We recently got awarded two huge new projects, and are in the brink of being awared a third big new project. I'll call them Projects X, Y, and Z, respectively.
But Projects X and Z are with a major repeat client (in fact, our largest client), and they won't let us proceed on Project X until we finish up CD's on Projects A and B which were due before the new year. So it was the task of yours truly to bust my butt this week and work on Projects A and B and get them out the door. All these projects belong to Principal #1.
Meanwhile, I have another project -- Project C -- that's in the middle of construction and I'm the guy in charge of doing CA work on it. Principal #2 was supposed to go out to the job site today for a major coordination meeting, but he called in sick, so I was supposed to drop everything on Projects A and B and head 30 miles out to the burbs on a moment's notice to fill in for Principal #2 on Project C. But as I'm about to walk out the door, Principal #1 has me drop everything to work on Project D. So now, Projects A, B, and C are being ignored in favor of Project D. (I could have easily worked on Project D over the weekend, but that would have made too much sense, you see.)
All this went down over the course of about ten minutes this morning.
In addition to all that, our major client is concerned that we don't have the manpower to work on Projects X, Y, and Z. Maybe this is because every employee we've hired has run away screaming from the firm within three months due mainly to Principal #1's hyper-nuerotic personality and both Principal #1 and #2's tight-fistedness when it comes to compensation and investment in the firm. So now we're scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of the talent pool, usually ending up with interior design school dropouts who don't know their ass from a hole in the wall.
Did I mention that Principals #1 and #2 are married to each other? They live on the North Shore, own a Jaguar, a Porsche, and a sailboat; and yet nobody has had a holiday bonus in over six years, vacations routinely get cancelled at the last minute, and apparently the firm is essentially broke. They routinely leave the office at 3 PM, and yet complain that the employees aren't putting in enough (unpaid) overtime to work on this mountain of projects.
And people wonder why I lean sharply towards the socialist end of the political spectrum.
Okay, rant over. How bad is it at your current / former offices? Somebody please tell me I don't work for the most dysfunctional firm on the planet.
lb hit it right on.
sounds badly mis-managed, which is really the JOB of the two principals.
monday morning damage control - god i can't imagine how the rest of the week turns out....
sorry LIG.
We need new computers so the boss buys a no name Chinese knock off for $500. Its already 3 years old, it replaces a computer that was 8 years old.
I cant get a schedule out of him, I have know idea what is going on with the projects, there is no schedule whats so ever, no cadd standard. Basically no organization at all.
He wants me to take half assed plans to the city to try and get permits. He presents him self as an Architect but has no licence.
I don't even have a table to lay plans out.
He doesnt understand why clients are pissed off and his business is sinking.
All this and he still gets magazine covers and lots of good press. Surreal!
I think experiences in firms like that really help one to appreciated the good employers our there.
Right out of college I went to work for not a disfunctional firm, but one that just didn't treat their employees as they should. Unfortunately I didn't know this because I had little other experience to compare it to.
Pay was very weak with no OT. At review they'd look at how much overtime I worked and use that as an excuse for giving no raise. Apparently because 50 hr/week wasn't enough. I was getting compartmentilized into being a CAD monkey. Even worse is that it was becoming construction detail monkey. Rarely was I even allowed to add dimension strings to the plans. Our "perks" were a summer family picnic that was more entertainment for the principals kids than anyone else, and a x-mas party where we were graciously given one drink ticket. (We were reminded us that they didn't have to give us that one free drink.) When I'd ask for a raise, more responsibility, etc. the common response was "what have you done for us." The condecending way I was talked to really aggrivated me when the principals went on a Lexus buying binge that year.
After talking to friends I soon learned that this isn't the norm for all firms. Started interviewing. Accepted a job for a 40% pay raise, OT pay, full benefits and much added responsibility. Looking back I'm better for experiencing that. Now I fully appreciate my good employers and if I ever end up at a bad firm again, I know when to leave, like you should LIG.
I'm a strong proponent of "good people working for good firms" ... as long as good people continue to put up with the type of ridiculous policies and behavior outlined here, that sort of policy and behavior will continue
Living in Gin -- bail out as soon as you have spotted a decent landing zone
1) My recent employment history is filled with a lot of job-hopping, and I'm trying to establish some stability in that regard.
2) I'll be headed off to grad school (hopefully UPenn) in a couple years, so I'm not particularly committed to a long-term future with this firm anyway.
3) I'm still in the process of completing my undergrad BA degree on a part-time basis. Combined with points 1 and 2 above, this makes me less than an ideal candidate in a job search.
Other reasons:
4) My immediate supervisor is very cool, and we have a good working relationship. She usually serves as a buffer between myself and Principals #1 and #2.*
5) Most of my co-workers are fun to work with. When "Mom and Dad" aren't around, we actually have fun in the office.
6) As a result of item #1 above, I've gone through more job searches over the past few years than I care to admit, and so far things haven't gotten bad enough for me to want to repeat that process.
7) I really need my health insurance right now.
8) Despite all the above, my job is actually fairly stress-free, mainly because I've stopped giving a shit.
All that said, if somebody in Chicago wants to hire me, let's talk.
* Unfortunately, she's unhappy as well. If she quits, I'm screwed.
in 1997 a .com was getting devoured and needed me and another ( a good friend) real bad to to finish work to pay the bills ...we went to the boss and went from 25k to 55k salaray in a measly 2 minutes. do it.
Sounds like my old office. Principal got a new sports car a matter of days after they told me they were too broke to help me pay for some con ed....
Told us that sick days cost the company money and would employees stop taking sick days?
In an effort to give back to the employees we had a monthly lunch party (that yours truly orgainzed - I had to set up and clean up and organize entertainment) After one particularly fantastic lunch party I threw with barbecue ribs, applesauce, and cornbread, I was informed that $7 per person for lunch was uncalled for and it needed to be only $4/head. From then on, we had only pizza or subs and tap water.
This place called all unlicsensed architects "interns" and didn't let them participate in meetings, meanwhile designating recent ID graduates "management".
The receptionist didn't answer the phone, nor did she sit by the front door to handle the walk-in traffic. The lady next to ME (she was a college graduate) had to answer the phone, interupting her work and mine and it sure did ring a lot. Think "Just a mo-ment" ala Office Space. They had a sign for walk-in traffic, instructing visitors to ring a bell and proceed 80' down the hall to the receptionist's desk. DING!
A friend of mine who gathered salary information for her firm's HR department told me that my firm was one of the lowest paying in the state, and during drinks one night, I learned that she made over 7k more than me with less experience.
I could go on, but I've moved on. And so should you LIG. I give you till June and you better be out of there. Take it from someone who just went from one of the worst to one of the best, it's awesome. I make about 40% more, get taken out to lunch at least once a week (rather than organizing them), am called a designer, and work in a team atmosphere.
me too,
lb is of course right on. she has got it together.
+,
i recommend you watch out polansky's 'knive's edge'. and make sure to be invited to a boat trip on north shore.
great people to work with, given all other conditions are shite, only prolong pain and suffering. Most people in shit jobs stay because they like their immediate co-workers. Shithouse employers benefit from this common condition. You arent doing any favours for each other by staying, only sharing the suffering.
And since when is there ever stability in architecture? Most employess will fire you if they have to/need to, and alot of my friends routinely follow the work, moving 1-3 times per year... reputations unsallied.
Follow lb's advice - it sounds like you are in an indispensible position. get your supervisor to follow suit and really nail them to the wall.
-- you can do the 'macho' thing all you want -- just understand that your employers will still feel like you're screwing them and they won't forget -- they'll either say 'get lost' now or they'll knuckle under for a while until they can dump you -- you won't win this battle of wills -- my view is that your best course of action will be to leave as quickly as you can
comb - most emplyees are fine. these are'nt, hence nail them to the wall. If they tell him to walk, fine. It's either contentment or adequate compensation for lack of contentment.
I have to admit, my office isn't nearly as dysfunctional as some of the ones mentioned above. I like my coworkers, my bosses, and I am given a fair amount of responsibility. The owner treats everyone equally, with an almost socialist touch. The lack of hierarchy hasn't been a huge problem before but I anticipate it will become harder as we grow (at an incredible pace, we've gone from 10 to 38 in two years).
I think what strikes me sometimes is the fact that some people at my firm have NO filter. Zero. And we are a wildly diverse bunch. So you can imagine sometimes when things are said that probably shouldn't be.....several times I've heard the phrase, "they had better watch what they say or else they are going to get sued!" I chalk it up to growing pains coupled with a lack of manners. It's an interesting time to be with a company, in the throes of their early existance. Now if we could only get some more interesting work.....
I will say that my last job was way screwed up, like the ones you guys were talking about. It was one guy's fault though, and he got fired, 6 months after I left....ha ha. Love that.
yeah, except I reckon go for the money first. Or at least see if you can establish what they value you at. You can take this information into your next job.
i can only empathize and i think you should follow people's advice to quickly leave your job. you shouldn't have any qualms about it, if they feel betrayed - which they probably will judging by your description of the firm - then tough shit, that's what the real world is all about... and when you do, dont be afraid to tell them a piece of your mind, it'll bring relief... there is no excuse for poor management and excessive greed from your bosses, and employees should never be caught in the middle. get the f*ck out now, you wont lose anything in the process but you'll regain your sanity.
all happy architecture firms are the same, but each unhappy architecture firm is unhappy in its own way
after some of these stories my passive-aggressive ex-boss sounds like a cakewalk. our checks cashed and he was too weak to protest every day when we would leave at 6.00 sharp.
No, you don't work for the most dysfunctional firm on the planet, but you're probably in the top 100. Either SUCK IT UP or walk.
Honestly, half of the stuff you're describing actually builds character and helps you become better at project management. Stay all night work 20 hours a day if you have to. Many of us have done it and have very few regrets. It doesn't sound like you'll be there much longer if you're going to graduate school in 2 years anyway. Use this time to save your money and learn as much as you can. You should ask for a raise, or ask for an assistant and a raise, tell them you'll put in the time to help get an assistant up to speed and help you on the projects. Why do you "need" health insurance? I worked for years without it. I have it now, but worked out an agreement with my boss that I pay for it myself... that way I get more money up front and find my own healthcare I'm comfortable with at affordable rates. Really, the best way to start the conversation is to present basically what you've said here... that you cannot work on projects A, B, C, D, X, Y, and Z at the same time, that you want the projects to be done with the highest quality possible, and someone else needs to be assigned some of those projects or perhaps a "team".
"Did I mention that Principals #1 and #2 are married to each other? They live on the North Shore, own a Jaguar, a Porsche, and a sailboat; and yet nobody has had a holiday bonus in over six years, vacations routinely get cancelled at the last minute, and apparently the firm is essentially broke. They routinely leave the office at 3 PM, and yet complain that the employees aren't putting in enough (unpaid) overtime to work on this mountain of projects."
Actually, for a second I thought you were talking about my old firm, at least as far as lack of coordination/organization/business management, but our married co-principals had a Jaguar and a MERCEDES. I guess your situation does sound worse. At least I got along well with them and I got regular raises, though not huge, and a Christmas bonus every year of a grand or two. And I suppose it was good experience for me to run the office when they were off in Thailand or South Africa or France or Jamaica or St. Lucia or Hawaii...........
But I'd say stick it out and ask for more $$. Especially since you're heading back to school anyway. Sounds like you're getting good experience for someone who hasn't even finished undergrad yet. And as far as coordination/organization/business management, you've probably learned a great deal about how NOT to do things.
ramsey is right -- in two years i learned enough about what NOT to do to replace five years or so worth of learning what TO do. you hate this now, you'll thank yourself that you stuck thru it later.
That begs my next question... Anybody know of any small/mid-sized firms in Chicago that:
A) Do good design work (well-crafted minimalist / modernist is my schtick),
(Particular type of project is less important to me, but I'm quickly discovering that I absolutely hate corporate interiors and chain retail design. Residential, religious, civic, and transit projects are my strongest interests.)
B) Not only know how to design a project, but how to produce CD's for it and deliver the project in a competent, professional manner,
C) Have a casual, friendly office culture with a minimum of dysfunctionality,
D) Don't mind hiring somebody who has a few years of real-life experience but no degree yet, and who is finishing up a BA degree on a part-time basis and heading to grad school in a couple years,
E) Wouldn't mind letting me take ownership of small/medium projects from conceptual design through construction administration, but still be able to back me up with assistance when I need it,
F) Are looking for help.
I'll post my resume, typical cover letter, and portfolio soon for all to review and comment on, but first I need to change a few things to protect my privacy.
Also, I sent a letter and resume to almost every firm in the city last spring while unemployed and desperate, and landed this current job as a result.... Would it be considered bad form to re-send my credentials to some of those same firms again if they didn't interview me the first time around?
Disfunctional Day....to say the least. Fricking Bills, and Clients that don't pay, Personal Property Taxes knocking at the door. Wish I had become an Naturopathic Physician like my mommy said...
But if some folks wonder why you lean toward socialism (which would not necessarily fix your situation), I wonder why you're still working for this firm....
exp: that is my firm's answer for everything...
the temp. fix ...they say that things are tight and we need
to run "lean and mean"(...in a mgt. meeting) i said
you mean like "karen carpenter lean?"...
mgt.: hey "celeriter" that's not even close to being funny"...
i thought it was.
all of our computers are windows98 and AutoCAD14.
machines are slower than my dead grandmother.
design sensibility is about as sophisticated as a discussion
in the beer tent at a NASCAR event.
Well, my project manager just turned in her notice yesterday... Which means I'm also outta here soon, since there's no way in hell I'll be able to tolerate this place without her as a buffer between me and the principals.
No prospects lined up yet, but I'm now officially on the market.
How dysfunctional is your office?
Okay.
We recently got awarded two huge new projects, and are in the brink of being awared a third big new project. I'll call them Projects X, Y, and Z, respectively.
But Projects X and Z are with a major repeat client (in fact, our largest client), and they won't let us proceed on Project X until we finish up CD's on Projects A and B which were due before the new year. So it was the task of yours truly to bust my butt this week and work on Projects A and B and get them out the door. All these projects belong to Principal #1.
Meanwhile, I have another project -- Project C -- that's in the middle of construction and I'm the guy in charge of doing CA work on it. Principal #2 was supposed to go out to the job site today for a major coordination meeting, but he called in sick, so I was supposed to drop everything on Projects A and B and head 30 miles out to the burbs on a moment's notice to fill in for Principal #2 on Project C. But as I'm about to walk out the door, Principal #1 has me drop everything to work on Project D. So now, Projects A, B, and C are being ignored in favor of Project D. (I could have easily worked on Project D over the weekend, but that would have made too much sense, you see.)
All this went down over the course of about ten minutes this morning.
In addition to all that, our major client is concerned that we don't have the manpower to work on Projects X, Y, and Z. Maybe this is because every employee we've hired has run away screaming from the firm within three months due mainly to Principal #1's hyper-nuerotic personality and both Principal #1 and #2's tight-fistedness when it comes to compensation and investment in the firm. So now we're scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of the talent pool, usually ending up with interior design school dropouts who don't know their ass from a hole in the wall.
Did I mention that Principals #1 and #2 are married to each other? They live on the North Shore, own a Jaguar, a Porsche, and a sailboat; and yet nobody has had a holiday bonus in over six years, vacations routinely get cancelled at the last minute, and apparently the firm is essentially broke. They routinely leave the office at 3 PM, and yet complain that the employees aren't putting in enough (unpaid) overtime to work on this mountain of projects.
And people wonder why I lean sharply towards the socialist end of the political spectrum.
Okay, rant over. How bad is it at your current / former offices? Somebody please tell me I don't work for the most dysfunctional firm on the planet.
Oh jeez. I'm going to have to work up to this one.
LiG, in all seriousness: this is a good time to go to the principals and say "I need a 100% pay raise or I walk tomorrow"
They need you, and if they need you, they need to pay you for the mental and physical stress you are under.
Not all offices are like that, it's a myth that architects have to work in unrelentingly stressful environments.
And if they won't double your pay, make good and clean out your desk. You deserve better.
I second liberty bell's thoughts - get the compensation for the dysfunction or
move on.
lb hit it right on.
sounds badly mis-managed, which is really the JOB of the two principals.
monday morning damage control - god i can't imagine how the rest of the week turns out....
sorry LIG.
You know it's bad when you're riding with your boss out to a site visit in his Jaguar, and you have to spot him money for the tolls.
LOL through the tears LiG - get out now.
We need new computers so the boss buys a no name Chinese knock off for $500. Its already 3 years old, it replaces a computer that was 8 years old.
I cant get a schedule out of him, I have know idea what is going on with the projects, there is no schedule whats so ever, no cadd standard. Basically no organization at all.
He wants me to take half assed plans to the city to try and get permits. He presents him self as an Architect but has no licence.
I don't even have a table to lay plans out.
He doesnt understand why clients are pissed off and his business is sinking.
All this and he still gets magazine covers and lots of good press. Surreal!
Lord Auch Im ever so interested in hearing who this is.....
LIG:
i'm sorry, i don't understand. why do you still work there? and how could more money possibly make it any better?
I think experiences in firms like that really help one to appreciated the good employers our there.
Right out of college I went to work for not a disfunctional firm, but one that just didn't treat their employees as they should. Unfortunately I didn't know this because I had little other experience to compare it to.
Pay was very weak with no OT. At review they'd look at how much overtime I worked and use that as an excuse for giving no raise. Apparently because 50 hr/week wasn't enough. I was getting compartmentilized into being a CAD monkey. Even worse is that it was becoming construction detail monkey. Rarely was I even allowed to add dimension strings to the plans. Our "perks" were a summer family picnic that was more entertainment for the principals kids than anyone else, and a x-mas party where we were graciously given one drink ticket. (We were reminded us that they didn't have to give us that one free drink.) When I'd ask for a raise, more responsibility, etc. the common response was "what have you done for us." The condecending way I was talked to really aggrivated me when the principals went on a Lexus buying binge that year.
After talking to friends I soon learned that this isn't the norm for all firms. Started interviewing. Accepted a job for a 40% pay raise, OT pay, full benefits and much added responsibility. Looking back I'm better for experiencing that. Now I fully appreciate my good employers and if I ever end up at a bad firm again, I know when to leave, like you should LIG.
I'm a strong proponent of "good people working for good firms" ... as long as good people continue to put up with the type of ridiculous policies and behavior outlined here, that sort of policy and behavior will continue
Living in Gin -- bail out as soon as you have spotted a decent landing zone
Where my friend works..
they work from 10am-6pm saturdays included.
BUT
the place has a games room( with a snooker table ) AND a well stocked bar.
ALSO They have their own company plane which they use for their site visits.
Its an architecture firm.
LIGin........i know..life sux.
Reasons I stay:
1) My recent employment history is filled with a lot of job-hopping, and I'm trying to establish some stability in that regard.
2) I'll be headed off to grad school (hopefully UPenn) in a couple years, so I'm not particularly committed to a long-term future with this firm anyway.
3) I'm still in the process of completing my undergrad BA degree on a part-time basis. Combined with points 1 and 2 above, this makes me less than an ideal candidate in a job search.
Other reasons:
4) My immediate supervisor is very cool, and we have a good working relationship. She usually serves as a buffer between myself and Principals #1 and #2.*
5) Most of my co-workers are fun to work with. When "Mom and Dad" aren't around, we actually have fun in the office.
6) As a result of item #1 above, I've gone through more job searches over the past few years than I care to admit, and so far things haven't gotten bad enough for me to want to repeat that process.
7) I really need my health insurance right now.
8) Despite all the above, my job is actually fairly stress-free, mainly because I've stopped giving a shit.
All that said, if somebody in Chicago wants to hire me, let's talk.
* Unfortunately, she's unhappy as well. If she quits, I'm screwed.
I'm with lb. Get your share, or walk.
And jeeeebus, Living in Gin, how did you find time to write all of that?! Please see the grey hair thread... He he.
lb is of course right on. she has got it together. oh by the way you can get a used xtype jag 3.0 all wheel drive for under 20 grand...
in 1997 a .com was getting devoured and needed me and another ( a good friend) real bad to to finish work to pay the bills ...we went to the boss and went from 25k to 55k salaray in a measly 2 minutes. do it.
<img src="http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c20/rynryn/haha.jpg" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket">
Well I have too much shit to do at the moment. But here's what goes on beside me while im busting my butt.
Sounds like my old office. Principal got a new sports car a matter of days after they told me they were too broke to help me pay for some con ed....
Told us that sick days cost the company money and would employees stop taking sick days?
In an effort to give back to the employees we had a monthly lunch party (that yours truly orgainzed - I had to set up and clean up and organize entertainment) After one particularly fantastic lunch party I threw with barbecue ribs, applesauce, and cornbread, I was informed that $7 per person for lunch was uncalled for and it needed to be only $4/head. From then on, we had only pizza or subs and tap water.
This place called all unlicsensed architects "interns" and didn't let them participate in meetings, meanwhile designating recent ID graduates "management".
The receptionist didn't answer the phone, nor did she sit by the front door to handle the walk-in traffic. The lady next to ME (she was a college graduate) had to answer the phone, interupting her work and mine and it sure did ring a lot. Think "Just a mo-ment" ala Office Space. They had a sign for walk-in traffic, instructing visitors to ring a bell and proceed 80' down the hall to the receptionist's desk. DING!
A friend of mine who gathered salary information for her firm's HR department told me that my firm was one of the lowest paying in the state, and during drinks one night, I learned that she made over 7k more than me with less experience.
I could go on, but I've moved on. And so should you LIG. I give you till June and you better be out of there. Take it from someone who just went from one of the worst to one of the best, it's awesome. I make about 40% more, get taken out to lunch at least once a week (rather than organizing them), am called a designer, and work in a team atmosphere.
me too,
lb is of course right on. she has got it together.
+,
i recommend you watch out polansky's 'knive's edge'. and make sure to be invited to a boat trip on north shore.
pardon me imeant this
excellent idea abra...particularly if gin can swim well...i must watch this again soon...
great people to work with, given all other conditions are shite, only prolong pain and suffering. Most people in shit jobs stay because they like their immediate co-workers. Shithouse employers benefit from this common condition. You arent doing any favours for each other by staying, only sharing the suffering.
And since when is there ever stability in architecture? Most employess will fire you if they have to/need to, and alot of my friends routinely follow the work, moving 1-3 times per year... reputations unsallied.
Follow lb's advice - it sounds like you are in an indispensible position. get your supervisor to follow suit and really nail them to the wall.
-- you can do the 'macho' thing all you want -- just understand that your employers will still feel like you're screwing them and they won't forget -- they'll either say 'get lost' now or they'll knuckle under for a while until they can dump you -- you won't win this battle of wills -- my view is that your best course of action will be to leave as quickly as you can
comb - most emplyees are fine. these are'nt, hence nail them to the wall. If they tell him to walk, fine. It's either contentment or adequate compensation for lack of contentment.
I have to admit, my office isn't nearly as dysfunctional as some of the ones mentioned above. I like my coworkers, my bosses, and I am given a fair amount of responsibility. The owner treats everyone equally, with an almost socialist touch. The lack of hierarchy hasn't been a huge problem before but I anticipate it will become harder as we grow (at an incredible pace, we've gone from 10 to 38 in two years).
I think what strikes me sometimes is the fact that some people at my firm have NO filter. Zero. And we are a wildly diverse bunch. So you can imagine sometimes when things are said that probably shouldn't be.....several times I've heard the phrase, "they had better watch what they say or else they are going to get sued!" I chalk it up to growing pains coupled with a lack of manners. It's an interesting time to be with a company, in the throes of their early existance. Now if we could only get some more interesting work.....
I will say that my last job was way screwed up, like the ones you guys were talking about. It was one guy's fault though, and he got fired, 6 months after I left....ha ha. Love that.
diabase ... seems to me we're saying the same thing ...
totally need to move on LIG.
yeah, except I reckon go for the money first. Or at least see if you can establish what they value you at. You can take this information into your next job.
sounds a lot like prostitution to me ... just can't imagine doing unpleasant stuff for people you don't respect just for the money
Like I said, it's either contentment or adequate compensation for lack of contentment. One could argue that all work is a form of prostitution.
on the other hand they are setting him up to fail cuz the schedule is fcuked up. who takes responsibility when the shit really hits the fan?
no amount of compensation is gonna cover the principals' inability to get their shit together.
this all sound too familiar to me.
i can only empathize and i think you should follow people's advice to quickly leave your job. you shouldn't have any qualms about it, if they feel betrayed - which they probably will judging by your description of the firm - then tough shit, that's what the real world is all about... and when you do, dont be afraid to tell them a piece of your mind, it'll bring relief... there is no excuse for poor management and excessive greed from your bosses, and employees should never be caught in the middle. get the f*ck out now, you wont lose anything in the process but you'll regain your sanity.
all happy architecture firms are the same, but each unhappy architecture firm is unhappy in its own way
after some of these stories my passive-aggressive ex-boss sounds like a cakewalk. our checks cashed and he was too weak to protest every day when we would leave at 6.00 sharp.
No, you don't work for the most dysfunctional firm on the planet, but you're probably in the top 100. Either SUCK IT UP or walk.
Honestly, half of the stuff you're describing actually builds character and helps you become better at project management. Stay all night work 20 hours a day if you have to. Many of us have done it and have very few regrets. It doesn't sound like you'll be there much longer if you're going to graduate school in 2 years anyway. Use this time to save your money and learn as much as you can. You should ask for a raise, or ask for an assistant and a raise, tell them you'll put in the time to help get an assistant up to speed and help you on the projects. Why do you "need" health insurance? I worked for years without it. I have it now, but worked out an agreement with my boss that I pay for it myself... that way I get more money up front and find my own healthcare I'm comfortable with at affordable rates. Really, the best way to start the conversation is to present basically what you've said here... that you cannot work on projects A, B, C, D, X, Y, and Z at the same time, that you want the projects to be done with the highest quality possible, and someone else needs to be assigned some of those projects or perhaps a "team".
"Did I mention that Principals #1 and #2 are married to each other? They live on the North Shore, own a Jaguar, a Porsche, and a sailboat; and yet nobody has had a holiday bonus in over six years, vacations routinely get cancelled at the last minute, and apparently the firm is essentially broke. They routinely leave the office at 3 PM, and yet complain that the employees aren't putting in enough (unpaid) overtime to work on this mountain of projects."
Actually, for a second I thought you were talking about my old firm, at least as far as lack of coordination/organization/business management, but our married co-principals had a Jaguar and a MERCEDES. I guess your situation does sound worse. At least I got along well with them and I got regular raises, though not huge, and a Christmas bonus every year of a grand or two. And I suppose it was good experience for me to run the office when they were off in Thailand or South Africa or France or Jamaica or St. Lucia or Hawaii...........
But I'd say stick it out and ask for more $$. Especially since you're heading back to school anyway. Sounds like you're getting good experience for someone who hasn't even finished undergrad yet. And as far as coordination/organization/business management, you've probably learned a great deal about how NOT to do things.
Things have only gone downhill since I created this topic. I fucking hate my job.
lig ... leave
ramsey is right -- in two years i learned enough about what NOT to do to replace five years or so worth of learning what TO do. you hate this now, you'll thank yourself that you stuck thru it later.
That begs my next question... Anybody know of any small/mid-sized firms in Chicago that:
A) Do good design work (well-crafted minimalist / modernist is my schtick),
(Particular type of project is less important to me, but I'm quickly discovering that I absolutely hate corporate interiors and chain retail design. Residential, religious, civic, and transit projects are my strongest interests.)
B) Not only know how to design a project, but how to produce CD's for it and deliver the project in a competent, professional manner,
C) Have a casual, friendly office culture with a minimum of dysfunctionality,
D) Don't mind hiring somebody who has a few years of real-life experience but no degree yet, and who is finishing up a BA degree on a part-time basis and heading to grad school in a couple years,
E) Wouldn't mind letting me take ownership of small/medium projects from conceptual design through construction administration, but still be able to back me up with assistance when I need it,
F) Are looking for help.
I'll post my resume, typical cover letter, and portfolio soon for all to review and comment on, but first I need to change a few things to protect my privacy.
Also, I sent a letter and resume to almost every firm in the city last spring while unemployed and desperate, and landed this current job as a result.... Would it be considered bad form to re-send my credentials to some of those same firms again if they didn't interview me the first time around?
xlorynx - I think I went to school with that person!!!!! not just someone who does the same thing, but literally, that person.
Disfunctional Day....to say the least. Fricking Bills, and Clients that don't pay, Personal Property Taxes knocking at the door. Wish I had become an Naturopathic Physician like my mommy said...
LIG,
Yes, that's a nightmare you describe.
But if some folks wonder why you lean toward socialism (which would not necessarily fix your situation), I wonder why you're still working for this firm....
i hear the phrase "stopgap" every f*ck'n day!
exp: that is my firm's answer for everything...
the temp. fix ...they say that things are tight and we need
to run "lean and mean"(...in a mgt. meeting) i said
you mean like "karen carpenter lean?"...
mgt.: hey "celeriter" that's not even close to being funny"...
i thought it was.
all of our computers are windows98 and AutoCAD14.
machines are slower than my dead grandmother.
design sensibility is about as sophisticated as a discussion
in the beer tent at a NASCAR event.
celeriter, you have to be joking about the win98 and cad14? that blows./././
Quiting my job was the best thing I ever did.
Take yourself, your supervisor, and your projects, blow out your principals and move office.
Alternatively, just keep blowing your principals.
Meanwhile burn everything that matters onto your portable hard-drive and ship it home.
Well, my project manager just turned in her notice yesterday... Which means I'm also outta here soon, since there's no way in hell I'll be able to tolerate this place without her as a buffer between me and the principals.
No prospects lined up yet, but I'm now officially on the market.
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