I wish this poll had buttons.

These are a lot of questions! I'll do it later, I promise.

best perk: no overtime required

10 vaca, 10 sickies, plus very liberal holiday policy (inc. paid holiday for week between X-mas and New Years, half day on good friday, all the other holidays other firms don't take)

exams: no

study materials: have them for LEED, there are some floating around for the ARE's, but not the best/most recent stuff

IDP support: they've literally never dealt with it before

Flex/Fridays/summer hours: we supposedly get flex, but you've got to work an amount of overtime to get flex time that just isn't supported by any of our projects. i.e.: you'd have to work one twelve-hour day to be allowed flex time, but four nine-hour days wouldn't be considered enough to get you flex time even though they are equivilant in the extra hours worked. So basically, no not really.

cutting edge: no. just good quality buildings for people that need them.

desk view: I have a view of one of the most traffic congested roads in the city, by some trick of engineering right at eye level. We have sort of half-cubes. There are some low walls (lower than average cube height) that define our spaces, but several of us are corralled in together.

culture: uber-conservative. I honestly have had to listen to conversations about how all people with tattoos must be gay. WTF?!

i am not wearing socks. and don't have my shoes on.

we have the soft quilted TP

we have two copiers!

*sigh*

I was hoping this would stay a serious discussion and be a useful thread. But vado seems to have flushed that idea.

these ARE the perks.

The firm:

-3 weeks PTO
-1 week sick
-3 days paid + $500 stipend for approved continuing ed
-arch. license fee paid ($100)
-AIA dues paid ($700+)
-profit sharing (no idea how much yet)
-annual bonus (varies)
-401 k match up to 3% contribution
-pastry & fruit Wednesdays
-bagel Fridays

Me:

BS, MArch, PhD, registered

oh yeah, bits I forgot....

formal benefits:
3% salary match into 401(k) whether employee contributes or not
health
vision

me:
B.Arch, LEED AP, unlicensed, right about at the point between Jr and Intermediate, so basically 'head intern'.

Best perk: I am my own manager. I do what I want, when I want, how I want. I get to make a lot of mistakes that way too.

Vacation/sick: 10 days vacation. 5 days sick. Not subject to increase the longer I stay here. Paid holidays are the basic 7.

Exams: If you pass them and stay on for a year afterwards, then they will reimburse you, although I have yet to see this happen. Must use vacation time for exams. Good study materials are provided.

IDP support: Yes, there is no problem getting the needed experiences and getting them signed off.

Flex/Comp time: Supposedly, but there is a guilt trip that outweighs it. Summer hours for those that want it, but there are only 3 of us that do it.

Snacks: just coffee, tea, filtered water.

We have one cutting edge project, and lots of not cutting edge projects. Historically, the firm has had many interesting unique projects, but with new management not so much. Some projects are truly horrible. Full spectrum of program types/"styles"/project size/project delivery.

I sit by a huge window with a view of the sky - it is nice. I can actually get a tan while at my desk during spring/fall mornings when I get direct sunlight. There are some issues with glare, but way better than cubicle hell. We chat while working, play music loud sometimes, we all have similar personalities enough to have a great culture. We grill out sometimes and drink. Culture is very liberal. Dress code is non-existant. Time off is easy to take, don't need approval, you just put it on the calendar and send out an e-mail.

Downsides: Principals are lushes. Unpaid overtime, verbal reminders that 40 hours a week is merely a starting point. Disorganized and messy environs (but cool "architectural" office space), serious lack of consistancy in file managment/ways of doing, etc. Lack of continuity and integrity in design, many times we roll over and take it. Must wear all hats, switch gears constantly. Undeniably large amount of gossip and talking about whoever is not here at the moment, very catty, jealously issues, buddy-buddy relationships abound. Must be able to be the subject of jokes on a daily (hourly?) basis.

Best Perk:
1.) +/- 30% christmas bonuses
2.) most people get along very well and go drinking often
3.) haven't worked OT in 2 yrs
4.) Free pizza every Thursday

Paid Vaca/Sick:
100 hrs vaca after 5yrs
unlimited sick days - well, sort of - not really a set number but if you are sick, dont come in. i am never sick so.....


Exams Paid for / Paid Study Time:
yes and yes


Study Material:
yes, but ARE material is outdated


IDP support:
yes, they will sign off on anything you give them and will get you experience where needed. (if you ask)


Flex Time, Friday's off, Summer Hours:
- Flex time - yes, anything you want (to an extent)
- Summer Hours - 1/2 day friday all year round - work an extra hour M-Th to make 40


cutting edge on design, sustainability, integrated practice, software?:
- HELL NO!
- HELL NO!
- HELL NO!
- HELL NO!
(these 4 cancel out any of the other +'s and along with parts of culture is why i am soon to be gone)


Desk with a view:
open office - typ: 6'x8' L shaped stations w/ 1/2 hgt walls
- my space is slightly larger with an old drafting table to make a 'U' and my back is to the storefront window.
- exposed brick, solid masonry bldg (1910's?) 15' clngs


Culture:
- Mid size firm, family type operation
- Knowledgeable super cool boss, just about retired.
- whiney prick bosses son, taking over
- other partner with encyclopedia for a brain
- most of time laughing and joking around
- occational screaming/pissing match between partners

and ditto for everything in Strawberry's last paragraph

Best perk: laid back environment, boss never minds when i ask to leave early or come in late for whatever reason (Postopolils, soccer game, etc), and i like the architecture that i'm working on. a lot. oh, and as of last week this project (single family residence in Manhattan) is likely to have a geothermal system...

PTO: 15 days

exams etc: not yet a factor for me

idp: i have a wide range of responsibility, so that in itself will help me get through idp.

flex time: more or less, see above

cutting edge? well, the work is well considered, finely detailed, nobody is in a rush to get it out the door...first concern is getting it right and making it exquisite. sustainable elements...

window: yes
view: brooklyn bridge and manhattan bridge

experience level: junior/intermediate


...
we only have on copy/fax machine, thing must be from the late 80's...nice plotter though...

casual attire. i wear jeans most days. haven't sported sandels yet, but once it gets a bit hotter i may have to.

this is really really good to read. thanks treekiller! Citizen, I think I want to be you when I grow up. cln1...it sounded so perfect until you got to the work part. why is it [almost] always a tradeoff; environment for work...does anyone have both (I never have).

If you didn't already, would you mind quickly stating your credentials (education/ years experience/ title) when answering these questions- it will be interesting to compare content-ness(?) with experience.

I'll fill it out later...

WhatToDo
you are correct, it is a trade off... but i guess the work isnt that bad, there certainly is a lot worse out there - just similar stuff over and over again and it becomes boring... very very boring.

education/experience:
BS Arch-Engineering - 2000
MArch - done next year (hopefully)
7 yrs full time + 3 internships while in undergrad
title: Job Capt., PM, Designer, Asshole, Drafter - depends on the day


i should clarify on the vaca:
40 hrs after 1 year
80 hrs after 2 years
100 hrs after 5
160 hrs after 10

+ profit sharing/401k

it's sad, cln1, but true. my last job was awesome design/ responsibility wise (I did everything) but my boss was an abusive bitch. now, the environment couldn't be more incredible, but the work is tedious (cad monkey).

where are the nice bosses w/ the good work? maybe that's an oxymoron.

I really HATE to sound like the grizzled old geezer here, but you guys have hit on one of the core issues of work life: the trade-off. There will always be something unappealing about a particular gig. If you found the nice boss with great work, the pay would be crap. Or if the pay was good, the office would be in a strip mall w/ t-bar ceilings and fluoresenct lights, sandwiched between a Wal-Mart and a puppy-killing business. There's always gonna be something you won't like.

The best we can do, IMHO, is keep trading up and try to find a gig w/ more features in the 'plus' column than in the 'minus'. Also (again, grizzled geezer speaking), attitude plays a big part in this. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then a good job just may be in the mind of the architect.

So how long does one wait before trading the "cool" office w/ low pay for the "tedious" office that offers higher pay and real insurance? I find that I'm reaching that point.

Me:
B.A. in social science
M.Arch
Almost completed IDP, project manager
funky office, great light and workspace, views of the water & city, interesting projects, hip co-workers, beers on Fridays,
lots of joking/music/laid back atmosphere
Pay so ridiculously low for what I'm responsible for that I won't admit the #
Weak sauce for health insurance
No 401k
Basic paid holidays
two weeks paid vacation
1 week paid sick time
no personal days
if you don't use your PTO, you lose it, not paid for unused PTO (not sure if they realize they are encouraging us to milk every single day or lose it)
Little support for IDP, they have no experience in it. Curiously, they seem to discourage it for fear that someone would have a valid reason to demand more$$$.
No ARE materials, they don't seem to know what LEED is.

Summary: Great social environment, like working with friends. But the trade-off is pretty serious...forever doomed to be a worker bee for great design projects that will never reflect any design credit back to me...and have to fight for every penny of income. I'm not sure how long I can hang here, might have to go somewhere "boring" that actually pays and is invested in helping their employees become architects.

I understand everything in life is a tradeoff. I just don't understand this “the devil wears prada” attitude that runs rapid in the design world (in LA at least). My last boss was so abusive that I actually quit because of how much she degraded one of my coworkers. She was so disorganized and lost everything and then would scream and cuss out anyone in her path looking for it- destroying their desk- throwing your papers/pens all over the place, etc. This happened dozens of times in 6months. To me, that's not a trade-off for good work- that’s unacceptable and illegal.

Anyway, I digress. I understand no job is perfect and that your attitude will usually make/ break your experience, but I continually hear these horrific stories of abuse.

- 16 days PTO (vac & sick) accrue more at 2 yr intervals, rollover ok
- 6 paid holidays + 2 floating holidays employee choice
- 2 days paid study for ARE's
- $500 stipend for cont. ed, appeal process for more
- ARE exam paid
- 1996 Kaplan ARE study materials
- current LEED study materials
- all prof license fees paid, inc. AIA & IDP
- profit sharing
- annual bonus (varies but never below 3%)
- 401k match up to 7.5%
- flex time for salary employees, OT for hourly
- summer hours for those who participate
- latest software for CAD, BIM, Photoshop, 3D, etc.
- generous employer contribution to HSA accts
- health/dental/vision
- life insurance salary x 1.5
- we have several LEED projects that have received the plaque
- we've been published
- laid back casual atmosphere/casual dress

aquapura I think you've got a pretty good gig...

Agreed, it's not too bad until I compare it to the benefits my friends in "corporate america" are getting. Notice I didn't mention a company paid car or $5000 annual clothing stipend.

So what is the best perk about your job?
- good projects, office excursions (porto, copenhagen...)

How many paid days vacations/sick days do you get?
- 36 vacation days. sick days not specified - depends on situation

Flex time, Fridays off, summer hours, work from home?
- nope

Is your firm cutting edge on design, sustainability, integrated practice, software?
- designwise not cutting any edges but at least the kind of stuff i hoped to do when i was a student. widely published.

Does your desk have a view? or are you in cubicle hell?
- new office building will have a view over water

Describe the culture of the firm?
- pretty strict, but a good culture within the workers.

finally, your experience level (junior, intermediate, senior, registered, M.arch/B.arch, pre-pro degree...)
- intermediate (6 years)

basically i am very happy, and in the scheme of things when i know so
many ppl are complaining then it must be pretty good.

36 days vaca?? I can't wait to move to Europe...

anybody get transit passes or paid parking?



thanks to everybody's responses so far! I'm negotiating a new gig and ya'll have inspired me to ask for (and based on my last gig):

- Four additional PTO days/year to cover professional exams/professional development/study. This would total of 14 days vacation, plus one week sick and 7 paid holidays for a grand total of 26 days (still 10 days less then our friend in Amsterdam).

- Reimbursement for professional registration exams,
or
an allowance of $1000/year for professional development. I have two multiple choice sections of the LARE left that will cost me $455, and I want to go to Green Build. Is the one grand too much to ask?

- Reimbursement for all professional membership fees. I'm currently being billed: $360/ASLA, $244/AIA, $115/CLARB, and $185/NCARB.

We discussed the reimbursement of fees and exams, but I want it down in writing.

so lets see how they respond...

oh yeah, I did get paid parking, but I gave that up for health & environmental reasons last week.

r- do they have a shower/changing area/safe bike keeping place?

no shower, changing area is the handicap stall in the bathroom. They do let me keep my bike in one of our storage closets though, since the building's bike racks are so unfortunately placed (bums could saw at your lock for 1/2 hour undisturbed if they chose to).

Paid Hourly, Straight time....even after 50 hrs.
3 Sick days a year (was 2). Vacation time is accrued, and basically never amounts to anything, as it's October before you can take a few days off.
401 K and Profit Sharing are average. Small bonus for receiving licensure. Health and dental for a family is 500 per month (Firm pays for individuals). Office environment is labyrinthine and filthy, and old. Partners own Building so they don't have rent to pay. We (some of us) are in cubicles. Not enough natural light. I walk to/from work and eat lunch at home or in the park with my wife and princess.
So I cant complain, I am only away from them 5 hours at a time, but don't make enough money to be completely proud or fulfilled as a father and sole provider. Basically, it's a job and architecture as a profession is a waste of life, so I can't blame my employer because I am still working at a firm instead of running my own......ah Mondays.

1. 15 days of annual leave (I think... While the firm wants employees to take time off, vacation is VERY DIFFICULT to take; I'm still "paying" for my 5-day vacation in early April.)

2. No reimbursement for exams, although it's rumored that you can get paid time off to take the exams (I've taken mine Saturdays. See item #1 above.)

3. No 401k match. The firm encourages everyone to deposit their annual bonus into their 401k plan.

4. 4 hours per year of paid educational time.

5. Health insurance (not quite sure how much - I'm under my husband's plan.)

6. Pre-tax mass transportation deduction (i.e. I pay for it, but it automatically gets taken out of my check before taxes)


Work Climate:

7. As much responsibility as you can handle (and then some more).

8. Project types: there are the "haves" and the "have nots" - there is a dichotomy in the level of pride that the firm has in projects.

9. Small workstation with partial view of daylight.

Social Culture:

10. We like our alcohol and parties.

11. Younger, social office.



My personal background? M.Arch 3 years ago; continuous internship in firms since 1997 (hrm...also the year Archinect was founded?).

I like my alcohol and parties which makes me perfect for 99% of the firms out there, right?

Perks? Overtime not high on the firm agenda.

15 PTO total

Exams paid for when you register for the next one, definitely to help you keep going. Test days don't count towards PTO.

Multiple, full Kaplan sets available

IDP? Seems to have good IDP support, interns are really involved in projects, including meetings, site visits, specs, etc.

Hours? No special hours.

Cutting Edge?: Nope, total mid-west corporate

View? yes, only because the contractor never came back to install the panels in front of the windows at newer cubes.

Culture? booorrrring, but new, quite irreverent and ridicuous co-workers making it better.

All in all, an ok place to waste 40 hrs a week.

Just remembered,

Annual bumps guaranteed, not always large, but c.o.l. plus at least.

4% 401k match and training on what to do with it.

Experience level: 3rd year intern

- Flex time, great coworkers, paid overtime. We have something called 'design hour' were we partake in friendly competitions, discuss design, watch videos about architecture, charette the afternoon away, and drink company furnished beer, wine, and eat fancy cheeses.

- 10 days vacation, 5 days sick. Flex time last year allowed me to have about 5 weeks off.

- Firm pays for ARE and LEED exam, study seminars.

- Yes. The firm also generally provides people to come in and give study seminars for LEED.

- Great IDP support.

- I heart flex time.

- As a whole, no, it's not cutting edge. I have somehow found myself classified in this little 'niche' that gets our cooler more interesting projects that our firm usually doesn't do.

- I have a wonderful view of a computer monitor.

- The culture is corporate America.