I would stay, hands down. It's a great firm, also has TONS of work. And a cool office environment, to boot. All g5's, electronica playing on the office stereo... mmmmm
the best advice i can give you is try and meet some of the people that have been mentioned here. dan wheeler, jeanne gang, john ronan, doug garofalo, etc etc. ask them if they are hiring. if they aren't, ask them who is. tell them what kind of firm you are looking for; they might know someone who is hiring and would be a good fit. a lot of the desirable architecture firms mentioned here have some wonderful people in charge of them. often, they will go out of their way to help you.
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