If you love the people at your old job, that can be a compelling reason to ride out a slower workload between large projects. But the new firm is offering you more responsibility, and more money. Those things are a good reason to change jobs, as you want your career trajectory to always be up. Of course it means more stress, that's part of more responsibility: but you would be bored not challenging yourself.

If you managed one good-sized project at your old firm, the $42 mil one will be the same thing but bigger. I'm certain you will get into the groove of the job in no time and will have the opportunity to learn more and experience slightly different ways of doing things. Good luck!

it seems like you're getting what you want in a job...more challenges and responsibility...
design wise, you always have an input

Thank you Liberty Bell and Dammson.
The people at my current firms are OK. I haven't attached to them yet, that maybe the reason for the change too.
I interviewed with anther bigger and very good design firm, after three interviews, they didn't give me the offer. The project type won't mixed us, which is what I'm interested to learn now. And I will play a smaller role in a big team. But I thought I can learn about all their cool designs. It will be a hard decision. Fortunately or Unfortuantely, I don't need to make that decision any more. I have to rely on myself now to improve my design ability. Don't we all wish we can work for the Master Architect and learn all the secrete? Sign...

in this age of CAD...firms just don't know what to do with young architects. the quest for the PA role often finds the glass ceiling. often this is the issue of just not having the load to handle the raise you would soon be wanting as you deal with a big project.

so moving is the only option for people these days that move. when you move it should always be like you doing...more money, more responsiblity. often stretching what you are used to.

ask questions...(educated ones of course) push yourself, constantly focus on learning something. congratulations reason!! prove it not only to yourself...but to the "hatahs" at the last firm!!

Moving on can be a good way to get a higher position right away. However, if you move too frequently you can end up with a resume that indicates that you're a job-hopper, which will raise questions down the road with future employers about whether you're worth taking on and whether you're chronically disatisfied and restless.
It seems to me from your previous posts that you can't have been in your job for more than a few months already. I do understand that you don't want to "waste time", but many firms consider anybody who has been with the firm for less than 6 months to a year to be too new to have fully absorbed the firm's procedures, standards, ways of dealing with people, etc. and are unlikely to put somebody that new into a management role right away if they can help it.

I think your new job sounds like a good move money-wise. It's hard to say whether it's what you're looking for in terms of experience and responsibility. Titles vary greatly from firm to firm, so there's no way I can know what they've got in mind for you - and I'm sure you asked lots of questions about that when you were interviewing - but in many cases "Project Architect" is not really a managing role. Often it just means "architect who is working on the project", or that your management and coordination role extends only to certain aspects of the project. And that would be a typical place to start a new employee (and it would be unusual to put someone new to a firm instantly in charge of a large project, regardless of how much experience they have.)
If it does turn out that you are not instantly at the level of responsibility that you're looking for - or if things go like at the last job and you are in charge of a project but not in charge of the next one - I would suggest that you look at the longer-term picture in terms of whether you're "wasting time" more by staying in a job that doesn't immediately hand you the projects and management responsibilities you ultimately want, or by starting over in a new firm every few months.

Good luck.

Aluminate,
Thanks for your concern. I worked in this firm for a year now. It is relatively short. I usually would like to work for 2 years at least. But I finished the project from start to end, which include learning the new program ADT, coordinate all the consultants, set up schedules. I learned a lot. I still talked with my old boss, thing are still the same. I can imagine if I stayed there, things are slow and I can't stand at the same point I am now.
The tile is not as important, but I will start in charge of this big project which is still in planning phase. I will work through it and learn all the thing I could. It will be challenging, but exicting. I can see if I stay here, after a few months or even a year, I wouldn't get on any important role, and doing small things in between, I can still learn, but much slower. I did talked with three different principals, but I don't see their effort to make any changes. The new firm have more projects and they needs people, so they are willing to take rish with me. And I will do my best to do it well.

raj,
Thanks for your encoragement. I found a of time firms seems trust the new employee more than the one they have, and give they more important role, which is really unfortunately. But I think the rewards always ties to the risk you are taking. The more riskl you take, the more rewards you may get.

: perhaps this is a true statement in some firms ... but, our experience is that young architects tend to sit at their computers, plugged into their Ipods, totally tuned out to what's going on around them in the studio. this is very limiting and inhibits their professional development.

architecture is a very complex process and to become a PA one needs to have a strong overview and understanding of that process ... if you want to become something other than a CAD monkey, then open your ears, get out of your chair from time to time, engage in the process and make a contribution in areas other than CAD ... use some initiative and demonstrate that you are competent and able to contribute in a number of different ways.

before you blame the work environment, we are open and very receptive to young people who show even the slightest hint of initiative ... we want our people to grow and we give them every opportnity to do so ... but, as they say, "you can lead a horse to water ..."

Reason: did the previous firm not put you on another big project because they didn't have any big projects coming in? In that case there's not much they or you could do about the situation except wait for another appropriate project for you. But if they did have projects that matched what you think your abilities are, and yet they didn't put you on them, then did you ask why?
This post and some of your others seem to indicate that you told all of the principals what you wanted to work on and what you wanted your role to be. But did you ask them questions about what they wanted your role to be? Or about how they judged your abilities? It may be kind of late at this point to do that effectively, since you're leaving and they might not want to invest the energy to have a frank discussion with you. But take this into consideration in your next job: principals don't always like being told by employees what the employees want to do. I hear this as a complaint a lot from other architects, that their employees want to be "self-assigning" and want to dictate their own responsibilities and which projects they work on. I know this backfires for some people in some firms. It can be a lot more effective to ask "what can I do for the firm?" and "what can I do to improve my abilities so that I can do more for the firm?"
One other thing: since project manager roles in many firms involve a lot of writing and verbal communication with various parties, and coordinating lots of documents, etc. writing skills are something that employers often cite as one of the most important factors. This may be keeping you from reaching a higher role faster, because there's clearly a language issue. Maybe a class in business writing and communication could be helpful - and maybe a firm would even send you to this if they offer continuing ed benefits.

: you give very insightful and useful advice

Bloopox,
Those are very good points. I will keep those in mind in my next employment.
I told my bosses where I want to be and show them my interest to improve any area they think I need to improve. But they didn't tell me anything, they just said OK, they will keep that in mind. There maybe both, there isn't a right project that fit my level, and they are not willing to take risk to let me get more responsibilities. There maybe some communication problems. I would like to take your advice to see more from their point of view when talking to them in the future. Also it's a great suggestion to improve my writing skill. I really appreciate all your constructive criticism. I think that's why this site is so valuable.

Thank you and all the other for the good input.

Just want to update, I started my new job a few days ago. It is great! I got a window seat. I sent out 18 Fee proposal request letters this morning for my $42 million mixed used project. It will take forever for me to do all these in my last firm. I think we all should take risk to get to where we want.

Congratulations Reason!

Yeah! my new job starts monday...

Thank you "Here's your sign". Good luck "Treekiller",
There is old chinese saying;
"When moving men, they will be more lively; When moving trees, they will die." Really ture.

ah, i missed that you had picked, tk. congrats. (to all.)

reason, I will save that quote- very true...

ok. feeling dense. will someone explain that quote to me please?

it's easy to kill a tree by moving it - they are fickle creatures who resent having their roots chopped off, being banged around in transport, and then not being coddled sufficiently after planting.

then again isn't part of quoting confusius to confuse us?

"When moving men, they will be more lively; When moving trees, they will die."

Means like "Treekiller" said when you move the tress, their roots got cut off, they die. But when you move a person into a different location, environment, he not only will survive, but gets stimulated and more vitalized.